Tip of the week ...

Get your credit report. A credit report can be obtained for free from the three bureaus at Annualcreditreport.com. “Ordering one every four months will give you more chances to spot suspicious stuff.”

Only carry what you need when shopping. “Limit the credit cards you carry to one or two.”

Switch PIN codes for debit cards “about every six months.” You can “strengthen” passwords by making them “at least eight characters” and including letters, numbers, and symbols.

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Stick with what you know and use only ATMs that “bear the name of familiar financial institutions.” By using private ATMs, you risk having data skimmed off your card’s magnetic strip.

Protect your computer before shopping online. You should make sure to update your “security patch and anti-virus software” regularly.

Source: Shop Smart