Protecting your credit rating in today’s day and age is a daunting task. Not only do you have to pay your bills on time but you must protect yourself from identity theft and fraud which is the number one crime in America. By understanding how credit works and how identity thieves strike you will be better prepared to protect one of your most valuable assets…your credit.

Imagine waking up to find your bank account drained, your credit ruined and a mountain of obstacles in your path towards recovery. Every day thousands of unsuspecting people wake up to this fate. Identity thieves rummage through dumpsters, hack into your computer, steal mail and often swipe your information while holding your card at a gas station. One of the biggest recommendations I can make is to be very cautious with your sensitive information. A Credit Monitoring System is a must but will still leave you vulnerable. Here is a short list of steps you can take to protect yourself:

1.) Purchase a shredder
2.) Never leave your credit card with a gas station attendant
3.) Make sure your computer and wireless network is adequately firewalled.
4.) Be careful of spying eyes when using your pin number.
5.) If filling out any applications make certain they are handled securely.

Another very important facet of managing your credit is paying your bills on time. I am an absolute fan of online banking. Love it. I am like the person in their television ad, paying all of my bills in five minutes before heading out to dinner with the family. Most people that come to me for advice are very unorganized when it comes to paying their bills. A big stack of papers in corner of the kitchen is their idea of a filing system. Ring a bell? If you ‘know this type of person’ you should recommend they set up an online banking account on their firewall secured computer. This step may save them from the dreaded late payments associated with a poor bill paying system.

There are many other measures to take to guard your credit. One important step, as I mentioned, is to subscribe to a credit monitoring service. These services track activity on your credit file and alert you via email or telephone as soon as there are changes to your file. This will not only alert you to possible threats but over time will educate you as to what affects your credit rating and why. The one I have reviewed and recommend protects you for under $7 per month, included free reports and lets you try it free for 30 days. Just remember that people never think fraud is going to happen to them until it actually does. Protecting you and your family from potential identity theft should be a top priority.

Copyright December 2005, yourcreditcures.com, USA

Tad MacPherson is a credit specialist with years of experience assisting consumers with restoring and reestablishing their credit. Get free advice and valuable credit tools at http://www.yourcreditcures.com.

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