Episode description

Data breaches and identity theft are becoming a regularly part of our lives. Learn how you can protect and secure your personal information!

 Identity theft, data breaches, and scams are something that many of us are dealing with way too frequently.

Recently, I got a letter from the medical system that we use for doctor's appointments and, it, went a little, something like this:

Dear Valued Patient:

We're committed to improving the health and well-being blah blah blah

Earning and maintaining the trust of our patients is paramount and reflected in demonstrating transparency, accountability more stuff to soften what we have to admit

In support of these principles we are writing to let you know that information related to your use of our health portal may have been transmitted to a completely different and unrelated company in error.

Ooops

Crazy thing is this isn't the first or worst notification we received about our data being possibly compromised or shared.

If you've ever shopped at a Target, been a T-Mobile user, or used Facebook, chances are you got notified about one.

I just named a few big ones, but basically you can check out sites like Wired to find what new data breach is in the news.

Protecting our personal information and identity is getting harder. You have scammers, and identity thieves getting smarter going beyond phishing emails.

They could be using skimming devices when you shop. Then there are hackers breaching company's databases or  an employee illegally accessing and dumping data like with what happened with Capital One. 

It's a lot to worry about. 

While nothing is foolproof and guaranteed, there are relatively simple steps you can take to make it harder for them to steal your information.

In this episode we'll get into:

• how you can secure your information offline
• protecting yourself online
• resources to help you if you're a victim of identity theft

Alright, let's get started! 

If you're looking to stay on top of your money and protect your personal information, here are some helpful resources to check out!

• Best Budget and Money Apps: Personal Capital, Tiller, Mint
• Jumpstart Your Marriage and Your Money
• IdentityTheft.gov
• Annual Credit Report: Free way to review each of your credit reports
• LastPass
• How to Spring Clean Your Digital Clutter to Protect Yourself
• 10 Biggest Data Breaches in Finance
• OptOutPrescreen: Submit a form to get out of the junk mail
• Identity Theft & Credit Card Fraud: How to Protect Your Money

For freezing your accounts or putting an alert you need to contact the credit bureaus.

• Equifax: 1-888-766-0008
• Experian: 1-888-397-3742
• TransUnion: 1-833-395-6938

If you want to chat more about creating better money habits, questions, or share your own tips, please join us at Thriving Families on Facebook.

Support for this podcast comes from Coastal Credit Union! Come check out Coastal today if you’re living in the Raleigh Durham area and looking to bank better.

As a credit union, Coastal serves its members first and foremost including an annual loyalty bonus.

We've been members for years and love their service and competitive rates on checking and savings accounts!

We’re grateful for wonderful partners like Capitalize. Not only do they support the podcast, but they help make managing your money so much easier. 

Did you know that it’s estimated that there are currently over 24 million “forgotten” 401(k) accounts? In fact, the average American changes jobs every 4 years. 

And because of the Great Resignation, you or someone you know might be changing jobs even more 

It’s an extreme case of out of sight and out of mind. Is your old 401(k) in there somewhere, left behind at a job you're no longer with?

One huge benefit of an IRA is choosing how your money is invested, not your old employer. 

If you want to consolidate your old 401(k) and have more options with how you invest, it may be time to roll them over into an IRA.  

With Capitalize, they handle the process from start to finish – for FREE and yes that includes calling the 401(k) provider on your behalf. 

Find out how and get started today! 

Thank you so much for listening to the podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and found it helpful, here are some ways to support it.

• Spread the word! If you enjoyed this episode and think it can help a buddy get on the path to dumping debt and become financially free, please share.
• Leave a review. Honest feedback and reviews make a big difference and gets the word out about the podcast. Leave your review on Apple or Stitcher.
• Grab a copy of Jumpstart Your Marriage and Your Money. My book is designed for a busy couple to set up their finances in 4 weeks. Get tips and tools that have worked for other couples on their journey of building their marriage and wealth together!

Photo Credits: Markus Spiske and Mikhail Nilov