Business Continuity Plan
In accordance with FINRA Rule 3510 (www.finra.org), Gilford Securities Incorporated has developed a Business Continuity Plan describing how we will respond to events that significantly disrupt our business. With that in mind we are providing you with this information on our Business Continuity Plan.
Contacting Us
In the event of a significant business disruption, you should still be able to contact us at 800-GILFORD or at the local number of your Gilford Securities branch office as telephone numbers will be switched over to an alternate facility. Should this not be possible, please contact our clearing firm, First Clearing LLC, at 877-496-3223 or www.FirstClearingllc.com
Our Business Continuity Plan
We plan to quickly recover and resume business operations after a significant business disruption and respond by safeguarding our employees and property, making a financial and operational assessment, protecting the firm's books and records, and allowing our customers to transact business. In short, our business continuity plan is designed to permit our firm to resume business operations as quickly as possible, given the scope and severity of the significant business disruption
Our Business Continuity Plan addresses: Data back up and recovery; all mission critical systems; financial and operational assessments; alternative communications with customers, employees, and regulators; alternate physical location of employees; critical supplier, contractor, bank and counter-party impact; regulatory reporting; and assuring our customers prompt access to their funds and securities if we are unable to continue our business.
Our clearing firm, First Clearing, LLC backs up our important records in a geographically separate area. While every emergency situation poses unique problems based on external factors, such as time of day and the severity of the disruption, we have been advised by our clearing firm that its objective is to restore its own operations and be able to complete existing transactions and accept new transactions and payments as soon as possible.
Varying Disruptions
Significant business disruptions can vary in their scope, such as only our firm, a single building housing our firm, the business district where our firm is located, the city where we are located, or the whole region. Within each of these areas, the severity of the disruption can also vary from minimal to severe. In a disruption to only our firm or a building housing our firm, we will transfer our operations to a local site when needed and expect to recover and resume business as soon as operationally possible. In a disruption affecting our business district, city, or region, we will transfer our operation to a site outside of the affected area, and recover and resume business as soon as operationally possible. In either situation, we plan to continue in business, transfer operations to our clearing firm if necessary, and notify you through our website www.GilfordSecurities.com, if possible. If the significant disruption is is severe that it prevents us from remaining in business, we will assure our customers' prompt access to their funds and securities.
For more information
If you have questions about our Business Continuity Plan, you may contact Bonnie Sachs at 800-GILFORD or B.Sachs@GilfordSecurities.com