Tips for keeping financial documents safe

Online banking, mobile banking, banking by phone–there are so many ways to bank today. You can almost do away with you traditional brick and mortar bank and not miss a beat. However with more convenience comes more security concerns. Since we are sharing more information virtually, there is a greater chance of a security breach. There are some things you can do to keep your financial information safe.

Tips to keep your personal financial information safe from unauthorized usage.

Password Security
A lot of identity theft occurs because of passwords being insecure. Sometimes people will use the same passwords across multiple sites. They may use the same password at Facebook and at Twitter . That is not a good idea. If someone gets a hold of one of your passwords and you use the password at multiple sites, they will be able to login to more than one site.

Be careful who you share your passwords with. Don’t share your passwords. Only share your passwords with people you trust.

Don’t use passwords that are easy to guess
Another thing that gets people in trouble is using passwords that are easy to guess. They will use their children’s names. They will use their birthday. Some people even use words that are in the dictionary. This is just asking  for trouble. Hackers have software that can figure these kinds of passwords out.

Beware of fishy emails
Do not click on links in emails claiming to be your bank. Log in to the bank’s website the same way you normally do. Sometimes crooks will send “phishing” emails in trying to trick you into giving them your information. Typically phishing emails are easy to spot. They usually don’t address you by your name. They usually will have some generic greeting like, Dear Customer. Also the grammar on the phishing emails is usually awful. If something doesn’t seem right, don’t click on it.

Shred paperwork with sensitive  information before tossing it in the trash
Shred paperwork containing identifying information. If you have anything containing social security numbers,bank account numbers, or any other sensitive information, shred it before you throw them away. People could go in your trash can and retrieve your sensitive documents. Why is SSN Protection  important? With your SSN number, a thief can open a bank account, apply for a driver’s license. Keep it safe!!

How online banking has changed how I bank
I now do most of my banking online.  It is the best move I’ve made in a long time. No more standing in long lines at the bank. No more rude tellers. No more high fees for bad service. No more spending gas money schlepping back and forth to the bank. I did keep one bank account with a brick and mortar credit union. I have that account if I get a paper check that I have to cash. It is possible to keep your information safe when you bank online.

Keeping your financial documents safe can prevent identity theft and a lot of trouble. Identity Guard® can offer peace of mind and helpful tools to prevent identity theft. For more than a decade, Identity Guard® has been helping to protect people from the threat of identity theft with solid technological solutions that quickly alert you to certain kinds of activity involving your personal information. They provide child’s ID protection services with kID Sure℠. Why wait, Get Identity Guard, and all the details you need to know about identity theft and how to help yourself stay safe from it.

Disclosure: This service was provided to me for review at no charge. In addition I received monetary compensation. All opinions are my own
Photo credit: Istock.

11 thoughts on “Tips for keeping financial documents safe”

  1. ugh…this hits on one of my biggest fears. Great tips….I don’t know about all people, but I can imagine most of us could use some sprucing up on keeping our financial worlds more secure.

  2. The scam email is so horrible! I know so many people who have fallen for it and it’s horrible that those scams are still going! Great article!

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