Could you be at risk for identity theft?

October 7, 2011 | Valerie on 10/07/2011 08:03:00 AM |

A few days ago, I was cleaning out my filing cabinet, and I came across some documents that I had completely forgotten about.  Several years ago, I received a notice from the company that had been handling one of my previous employer's benefit plans.  They somehow had a "security breach" and there was a possibility that some of my personal information might have been compromised.  That's not exactly the type of letter you want to receive from a company that has your Social Security number, address, and other vital information.

This company did offer to monitor my credit for free for one year, which was nice.  However, I started thinking to myself - how proactive am I about protecting my identity? What if, years later, someone digs up my credit information because of this "security breach" and I'm not aware of it? Our credit scores mean EVERYTHING - if your identity is stolen, it can be a nightmare to get a car loan, home loan, etc.  Security breaches and hackers are more common than you might think.  Everyone should really think about identity theft protection and how it can keep our credit history safe and secure.

We live in an age where it is becoming way too easy for hackers to try and steal your identity.  I would suggest looking at different ways to protect yourself from identity theft.  I found a company called IdentityHawk that offers a comprehensive identity theft solution. IdentityHawk members can view the health of their identity protection, identify areas where they're most at risk, and take proactive steps to reduce those risks.

The last thing you want to do is spend hours on the phone or internet disputing fraudulent charges and trying to clear up issues with your credit!  Be proactive with protecting your credit history, so that you can avoid huge problems down the road.