Monday, February 27, 2012

A Quick Guide To Personal Information Management

By Andy Zhang


Yes, it is a bit nerve wracking when you hear all of the horror stories about online credit card scams and personal identity thefts, and embezzlers and bamboozlers all around the globe. But you will never have to be affected one bit if you can follow some very simple advice. Here, then, is a look at personal information management.

First of all, just what is personal information? Of course, anything with your name and address falls into this category, such as a license to drive or your social security number. Credit cards are naturally full of your data, as are check books and debit accounts. But even a bill left lying around can give up too much information, or a receipt from a store.

The real biggie as far as hiding things goes is the almighty SSN. Everybody has one, or needs one, and these digits can be the portals to everything there is to know about you. So keep it at home, always. Put it in a safe if you have one. Lock it in a drawer, okay? The thing to know is that you so rarely need to show the thing, that you simply never need to carry it. Whip it out when you get a new job, but that is it. Memorize the number just in case, and you are covered.

Your driving license you do need. But guess what? You do not need it as often as you might think. The only people who can demand it are police officers, and how often do you meet one of them? As far other ID purposes, get a cheaper state card, or use a tag from work or something. As for check cashing, opt for the cards now available and leave the checkbook, with all of that potential information, at home too.

In fact, go with the plastic routine as much as you can. Credit cards are not carrying very much information about you at all; they are just a bunch of numbers. Regarding these fantastic plastic jobs, numbers here are your best friend. You knew when you received the new card that you would get an ID number, right? Use it, and do not change all of your cards to the same, easy to remember, cute number. Use different ones all of the time, and do not write them down. Memorize them all, and then memorize them again. These ideas are suggested by the banks for a very good reason.

Now, a word about online transactions. If they make you uncomfortable then simply do not do it at all. It is not necessary to do everything online, even though it is usually very safe and convenient. But when doing so, the same rules apply. Do not post your address, or phone number, or anything else that can lead directly to you yourself.

The bottom line with personal information management is straightforward. Do not give up any information about who you are, where you live, how you can be reached, and anything whatsoever to do with your money to anybody unless it is absolutely essential to do so. Use the precautions that came with every financial system you have, as they are offered for good reason, your protection.




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