Trust Your Adviser. Stay Connected to Your Money.
The Guardian’s September 20, 2026 report about a former Guardian Life of the Caribbean (GLOC) representative makes for uncomfortable reading. Clients alleged that more than $1.5 million was taken through transactions they had not authorized, involving disputed signatures, invoices, and email correspondence. Guardian also reported payments to a company that its registry search linked to the former representative.
GLOC confirmed that the representative was no longer contracted to the company and said customer concerns were being addressed through its internal protocols. Guardian reported receiving no response to its questions to the former representative. The allegations remain unproven, and the reporting does not establish legal liability or whether a particular verification procedure was breached.
Still, if you have spent years building a business or putting money aside for your family, a story like this naturally makes you think about your own arrangements.
How much do you know firsthand about your accounts? And how much depends on someone telling you that everything is fine?
Stay involved, even when you have someone helping you
You engage an advisor because you want expertise, guidance, and some breathing room. You may be running a business, managing staff and looking after family. You should not need to become a financial professional yourself.
But keep a direct connection to the institutions holding your money.
For a significant withdrawal, policy surrender or transfer, pick up the phone using the institution’s published number. Confirm the amount, where it is going and whose account will receive it. Afterwards, check that the transaction matches your instructions.
There is nothing awkward about saying, “Thanks for arranging this. I’m going to confirm the details with the company as well.”
A good advisor should be comfortable hearing that!
Make sure you can see your own accounts
If we were sitting down together, one of my first questions would be: “Can you log in and check your accounts without anyone’s help?”
You should have your own access, with an email address and telephone number you control. Keep your password private and use additional authentication where available. If there is no online portal, arrange for statements to come directly to you.
Then make time to read them. Check that contributions arrived, withdrawals make sense, and any transfers were expected. A WhatsApp update can be convenient, but it should not be your only record.
Investigate unexpected transactions or changes to your contact details promptly. These are practical habits supported by FINRA’s account-protection guidance.
Also be clear about where your wealth sits. Know the institution’s legal name and your account or policy number. For investments, ask who holds the assets and how your ownership is recorded. For insurance, confirm the insurer and policyholder details.
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Slow down when signing or sending money
Business owners are used to signing documents between meetings. Financial instructions deserve a few uninterrupted minutes.
Never sign a blank or incomplete form with the understanding that someone will finish it later. Check the amount, receiving account, and purpose, and keep a copy of what you actually signed.
Be especially careful if money is being directed to someone else’s account. If an advisor suggests using their personal account, their business, or an unrelated company, pause and check directly with the institution’s operations or compliance team.
An invoice or a familiar name is not enough on its own. Ask who owns the receiving account, why the payment is necessary, and whether the institution permits it.
Ask what happens before money leaves your account
This is a conversation worth having now, while nothing is wrong.
Ask the institution about callbacks: when someone from the company contacts you directly to confirm a transaction. You can put it quite simply:
“I’d like to understand the checks you carry out before money leaves my account. Could you confirm the following in writing?”
Are callbacks part of your written standard operating procedures for withdrawals, policy surrenders, and transfers?
When do they happen: for every request, above certain amounts, or when something unusual occurs?
Does the person calling use independently verified contact details already on file?
If you cannot reach me, can the transaction proceed? Who approves an exception?
What is your policy on third-party transfers, especially to accounts connected to a representative?
Which safeguards apply to my particular account or policy, and can you confirm they are followed in practice?
You do not need a copy of every internal manual. You need a clear answer from an authorized department about what you can expect. You can also ask whether additional verification instructions can be recorded on your account and how changes to these arrangements will be communicated.
Keep the response. Written confirmation can provide useful contemporaneous evidence of what the institution said its procedures were.
That does not automatically give you a stronger legal claim or guarantee compensation. Liability still depends on the facts, your contract and the law, including whether a failure caused the loss. Procedures can also change. The value is having a clear, dated record rather than relying on memory.
If something feels wrong, take it beyond your advisor
You do not need to wait until you can prove fraud before raising a concern.
Contact the institution’s compliance or complaints team directly. Ask whether a pending payment can be stopped or further transactions restricted while the matter is reviewed.
Follow up in writing, request a complaint reference, and keep your statements, forms, messages, and notes of conversations. The TTSEC recommends documenting these communications.
For unresolved banking or insurance complaints in Trinidad and Tobago, the Financial Services Ombudsman may be able to help, subject to eligibility and deadlines. Securities complaints may fall within the TTSEC’s remit. Suspected fraud should also be reported promptly to the police.
None of this makes clients responsible for someone else’s dishonesty. These steps simply give you more visibility and a better chance of spotting trouble early.
I find allegations like these deeply troubling. The possibility of clients being defrauded, or safeguards failing them, damages confidence far beyond one advisory relationship. It also casts an unfair shadow over professionals who take their responsibilities seriously.
The industry’s response should include stronger controls, independent verification, and alerts that flag unusual transactions for review. Exceptions should be documented, with additional scrutiny whenever a representative is connected to a receiving account.
In my own relationships with clients, I welcome questions. I am never offended when someone confirms a transaction directly. I encourage clients to log in to their accounts and verify where their assets are held.
Good advisory relationships require trust. Good financial systems require controls and verification. I hold myself to high professional standards, and being open to scrutiny is part of that.
If you are looking for an advisory relationship where clear answers, careful processes, and high standards matter, I would be happy to have a conversation. You can reach me through WealthWithDaniel.com.
As always, no pressure, just perspective.
- Daniel Tittil, CFA, CAIA, MSc.
Lead Advisor, WealthwithDaniel.com
Portfolio & Wealth Manager, Director, Admiral Capital Chief Investment Officer, Legacy Wealth Management (Cayman) Ltd.
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