You probably already know these things, but it is always a good reminder to remember the following items to minimize the risk of your identity being stolen.  The time and money you will spend in recovery is expensive – and potentially avoidable.

• Passwords - Using passwords that include a mix of letters, numbers and special characters makes it harder for identity thieves to crack these codes. Consider a phrase instead of a password and intertwine numbers and/or characters (e.g. Lov3MyK!d5).  Another trick is to use three unrelated words (e.g. LatteSleepFrog).
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Approximately 13 million Americans were identity fraud victims in 2015— and identity thieves have stolen $112 billion during that same time.  This is according to Javelin Strategy and Research.

How can you avoid identity theft?

1. Check your credit report three times per year. The only free site is annualcreditreport.com, so if you get a report from each credit bureau—TransUnion, Equifax and Experian—you can get one every four months, then start over the next year.
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