Doing personal business online is incredibly convenient – there’s nothing better than paying bills, shopping, or banking without ever leaving home. However, there are numerous risks that come with the benefits, so always make sure your online personal affairs are safe. Here are seven ways to secure your life financially online.
 
Use Secure Payment Sites Such as PayPal
 
One of the top ways people become victims of identity theft is via online business or shopping transactions. If the website you’re on isn’t properly secured, your personal and financial information could be at risk. One way to avoid having to go through identity theft restoration is to use secure payment sites like PayPal. You can transfer money to your PayPal account and use that to pay for goods instead of giving out your banking information. It’s also a safe, secure way to receive money. Keep your bank account to yourself whenever you can.
 
Use a Separate Checking Account for Online Purchases
 
PayPal isn’t always an option for online payments, so consider opening a checking account with your existing bank. Use it to send and receive online payments. The idea is to keep the bulk of your money secure from unknown scammers and thieves. Keep a minimum amount of cash in that separate account. You can always transfer money to and from the account if you need to, but don’t use your primary account for online activity.
 
Shop For Insurance That Provides Identity Theft Coverage
 
While you’re online shopping, look for insurance policies that offer identity theft restoration funds. Digital information can often get stolen while you’re in a foreign country – wouldn’t it be nice if your insurance covered that?
 
Change Passwords Often
 
You need complex passwords online that include letters and numbers, although that’s not enough to avoid identity theft. Change your password options and don’t use the same password for all of your accounts. Even if you have to write them down somewhere, make them cryptic and change them often. It’s one of the best ways to secure yourself financially online.
 
Don’t Respond to ‘Scary’ Emails
 
If your bank or PayPal sends you an email alerting you that your information has been stolen, close the email, delete it, and go directly to that website for verification. You’ll likely find that everything is just fine and that the email was a scam designed to steal your details. Avoid unsolicited emails that promise to make you rich or sell you something you didn’t ask for. Once again, they’ll start asking for information you should never share with this kind of “door to door” salesman.
 
Set Up a Separate Email Account for Shopping
 
If you want keep your private life private, set up an email account just for shopping. It’s a good way to keep identity theft scammers just a little further away from your precious financial information.
 
Just a little online financial savvy can save you a lot of money and frustration. How will you protect yourself online?