Close, Shred and Check

While we lock our doors when we go out to protect our home, we can be somewhat lax in protecting our financial information from would be thieves. Top item on your to do list for the new year might be a heavy duty paper shredder to eliminate old bank statements, receipts and other documents that contain personal information from falling into the wrong hands. Once trash leaves your home, it is out of your control.

Got some extra credit card or bank accounts that you don’t really use? Close them.

Don’t file bank or credit card statements away before going over them to make sure you bought everything mentioned. As for those emails from your bank asking for verification of your personal information, delete without opening.

Once a year check in with one of the three major credit reporting companies (Experian, TransUnion or Equifax) to make sure there are not any black marks on your credit that you don’t deserve. Doing your financial business online? Make sure your firewall and virus protection is in place. There will be enough difficulties in 2007…do all you can to avoid identity theft.