Dave Ramsey: Have You Been the Victim of Identity Theft?

A letter to the team has sparked a conversation that everyone needs to see. The author of the letter was his in the big T-Mobile data breach that happened recently and now he is finding his information everywhere. The author is now being harassed by credit companies He asked the team if they have any tips on how to protect your identity when these things happen.

 

Ramsey Solutions Tips To Protect Your Identity

• Keep your mail safe

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  Keep your mail in a locked mailbox or consider using a PO Box at the post office. Put a stop order on mail delivery when you are traveling.

• Read your account statements

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  Each month open all of your statements for bank accounts, credit cards, etc. to check for purchases that you do not recognize. Or better yet, set up your account on the company's secure website and check your account there every few days.

• Shred!

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  Some thieves have been known to go through garbage cans and dumpsters looking for your financial information. Once you are finished with a financial document use a crosscut shredder to dispose of it.
• Store personal documents at home

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  Some people like all of their important things in one place -- like a purse or wallet -- but this can be disastrous if your purse or wallet is stolen or lost. Leave your Social Security card, and any credit cards that you don't use on a regular basis, at home. Keep important documents, as well as birth certificates, immigration documents; insurance policy information, and bank account information in a fireproof lockbox or another secure location.

• Be wary of unknown phone calls and emails

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  Never give out personal information via phone or email—even if they claim to be your bank. Unsolicited phone calls and emails could be scams, so watch out for them. You can stop phone calls through the National Do Not Call Registry at https://www.donotcall.gov/. Never click on links within emails whose addresses you do not recognize. Some are "phishing" scams that are trying to access personal information on your computer. Identify them as "junk" in your email or forward them to spam@uce.gov.

• Create difficult logins and passwords

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  Identity thieves can access your information by hacking into your computer by decoding your passwords. Keep your passwords safe by avoiding family names, important dates, or any words that can be found in a dictionary; keep them long; use a combination of letters, number and symbols; and change them monthly. Also avoid using obvious keyboard patterns for your passwords: 1qazxsw2 or qwerty, for example. Do not store you passwords on your computer. The same applies to your cell phone.
• Keep your security, virus and spyware software up-to-date

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  It’s easy to skip over the prompts to update software. Don’t. Take the time to update your security, virus, and spyware software when prompted. Do not click on links that pop up when you are online claiming to be security updates. These may be links to viruses or spyware—the very thing you are trying to protect against.

• Be social media savvy

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  Some identity thieves might be trolling around social media sites looking for identifying information or vacation pictures indicating that you are not home. Information on social media sites is often used to figure out passwords. Make use of social media privacy settings and save your "wish your were here" photos for once you return home.

 

5 Things You Can Do Right Now To Ensure Financial Success

• Make Your Plan

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  Have a written plan and budget. He quotes a passage from the Bible where Jesus said don't build a tower without knowing the cost or you'll get halfway up and run out of material. Dave further States that no one accidentally wins. You need the plan or you will lose.

• Clear All Your Debt

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  Clear Your Debt. Your most powerful wealth-building tool is your income. If you are spending most of it clearing out your debt you are walking backward trying to win a race. You are paying for banks who have nicer things than you that is just stupid. Clear your Debt, when do that you have money. He wants you to win.

• Live Below Your Means

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  Live on Less Then You Make. If you spend everything you make you are a fool. Dave knows that everyone's situation is different but that's no excuse. The most common excuse is that wages are stagnant, and Dave doesn't buy that. If you accept this it is because you stagnant and you can't blame anyone
• Start Saving Right Now

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  Save Some Money. You know how rich people get rich and stay rich. They Save money. You may not agree with Dave and quite frankly he doesn't give a crap but these are cold hard facts. You'll always be broke unless you save and that's all there is to it. Invest and save. 100% of people who don't save money don't have money.

• Live Like the Rich, Not the Ultra- Rich

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  It's not run out and buy a Ferrari that's the ultra-rich. No, Rich people save invest, and get a return. Rich people are not scamming the middle class out of their money they live below their means and save so they can spend their money on investments that provide returns.