Signal Fall 2021 Newsletter

www.alliancecom.net 15 the institution separately with a phone number or email address you already know. 2. Shred Personal Documents Always shred paper credit card, banking, and investment infor- mation, including statements and credit card offers, after you’ve finished reviewing them. If you put these papers into the trash or recycling, there’s a chance someone could fish them out and use the information to gain access to your personal accounts. 3. Take Passwords Seriously Creating strong passwords for your financial accounts is a must. They should be at least 15 characters long, including both lower- and upper-case letters, numbers, and special symbols. If you find it difficult to remember complex passwords, use a password manager to store them. Also, always use two-factor authentication (such as a code that’s sent to your phone when you log in) on accounts that offer it. 4. Review Credit Reports and Statements You can get free credit reports at annualcreditreport.com . Do so at least twice per year, review the reports carefully, and take steps to correct any inaccuracies. Also, review bank and medical statements carefully and contact the issuers if you find mistakes. 5. Freeze Your Credit You can freeze your credit with all three major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. This action disallows any- one from opening new accounts using your credit information. If you need to open an account, you can unfreeze your credit. While you’re at it, check to see if your child has a credit report. If they do, they may already have been a victim of identity theft. 6. Use Credit Card Alternatives To prevent credit card theft, consider using alternatives, such as a prepaid credit card when you travel or a one-time use number for online purchases. A mobile wallet is another good option because there’s no physical card to take. 7. Watch Your Mail Stolen mail can easily lead to stolen identity, so watch your mail- box to make sure you’re getting expected statements. The USPS service called Informed Delivery gives you a preview of your mail each day; you can use it to make sure you get everything you’re supposed to receive. Better yet, sign up for paperless billing and bank statements from the companies you do business with. 8. Be Alert to Scams Be diligent about online safety. That includes not responding to any emails that seem fishy and especially not clicking any links or downloading attachments from unknown sources. Check things like the sending email address, grammar, and logos to help you spot illegitimate emails. Use the same level of suspicion for texts, phone calls, and voice mail messages. 9. Protect Mobile Devices Your mobile devices carry so much private information that it’s important to protect them by using a locking feature or password. It might be a little less convenient, but it’s worth the effort. When you need to access online banking, use your bank’s app rather than going through a browser. Mobile security also includes updating software on your device when it alerts you to do so. 10. Secure Your Networks Make sure your home network equipment is up to date and that you’ve assigned it a hard-to-guess password rather than using the factory default. When in public, never use Wi-Fi to conduct per- sonal business unless you have a virtual private network (VPN) on your device.