Your credit cards, social security card number, and bank account numbers can prove to be a lot more valuable than your money. So you need to protect them with all you’ve got.

• Verify and update your contact information with your financial institution and card issuers: home, mobile, and work numbers, and any email addresses associated with your account.
• Add code words, PINs or any secondary elements available for accounts, cards, phone, cable, electric, etc.
• Review your account transactions frequently; at minimum, monthly.
• Use unique passwords/PINs for each application or card.
• Don’t allow passwords to be saved for you.
• Use wrong answers, like “frog,” for security questions.
• Don’t write PINs on cards or store PINs, passwords or checks in obvious or logical places.
• Do not provide account information through text, emails, or phone calls you did not initiate.
• Do not open emails from anyone you don’t know.
• Tell your bank or credit union when you are depositing a check or money order received through non-routine channels.
• Review your credit report at all three bureaus annually.
• Be careful with the information shared on social media sites, i.e. Facebook, LinkedIn.
• Use anti-virus and anti-spyware software and keep it up-to-date.
• Keep your browser and operating system up-to-date.
• Be careful when using public computers.