No matter where a person may be financially, it is important for them to monitor their credit and protect it from any issues. If you are looking to protect your credit, but have little idea of how to do so, the below information should prove helpful to you in some way.
1. Any and all receipts that contain your credit card or other personal information on it should be immediately shredded after you have looked it over. If you do not do this, somebody less honorable may write everything down for their own use.
2. At most, you should only have only one or two credit cards on hand as you go about your errands and day to day activities. Should you carry more than that, it will become difficult to keep track of them, and you will receive more bills than you can handle.
3. Do your banking online, instead of opting to have your statements sent to you by mail. People do not like to think about it, but there are individuals that steal mail to find personal information. Destroying the paper trail makes this less likely.
4. Keep a close eye on your bank statements, reading them carefully. Should your identity be stolen, you will know about it quickly and can work to fix the problem before it gets worse.
5. If your purse or bag is stolen and you know that you had your wallet in there, it is imperative that you call your bank and credit card companies and ask them to freeze your accounts.
6. Consult with a financial advisor. They can assist you in responsible spending and saving up for what is most important. Such expertise can help you avoid spending over your means.
7. Carry cash with you instead of cards or checks when you can. When you have limited spending money and cannot go over that amount, you are less likely to do something reckless and damage your credit.
8. When giving out personal information to somebody, particularly over the phone, make sure it is a company or individual that you trust. If you are not familiar with them or it seems too good to be true, that is likely the case and your credit could be in danger.
9. Compare your receipts with the corresponding billing statements. While not that common, you can be charged a different amount than what is on the receipt, and it should be corrected immediately.
10. When in a grocery store checkout line or even at the local mall, do not display your credit cards openly. Keep them obscured before, during and after the transaction as best as you can.
This guest post is written by Advisor World team.
Credit Cards: They’re Not the Enemy
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