5 Items You Should NEVER Keep In Your Wallet

American Investment Planners LLC

500 North Broadway, Suite 260, Jericho, NY 11753

(516) 932-5130 / (866) 932-5130

No one ever wants their wallet to be stolen or lost, but since anything is possible at any moment, the least we should all do is be smart about what we carry with us - losing a few dollars is one thing, but losing confidential information is another (did you know that more than 40% of identity fraud cases are a result of stolen/lost wallets and purses?).

The next time you have a minute to spare, go through your wallet and take these items out immediately if you're currently carrying them:

1. Your social security card. Never, ever, ever carry your social security card with you in your wallet - if an identity thief gets a hold of this, they can basically get a hold of everything. 
2. Your birth certificate. Your birth certificate is just as important as your social security card and contains vital information that only you should have your hands on. That said, unless you're traveling or heading somewhere that requires you to present your birth certificate as proof of identity, you'll want to leave this home.
3. Blank checks. Some people prefer to write checks instead of using cash or credit cards and that's okay, but that doesn't mean you should carry a ton of blank checks with you all the time. If someone steals or finds these, they can easily start taking money out of your account.
4. Additional credit cards. Having more than one credit card is normal for most people, however, you shouldn't have all of them on you at once. Not only does this give identity thieves more of your money to work with, but it makes the process of canceling credit cards and closing accounts harder for you if something should happen.
5. Passwords. And bank account numbers, and pin numbers. If you need to write these down to help yourself remember, store that piece of paper in a safe place at home. Then, in situations where you know you'll need that information (such as if you're about to head the ATM), review it before you leave the house and don't bring it with you.

Remember, the more accessible your information is, the easier it becomes for identity thieves to utilize, so you must always be cautious and make sure you're doing everything you can to keep yourself protected!

American Investment Planners LLC is an independent financial planning firm that offers services such as retirement planning, estate planning, portfolio and asset management, and taxes and accounting. To learn more, please call (516) 932-5130 or email info@americaninvestmentplanners.com.

How to Protect Yourself From Identity Theft

American Investment Planners LLC

500 North Broadway, Suite 260, Jericho, NY 11753

(516) 932-5130 / (866) 932-5130

Imagine how it would feel to find out that someone has stolen your personal information - credit card numbers, bank account numbers, social security numbers, even passwords - and is using it for their own personal gain? Identity theft is a serious issue for a number of reasons, but one of the major reasons you need to protect yourself is because having your identity stolen can hurt you financially. For example, someone could rack up your credit card bills, leaving you financially responsible and potentially damaging your credit at the same time.

We're certainly not trying to scare you, but we do want to stress as much as possible how important it is to be careful with your information. That said, here are some ways that you can work on protecting yourself from identity theft:

Update your passwords regularly.
And while you're at it, make sure that you aren't using the same password for multiple websites and accounts. Someone trying to guess your password will start with the obvious such as your name, your birthday, your pet's name, or your parents' name, so stay away from using these. Safe passwords are those that are strong and hard to figure out - include a mix of numbers, letters (lowercase AND capital) and special characters.

Keep your information to yourself.
Never post personal information about yourself online for everyone to access - especially not on social media. At the same time, you should also never share passwords with anyone, even if you're confident that they won't tell. 

Don't open suspicious communications.
Sending emails is one way that hackers try to get your information, so if you notice something suspicious in your inbox, don't open it and delete it. If you do open an email that looks safe at first, but then the contents make you think twice, don't click on any links or respond with information if asked for it.

Make sure your documents are secure.
With technology so readily available, many people choose to store important information on their computers. However, this should only be done when using a secured network, and if this is something you do, you should also have the right firewall and anti-spyware software installed. 

Check your credit report.
If you are not receiving a copy of your credit report once a year, you need to start now. This is because requesting a copy of your report gives you the opportunity to look over it for any potential errors or marks that seem suspicious. If something does seem wrong, this is your chance to correct it and let institutions know that someone is using your information.

Last, but certainly not least, shred all confidential documents. If you plan to discard any paperwork that has your personal information on it (even information as basic as your name and birthday), it must be shredded to prevent anyone from accessing it - remember, identity thieves will look in trash cans for information.

To learn more about how you can protect yourself from identity theft, feel free to give us a call at (516) 932-5130 or send an email to info@americaninvestmentplanners.com. Our advisors would be happy to work with you on keeping your information secure!