If you already have online access to your brokerage account, you can pull your monthly account information into personal financial software programs like Quicken, Tax Cut or MS Money.

Before you begin, you will need to have online access to your brokerage account(s) by using a Customer ID and PIN. For more information on accessing your brokerage account, visit our website, www.PrudentNetwork.com, and click on Account Access (on the right-hand side). If you do not have a Customer ID and PIN, please contact us and we will send you one. By following a few quick and easy steps, you can set up your account(s) to automatically retrieve transactions and balances so you will be better prepared for tax time and for annual accountings!

For brevity, I will outline the steps necessary to import an account into Quicken. If you use Tax Cut or MS Money, the steps should be somewhat similar, but you should refer to the software program’s help menu for more specific
guidelines.

Just follow these simple steps:

1. Sign into Quicken
2. Go to Investing → Investing Accounts →Add Account.
3. Once you select Add Account, type in “mystreetscape” and click NEXT.
4. Choose the type of account (IRA, Standard Brokerage, etc.…) and click NEXT.
5. Name the account. You may customize this step. For example, you can label an account, “The Estate of Jane Doe with Prudent Investors Network”.
6. Select Online.
7. Enter the Customer ID and PIN and click NEXT. (You will need to obtain a customer ID from Prudent Investors Network. The number will begin with 2623 and you will have the opportunity to set up your own PIN once you have logged on to the account the first time.)
8. Enter the account number and click ENTER. (Your account number will begin with R9900… be sure to enter it in all caps and no hyphens!)
9. There will be a pop-up confirming that the account has been set up in Quicken. Once you click DONE, Quicken will automatically begin retrieving the information on behalf of that account.

 Printable PDF Format

1. What is the regulatory record of the representative and his/her firm?
2. How have the investment portfolios fared in these volatile markets?

To answer the first question we refer you to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA, which used to be NASD) website at FINRA.org.

1. First click on the Investors link to enter the Investors portal.

2. Click the “Protect Yourself ” link under the “Investors” heading.

3. Click on the FINRA BrokerCheck on the right hand side of the page under the “Related” section.

4. Finally, click on “Start Search.”

5. In the window that opens, you must check the “I agree to the Terms…” box and click “Continue.”

6. You will be given the choice of checking on the “Broker” or the “Brokerage Firm.” Start by entering the broker’s name and clicking the “Broker” radio button and then “Start Search.”

7. You will be asked to input a number (given you in an irregular font on the screen as a security measure).

8. In the window that opens, click on the broker’s name (link in blue font).

9. The link will take you to a summary page. You can check under, “Disclosure of Customer Disputes, Disciplinary, and Regulatory Events.” If there are events disclosed, click on the “View Full PDF Report,” and in the left bookmarks click on “Disclosure Information” for the details.

10. Now check his Brokerage Firm: Use the Back arrows in your web browser to return to the FINRA BrokerCheck search.  This time select the Brokerage Firm radio button, click the drawdown arrow and select “FINRA BrokerCheck Search” (or page back until you get back to it). Input the brokerage firm’s name and click “Start Search” button. Do as before.

We would encourage you to use FINRA BrokerCheck to review the record of all representatives you work with, including representatives of Prudent Investors Network. It would also be prudent to check the record of all brokerage firms that you work with including Ceros Financial Services, PIN’s brokerage firm. The results may be very revealing.

To answer the second question, “How have your investment portfolios fared in these volatile markets?” we are offering a complimentary risk-versus-return review of any existing accounts held at other brokerage firms. If you will fax the most recent statement to us at (760) 597-9255 (feel free to redact personal information on the statement), we will prepare a scatter diagram that shows how the portfolio has done in terms of risk and return relative to appropriate benchmarks over time. We will also prepare a growth-of-$100,000 chart that shows the portfolio’s growth over time relative to benchmarks. Let us know how else we can be of assistance to you or give us a call at (800) 455-1288 if you have questions.

Printable PDF Format