9 things you can do to protect your identity

1.  Shred all documents – If you do not own a shredder, invest in a really good one. Shred all documents that have your name or address or any personal information on it.

2.  Track your credit card bills – When you receive your credit card bill review it for errors. For more information read Track credit card error.

3.  Credit Monitoring – Sign up for credit monitoring. Anytime any account is open or anyone accesses your credit report, you are contacted immediately. Check to see if your bank provides this service for free. If not, each credit reporting agency provides this service for a nominal monthly fee.

4.  Check your credit report – You are entitled by law to one free credit report a year. You can obtain this at annualcreditreport.com. If you would like your credit score also, you can obtain it from Experian or Transunion

5.  Guard your computer – Firewalls and virus protection software can go a long way to deter hackers from obtaining your personal information.

6.  Opt out of pre-approved unsolicited mailings – Your information is sold by the three major credit bureaus. You can opt out by visiting optoutprescreen.com .

7.  Put a Fraud alert on your account – This tells creditors that they should proceed with caution when issuing credit. However, most creditors do not pay attention to this alert.

8.  Put a security freeze on your account – You have the right to put a security freeze on your credit file so it is not shared with prospective creditors. A thief can also have all your information - name, date of birth, and even social security number, but will not be able to do anything as your account can not be accessed and assessed for credit to be issued. To put a freeze on your account, you have to write each major credit bureau. If you have been a victim of identity theft, this is done for free, if not there is a fee. There is a charge to lift the freeze either for a period of time or for creditor you have approved to access your report. For the fees visit Fees of Freezes for individual states.

9.  Do not lose your wallet/purse – I believe this is self explanatory. Be aware of where your wallet/purse is at all times. If you find your credit card missing report immediately. Under federal law if you report the loss of your card before it is used, you’re not liable for any of charges you did not make. If you report after it is stolen, the most you would be liable for would be $50.