Protecting Your Important Financial Information

This is one of those things I don’t worry too much about. However, then sometimes I think to myself, “what if this happens to me?” The truth is that my financial information being stolen would be a huge problem for me. Not only would it be an inconvenience, but it could have financial implications for years to come. So, with that, here are my top three tips for protecting your financial information.

 

Shred Your Financial Mail – Protecting Your Financial Information

Not just your bills. I mean ALL of the mail that comes with your personal information it. I go so far as to shred (or in the summer, burn) ALL of the junk mail and offers I get that have my name, address, savings, banking, retirement, phone or insurance information. My husband thinks it is a little overboard, but I don’t think it is too much trouble. I feel better that I won’t be leaving bits of paper with my info on it for anyone else to find. Not a criminal, a cleaning lady or a neighbor.

 

 

Change Your Passwords & Don’t Use The Same One For Everything

It seems that ALL of the sites need passwords now. And it isn’t it annoying that they all want something different? Characters, numbers, capitals…oh my! That being said, I change my passwords every 90 days and I don’t use the same password for my accounts. This goes for my email, Apple Pay, and phone carrier as well!

 

Stay Vigilant…If Something Seems Off, It Probably Is!

While this may seem obvious, I am sure we can all recall a time when we went against our gut. Some examples of what I mean include the following:

 

• If you don’t receive a bill you are expecting, call on it.
• Receiving a communication suggesting you tried to take out credit or changed your address, you should act immediately.
• If you get calls from a credit card company or your bank questioning charges, make sure to follow up.