Happy Wednesday!
Today is National Computer Security Day.
Which means it's a great day for a few reminders:
Always use strong passwords and change them for different accounts, websites, and apps:
Be wary of any email that looks the least bit suspicious and don't rush to click on links and attachments as they could be virus-filled. Email still remains one of the top attack vectors used by bad people.
Regularly monitor your credit reports using annualcreditreport.com
And freeze each of them for added security
Remember the IRS only communicates via letter when reaching out to tax payers. Emails or phone calls "from the IRS" are to be ignored.
Be careful when sharing information with anyone, especially sensitive personal information, and only do so using a secure method
If you file your own taxes using an online service, you might want to check their privacy and security policies
Reading through the list above, what else comes to mind?
Have you or a friend or loved one learned a personal security lesson the hard way?
I did.
Back in 2014, someone stole my identity. I only found this out after I started receiving several credit cards I'd supposedly opened.
Thankfully, I didn't lose any money, but I lost a lot of time and energy getting it sorted out over the next few months.
Trust me, you don't want to deal with that mess.
So during the holidays, and throughout the year, be careful out there!
Links & things
As I've often said and written, optimism is the best investment strategy. Jonathan Clements at HumbleDollar agrees:
Another great article from Morgan Housel on a few things that are:
Some good lessons in this article from Nick Maggiulli, including a gambling "game" you can play:
Thank you, as always, for reading.
And if you have any questions or an idea for a future newsletter, blog post, or YouTube video, I'd love your input.
Just hit reply - I read (and appreciate) every email you send.
Until next Wednesday,
Russ