Protect Your Identity during Your Move
Personal finance professional Cheryl Graves helps consumers use their free credit report to build a credit history and improve their credit score. Find out more at http://www.thecredittruth.org/
A move can be a prime time for identity thieves to target you and your family. You’re frazzled, your belongings are out of sorts, and you might not be keeping the tight lid you normally do on important documents, your purse or wallet, or your computer.
While making sure your china isn’t chipped and your furniture isn’t scratched are very important, it’s equally critical that you protect your sensitive information while moving. While your material belongings can be replaced, you only have one identity. Keep it from getting into the wrong hands by following these six easy steps:
1. Shred old and unneeded documents now, before the chaos of a move gets underway. Don’t just stick financial paperwork in a box to sort out later.
2. Protect your mail by placing a hold to take effect a few days before and a few days after the actual move. This way, mail is less likely to be delivered after you’ve vacated the property. Then, have your change-of-address take effect so mail starts coming to your new place after you’ve moved in and the dust has settled a little bit.
3. Move boxes of financial paperwork yourself or keep them locked up in a safe place. Keep truly crucial documents, like marriage and birth certificates, Social Security cards, and wills, and checkbooks with you at all times or in a safety deposit box at the bank.
4. Consider keeping your computer with you if it contains financial or login information on it. As a double safeguard, password protect important documents as well as the computer itself so others can’t easily access files.
5. Contact all of your creditors to let them know your new address. This will prevent bills and statements containing your personal information from being sent to the new residents of your old address.
6. Check your credit report a month or so after you’ve settled into your new home. This is the best way to check for signs of identity theft. Look for unauthorized inquiries and accounts you don’t recognize. Also carefully review your bank and credit card statements for transactions you didn’t make. The earlier you catch signs of fraud, the easier it is to remedy.
While some of these precautions may seem like overkill, it doesn’t hurt to be too careful. Cleaning up a case of identity theft is the last thing you want to be dealing with while moving into a new home.
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