CCF Compass Consulting & Financial

🔐 Cybersecurity Month may be ending, but protecting your information shouldn't.
Before the month ends, take a few minutes to review your digital security:
☑️ Update important passwords
☑️ Make sure passwords are unique
☑️ Enable MFA
☑️ Update your devices
☑️ Review financial-account alerts
☑️ Check for suspicious account activity
☑️ Be cautious with unexpected messages
☑️ Remove accounts you no longer use
Throughout September, we covered some of the most important cybersecurity habits; from creating strong, unique passwords and using MFA to recognizing phishing attempts and protecting your financial information.
Your financial future deserves protection, and that includes protecting the information behind it.
Cybersecurity isn't a once-a-year task. It's an ongoing habit.
Stay informed. Stay cautious. Stay protected.
— Compass Consulting & Financial

💰 5 ways to help protect your financial information online
1️ Use unique passwords for financial accounts.
2️ Enable multi-factor authentication whenever available.
3️ Be cautious with unexpected requests for sensitive information.
4️ Verify unusual payment or account requests before acting.
5️ Turn on account alerts so you can identify suspicious activity quickly.
Cybersecurity is an important part of protecting your financial well-being.
Prevention starts with awareness.

📱 One extra step can add another layer of protection.
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) requires an additional verification step when signing into an account.
Even if someone obtains your password, MFA can provide an additional barrier against unauthorized access.
Consider enabling MFA on:
✔️ Email accounts
✔️ Financial accounts
✔️ Cloud storage
✔️ Social media
✔️ Other accounts containing sensitive information
Take a few minutes today to check which of your important accounts offer MFA.

📧 Could you spot a phishing attempt?
Watch for:
🚩 Unexpected requests for information
🚩 Urgent or threatening language
🚩 Suspicious email addresses
🚩 Unfamiliar links or attachments
🚩 Requests involving passwords, payments, or sensitive information
If something doesn't look right, don't click.
Verify first.

National Apple Dumpling Day
In honor of this day here is the recipe that I use for my family every Christmas Morning.

2 Granny Smith apples
2 (8-oz.) cans crescent rolls
1 cup butter, plus more for greasing
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 (12-oz.) can Mountain Dew soda
1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 °F.

Peel and core apples. Cut each apple into 8 wedges. Roll each wedge in a crescent roll. Place rolls in a 9 x 13 baking dish. In small saucepan melt butter. Once melted add sugar (or substitute) and cinnamon. Mix well. Remove from heat and add soda. Pour over crescent rolls. Bake for 45 minutes.

🛑 Does an unexpected financial request feel urgent? Slow down.
Scammers often use urgency to encourage people to act before they have time to think.
Before responding to an unusual request:
STOP — Don't act immediately.
CHECK — Look for inconsistencies or warning signs.
VERIFY — Contact the person or organization through a trusted method.
When it comes to your financial information, taking an extra minute to verify can be worth it.

Twenty-five years ago, I was putting the final touches on our wedding plans.

We were getting married on the 22nd of September and at that time we were young, in love, and full of enthusiasm about starting our life together, with a honeymoon in Jamaica planned for us.

Then everything changed.

I was on the 13th floor of the tallest building in our city, which is the second largest in Indiana. While meeting with a client, I noticed a lot of commotion in the hallway.

People were talking and moving around, and the phones kept ringing.

To stay polite and professional, I excused myself from my client and stepped into the hallway. I thought about asking my colleagues to quiet down.

That's when I discovered what had taken place in New York.

I went back to my client and explained what was happening. We stayed for another 15 minutes before we were told to move to a lower floor.

The phone calls started coming in quickly. Family and friends wanted to make sure we were okay and to find out what was happening.

The uncertainty was overwhelming.

I needed a few minutes alone, so I went into the file room, closed the door, and tried to pull myself together.

I didn't want to panic.

I had to remain calm.

At that point, we only knew about New York. We hadn’t heard anything about the Pentagon or Flight 93 in Pennsylvania yet, and we didn’t realize how much bigger the situation would become.

All we wanted was to understand what was happening around us.

Even with all the uncertainty, I was still planning a wedding that was less than two weeks away.

We were then contacted by our travel agent.
Our honeymoon was cancelled.

At some point, our honeymoon plans were back on.

Her words were:
"I can get you to Jamaica. I just can't promise I can get you back home."

We were young and in love, and after everything that happened, we probably should have felt more afraid than we did. But we didn't care. From the start, we knew we wanted to get married and go on our honeymoon, so we did. It was great!

Now, twenty-five years later, I realize those moments affected much more than just my wedding plans.

They changed the way I think about life planning and how it has to coincide with financial planning. It became a passion.

We are taught that there are things in our lives which we cannot choose. But we can choose how well we prepare for the things we can control.

Financial Planning is about getting ready to live the life you want while keeping the people and things you care about safe.

Two years after I was diagnosed with cancer, it happened again.

Once again, life reminded me how quickly things can change and how important it is to have a plan in place.

Things like a Durable Power of Attorney, a Health Care Surrogate, a Will, or a Trust. A financial plan that considers not just your current situation, but also your future goals.

These aren’t things you only need to think about far in the future.

Taking care of these things is a key part of being responsible for your life, your choices, and your future.

After all, nobody knows what tomorrow will bring.
I never imagined I would learn that lesson twenty-five years ago, or years later be reminded again.

We can't control what life throws at us. But we can make a plan for the life we want and take steps to make it happen.

🔐 Your Password Could Be the Key to More Than One Account
According to Verizon's 2026 Data Breach Investigations Report, credentials appeared in 28% of data breaches, while personal data appeared in 23%.
Even more concerning: Verizon found that among devices affected by infostealer malware, the median user had only 49% of their saved passwords unique across different services.
Why does this matter?
Reusing passwords can give cybercriminals more opportunities to access multiple accounts if one password is compromised.
This September, take a few minutes to strengthen your digital security:
- Avoid reusing passwords across accounts
- Enable multi-factor authentication whenever available
- Consider using a reputable password manager
- Never share passwords or sensitive information through unexpected messages
Your financial security starts with protecting the information that gives you access to it.
This Cybersecurity Month, make password security a priority.

How secure are your online accounts?
Start with these simple steps:
- Use unique passwords for important accounts.
- Turn on multi-factor authentication whenever possible.
- Keep your device software up-to-date.
- Don't click links or open attachments in unexpected or suspicious emails.
- Monitor your financial accounts regularly.
Small steps can make a meaningful difference in protecting your information.
When was the last time you reviewed your account security?

Welcomt to Safe September - Cybersecurity Month.
Your financial information deserves a level of security proportionate to what you’re protecting.
Throughout September, I will share tips and practical ways to keep your personal and financial information secure.
This month we’ll cover:
- Password Security
- Two-factor authentication
- Phishing and scams
- Everyday best practices
Cybersecurity isn't just an IT issue. It's an important part of protecting your financial future.
Follow along throughout the month for practical tips you can put into action.