Accounts Archives - BOLLYWOOD SURKHIYAN

Protecting your identity online is essential for your brand, reputation and credit worthiness, far more important than updating your Instagram and Facebook every day. Several times a year the news will cover a serious data breach of information being held by major banks, insurance companies and/or social media platforms. Once the data is taken, it can be misused or even lead to identity theft. Deleting your old social media accounts is a vital step to help ensure some measure of identity protection. It is imperative that you keep your online access to your current accounts safe and protected and delete any old accounts.

Here is a guide that will help you delete your old accounts on the most popular social media sites.

Facebook

Moving onto the biggest social network platform of all time, Facebook, with over a billion users, keeps things simple and makes it incredibly easy for you to deactivate your account.

Once you go into the “settings” tab from the down arrow in your browser, select your Facebook information and then select delete your account and information”. When you are in this menu you will go to delete your account and must add the password to confirm.

Foursquare

Foursquare hit the internet over a decade ago to let friends know where you are and figuring out where they are. In order to delete your Foursquare account, you will have to access the platform from your computer. Move onto the “privacy” settings tab where you have to scroll to the end of the page and find an option to delete your account. When you select this option you will go to a page where you need to confirm whether you want to delete your account or not.

Google

Google is the undisputed search engine leader with one of the most interconnected ecosystems. By creating one account for Google you are able to access a plethora of different applications and websites without having to create separate accounts. In order to delete your Google+ or Gmail account, you will need to delete your entire Google account.

Go to “Google account settings” and choose “delete account and services”. There you will see the “delete products” option, where you can access all of your Google applications. You need to sign in to all of the websites first before you can delete your account.

Instagram

Facebook’s younger brother is possibly the most used social media platform by Millennials, according to Hootsuite. Thanks to its focus on visual communication, it is the go-to place in order to find talented artists.

Deleting your account is very simple and takes little time to properly accomplish. While you can manage your privacy settings using the mobile app, you must go through an internet browser in order to delete your account. Simply go to the “delete your account page”, and there you will have to provide a reason for deleting your account. Once you provide the reason, you will provide your password and then select the option to permanently delete the account.

Linked In

LinkedIn is the social network for professionals looking for new opportunities to connect with other professionals and grow their business and careers. If you are on the platform, the profile should be complete and up-to-date. If you are no longer using the platform, delete the account. At the top right corner of any page of LinkedIn, you will first have to access the “privacy and settings” tab. From there, choose the “account” tab and then select closing your LinkedIn account. You will have to give your feedback and verify your account before you can delete it. From there you will see a post telling you of the consequences of deleting your account and then the final page which will be for confirmation.

MySpace

This social media platform has been bought and sold several times since its glory days (2005 to 2009). In 2016 their database was breached and leaked to a dark market website. To delete your MySpace account, you will first have to login to the account that you want to delete. From there, select the “gear” icon and choose the “account” tab. There, you will see an option to delete your account. Before you can delete your account you will have to provide a reason after which you will receive an email for confirmation. Open the email and follow its instructions.

Pinterest

Pinterest is a web-based pinboard or bulletin board, a place to bookmark images found online. To delete your Pinterest account you will first have to go to the triple dot icon on the website and select the “edit settings” option. From there you will have to go down to the “account” page and select “deactivate account”. From there you will click “yes” to receive an email, which you need to open and follow in order to permanently delete your account.

Snapchat

Snapchat is a service that, for a short time, rivaled Facebook and was the go-to social media app for many people. As is the case with Instagram, you cannot delete your account from the mobile app; you must delete it from a proper browser.

From the website browser, go to “delete your account” and enter your username and password. Your account does not delete instantly and it takes about 30 days to remove all of the information.

Twitter

Regardless of how famous your really are, everyone has a Twitter handle. Many people follow and get their news from the tweets of everyone from legitimate newsmakers and media organizations to raving fans of our favorite sport teams. Deleting your Twitter account is incredibly easy. It takes at least 30 days for all of your tweets to get deleted. Select “settings and privacy” from the form on the menu and go into the account tab. From there you will have to deactivate your account and enter your password to confirm the action.

Tumblr

Tumblr probably has one of the most bustling communities on the internet, which is also why it is very easy for anyone to delete their account. While you are able to delete your account, the content other people have reposted will remain available on the site. To delete your account, click on the person-shaped icon on the website, and go to “settings”. There select “delete account”, entering your email and password to confirm the process. Tumblr also states that it takes them a few days to properly wipe all of your content.

Whatsapp

Whatsapp is a free messaging app to send Voice over IP (VoIP), images, video calls and documents using a mobile device. To delete your account, simply open your Whatsapp and go to the “settings” menu. From there, select account and go to “Delete my account”, after which you will have to enter your phone number in international code and tap “delete”.

YouTube

YouTube is second only to Facebook as a social media platform, owned by Alphabet, the owner the parent company of Google. A well-managed channel can help to improve website ratings. A channel not in use should be deleted. Deleting your channel from the largest video-sharing platform on the internet is quite simple. You will first have to sign into your YouTube account and go to your advanced settings. From there, choose “delete channel” and then opt for “delete channel permanently”. This will launch a prompt where you can confirm if you want to delete your channel or would still like to keep it.

Final Words of Advice

According to industry experts and a recent article in Consumer Reports, it is a best practice to reduce the risk of having your personal and professional data being misused or stolen by keep your current accounts secure and deleting accounts no longer in use.

These days, we are all accustomed to doing almost everything online. There cannot be too many of us left who are nervous about using a credit card online, for example. Doing business online is a way to save time, money and headaches. Investing through online brokerage accounts promises much the same benefits.

However, when it comes to investing offshore, borders still pose a significant psychological barrier. There is no longer any real need to have your online brokerage account in the same country you live in, but it seems investors are still reticent about opening brokerage accounts in foreign countries.

An increasing number of financial service providers are offering cross-border online investment services. This trend has caught on more in Europe than in North America, with larger online brokerages like Saxo Bank and Swissquote offering services specifically tailored to investors from outside their home countries.

However North American investors are also becoming more adventurous, opening more and more accounts with foreign banks and brokerages. Such accounts may be opened as individual US citizens or, more commonly, through offshore corporations or trust structures designed to provide an additional level of privacy. However, the main reason for accessing these international markets is to benefit from more profitable cross-border investment opportunities, and diversify risk by spreading their portfolios across different institutions in different base currencies.

These sophisticated investors have potential access not just to a wider range of investment opportunities – but to simplicity, tax savings, and greater control over their portfolios. There is also the opportunity to save money, by gaining access through discount brokerage models to exchanges that would otherwise have to be traded by telephone through far-away correspondent brokerages.

The current economic climate means a lot of investors love the idea of being able to keep a much closer eagle eye on their internationally-diversified portfolios. But, there remains a concern. Is investing through online offshore brokerage accounts safe?

Are Offshore Online Bank and Brokerage Accounts Safe?

In short, the answer is yes, provided you apply normal common sense precautions. The internet allows you to buy and sell foreign securities through overseas brokerage accounts with just as much ease and security as paying your home electricity bill – and in many cases, much greater security.

The first of these precautions is to invest via a reputable firm. Do some due diligence on the company behind the service. Just as you should at home (but many people don’t) check references, make sure the broker is registered and in good standing with the relevant regulators, speak with them in person and find out what experience they have. You should also enquire about the security arrangements on their site, and what protection they offer in the case of DDOS and other types of hack attacks. Many offshore brokerages are actually fully licensed banks, which makes them more secure and makes due diligence easier.

Once you have decided where to open your brokerage account, it is important that you you’re your own precautions to ensure that nobody else will be able to access your account without your permission. Make sure that your security software, like anti-virus and firewalls, are properly installed, functioning and up to date. Consider using an encrypted VPN solution, especially if you are partial to doing your trading from a laptop connected via wifi, which is notoriously insecure. Also remember that just like those anti-phishing warnings from online banking at home, offshore brokerages will not email asking for you to confirm your details. If you receive any correspondence via email, confirm it by phoning the company directly before clicking on any links or taking any action. Try to get to know a single executive in the brokerage who will recognize your voice over the telephone.

What Services Do You Need?

Just like at home, overseas investing services can vary wildly in terms of costs and features. Even within the same brokerage, there are often different packages available. Fees may differ significantly depending what features, information and access you request.

If you are considering investing in European bonds, unit trusts, ISAs or funds then you probably will not need access to the type of ‘offshore day trading’ account that permits you to buy and sell individual stocks in real time. A so-called ‘fund supermarket’ type account offered by a European bank would suit you in this case. But be sure to check which products of which fund managers are available, and whether the broker is prepared to negotiate fees or rebate commissions they receive from fund managers (many will, especially on larger amounts, but only if you ask them)

Other banks and brokerages will offer discretionary management of your portfolio. This is suitable for investors who don’t want to have to watch their accounts every day, and who are looking for more of a Swiss-style ‘private banking’ feel in their brokerage. Having access to quality investment advice is of great importance in this case – so ask what kind of management skills the bank has access to in-house. Larger banks have more expertise, but they may be busy chasing bigger fish. Smaller boutique private banks and investment managers often offer a much higher level of personal service.

In turn these various institutions will often target different types of investor. The more questions you ask your broker or banker before you get started, the more benefits you will obtain from the account you finally choose. It’s called KYB (“Know Your Banker”) and is equally important to investors as KYC (“Know Your Customer”) is to bankers.

If you take the time to do your homework, investing offshore and online is not only safe but it can be very profitable, cutting costs, diversifying risk, and taking charge of your own future. Are you ready for the challenge?

Tag: Accounts

Offshore Online Brokerage Accounts – Are They Safe?