This may be the single most effective strategy you can employ to secure your finances. Balancing a checkbook is advised, though the technique is becoming outdated with the advent of online banking. At the very least, you should log in and view your account activity multiple times every week to make sure there are no unexpected transactions. Report any discrepancies to your financial institution immediately.

These are the keys to your money. Guard them with vigilance. Do not give them out to anyone, and never write them down on paper, in an email or in a text message. These can all be easily intercepted.

Do not use your birthday, your spouse’s name, your kid’s name, your social security number, your address or anything so painfully obvious. Always use a capital letter or two along with a few numbers. An example of a bad password would be “sarah”. An example of a good password would be “12MarinersRevenge56.” And please, never set the word “password” as your password.

Get a new password every few months or so. That way, if you’ve had to give someone else your password or for some reason made a physical record of it, you will reset your chances of being hacked.

Your bank will not call requesting your account numbers, PINs or passwords. They already have this information. You should be automatically suspicious of unexpected calls. If you have any doubts about the caller, hang up and call your bank directly.

Again, your bank will not email you requesting your account numbers, PINs or passwords. Never send this information through email.

It is easy for scammers to rig convincing emails. If you get an email from your bank, don’t click on the links. They could lead you anywhere. Instead, type in the bank’s web address in your browser and navigate from there.

By acquiring these basic computer protection tools, you significantly reduce your vulnerability to cyber attacks and fraud attempts. Make sure to also keep your computer updated with the most recent security patches.

This is never a good idea. Even if you’re careful to make sure no one sees your screen and you remember to log out completely, an expert scam artist can find ways to record your activity. You should also avoid conducting transactions using public Wi-Fi.

When visiting your bank’s website or conducting an online transaction, check your browser to verify a secure connection. If the web address starts with “https,” you should have a secure connection.

Act fast and prevent fraud before it can happen. Don’t procrastinate. As soon as you realize your card is missing, call the bank and have them send you a new one.

Keep an eye on the people around you. Make sure no one is standing too close. Use the curved mirror to watch activity behind. It is absolutely imperative you keep your PIN secret and close your transaction completely before walking away from the machine. If there is anything at all suspicious, quit your transaction and walk away immediately.

Skimmers are interesting little devices that can be placed over ATM card slots in order to steal your account information. They can be installed and uninstalled in a matter of seconds. If the card slot looks peculiar, don’t use it.