At some point, many of us get into a bind where we need cash fast. It could be a bill that’s due, a medical expense, or a car repair. No matter what the reason, you have to get cash — and get it fast. While quick cash is not a long-term solution, there are quick cash options. Check out some ways that you can acquire cash and make your payment.

Using Your Emergency Fund

If you do not have an emergency fund, now is the time to start one. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, it reminded many Americans how important having an emergency fund is, especially when you lose your job. If you are short on cash, this is where having an emergency fund is crucial. If you are stuck, dip into the emergency fund, as that’s why it’s there.

Creating a Budget

If you are consistently low on cash, or you are constantly turning to your emergency fund, you may need to reevaluate your finances and spending. Create a budget to curb the borrowing and cash issues.

Making Fast Cash

However, while the budget is a long-term solution, it is not a quick fix. If you need fast cash, you could try to:

Takeaway

While there are certainly ways to get cash reasonably quickly, it does not solve the underlying issue of not having the extra money in the first place. If you need cash in an emergency, perhaps you need to consider starting an emergency fund or adding more to one. You will be grateful when you do need it. In the meantime, there are plenty of options to get cash quickly, but none of them will likely provide a significant amount of money immediately.

What to Do When You’re Short On Money

View Resource What to Do When You’re Short On Money
Perhaps you have heard the now-famous phrase, “The only two certainties in life are death and taxes,” originally attributed to founding father Ben Franklin (by the author Mark Twain). Estates and estate planning incorporate death and taxes, with a good dose of law thrown to make it interesting (and complicated).

What is Estate Planning?

As defined by common law, your estate is your net worth at a given point in time (meaning, all of your current assets minus any liabilities). Estate planning is an umbrella term encompassing all the major financial and life planning decisions one must make to determine the fate of his or her assets upon death or incapacity. An estate plan also determines the estate’s impact on any dependent children you might have designated in your will and establishes your wishes for medical care. An estate plan can also help simplify the probate process and maximize the amount you can pass on to your heirs. What kinds of assets are in an estate? Common assets on the “plus side” could include real estate (both your primary residence, any second or vacation homes, and any rental properties), automobiles, cash, savings, retirement accounts, health savings accounts, stocks, bonds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), life insurance policies, valuable artwork, and pensions. Of course, your assets may be different. Ownership in a business is also an asset. The “minus side” would include any debt, such as credit card debt, mortgages, auto loans, liens on any property, current income taxes owed, etc.

Understanding Estate Planning

You do not need to have a deep understanding of estate law or be an attorney to grasp the critical parts of a well-designed estate plan. You should, however, consider consulting with an attorney when you are ready to set up your estate plan, especially if you have a large or complicated estate or special childcare concerns. Hiring an attorney is generally worth it. They address and resolve all kinds of different situations you might not be aware of to ensure that your estate plan is correct. An attorney will also strive to maximize the benefits for your beneficiaries while minimizing the taxes owed on the estate (remember, it’s about death and taxes). Estate taxes, gift taxes, income taxes, and other related taxes may all come in to play when your estate is settled. A basic estate plan involves most or all of the following components:
  1. A personalized will
  2. Trust account(s)
  3. The name of the Executor of the estate
  4. The legal guardians for any dependents
  5. The Durable (or Limited) Financial Power of Attorney
  6. Advance Health Care Directive: Medical Care Directive (also called a Living Will) and name of the Medical Power of Attorney (also called a Health Care Proxy)
  7. Funeral, memorial, and cremation arrangements
  8. Charitable gifts and instructions, if applicable

Where to Start

Now that you have a basic understanding of what estate planning covers, the perfect place to start is to write your will if you do not have one. Everyone needs to have a will (called a Last Will and Testament), even if you have few assets or decide you do not need any further estate planning. Why is having a will so important? A will is a legal document that directs your assets in the right amounts to the correct people (or institutions). If you have dependents, it also names the legal guardian for your minor children and the kind of care you want for them to have. Even if you have a will already, you will want to review it every time you experience a significant life change, such as buying or selling a house, having a child, or getting married or divorced. What if I can’t afford a lawyer? The good news is you may not have to hire a lawyer in some cases. There are several good online resources for writing your own will if your estate is small or not very complicated. TIPBe sure to check the beneficiary status on all your accounts, including retirement accounts and checking and savings accounts. The person you name as the beneficiary is the person you want to inherit the account. Remember, the beneficiary cannot see the balance of your account unless they are a cosigner on that account. What about my medical care needs? A complete estate plan establishes not only your wishes for your assets after death but also sets up any medical care you might need while alive, if you become incapacitated to the point that you are unable to make decisions on your own. An Advance Care Directive (or Living Will) outlines these medical care wishes and includes naming a trusted family member or friend to carry out those wishes. TIPIt is a great idea to set up an Advance Health Care Directive and name a Medical Power of Attorney (Health Care Proxy) while you are alive and well and can think through what you would want if you cannot take care of yourself or make healthcare decisions.

Takeaway

What is Estate Planning

View Resource What is Estate Planning
Digital and mobile wallets have become quite popular among smartphone users in recent years. Digital and mobile wallet payments are becoming the way of the future as the number of users continue to climb day by day. Below we will go over the basics of digital and mobile wallets to help with your decision-making.

What is a Digital and Mobile Wallet?

A digital or mobile wallet, also known as an e-wallet, is precisely that. It is a wallet located digitally within a device, such as a smartphone or a smartwatch. Most require network connectivity for digital or mobile payment capabilities. There are many popular mobile wallets such as: These digital and mobile wallets store your credit or debit card information within their database to allow for a more secure, convenient checkout option. Many retailers now have the opportunity to “scan and pay,” meaning you scan your digital or mobile wallet, eliminating the need to carry your physical wallet with you.

Are They Secure?

A digital and mobile wallet is often more secure than carrying your physical wallet containing your debit card, credit cards, or even cash you may have on you. These mobile payments are encrypted, meaning the application does not actively store your actual credit/debit card number or account number. If your phone is lost or stolen, a digital wallet is much safer than if it were your physical credit or debit cards. The payment information you enter is only accessible to authorized users such as yourself and a company representative.

Using a Digital and Mobile Wallet

Determining which digital or mobile wallet to use often is determined by which brand of smartphone or device you are using, whether it be an iPhone, Android, or other manufacturer. With an iPhone, many users opt for Apple Pay, while those with an Android or other smartphone tend to use Google Pay or Samsung Pay. You can also utilize multiple mobile wallets at one time, including: Once you have chosen your desired digital wallet, you will begin entering your personal information, such as your name, date of birth, and address. Once you have completed this step, you will enter the credit or debit card information you wish to use within the application. Your card or account information, whichever you choose to use, will immediately be encrypted within the application’s database for your use only. Using the digital wallet, you can send money directly to a family member, friend, or retailer. The application uses a technology known as near-field communication, meaning it uses radio frequencies to communicate between the two allowing for a successful payment to a retailer. Not all smartphones utilize near-field communication systems. If your phone does not allow near-field communication, you can often still use a digital wallet. For example, PayPal allows users to make payments using their mobile phone number during checkout for safe, secure payments from your digital wallet. Not all retailers support mobile payment capabilities; however, you can quickly determine if the retailer of choice can submit your mobile payment by checking the point-of-sale system for the mobile payment indicator. You also may ask a store associate if they accept mobile payments.

What Else Can They Do?

A digital and mobile wallet offers more than just convenient payment options. You can also store boarding passes, hotel reservations, concert tickets, coupons, and other card information.

Takeaway

A digital wallet, or e-wallet, is a secure payment option that holds your encrypted credit, debit, or banking account number securely within the application’s database for a safe, convenient checkout. With more smartphone users utilizing this option each day, more and more retailers will allow this payment method to be an option at checkout.

Digital and Mobile Wallet Basics

View Resource Digital and Mobile Wallet Basics
Marriage is an exciting milestone in every couple’s life. But with every marriage comes the important conversation of finances. After tying the knot, did you discover that your significant other has a history of bad credit? What do you do now? Below you will learn more about what credit is and how to deal with your spouse’s credit issues.

Why Good Credit Is Important

A credit score is an overall assessment of how financially reliable or unreliable you are based on your credit report. When you are applying for a new loan or line of credit, whether it be a personal loan, auto loan, or even a credit card, it is reported to one of three national credit bureaus and added to your credit report. These credit bureaus also track your ability to repay debts both on time and in full. Having good credit comes into play with many aspects of life. If you wish to purchase a new home or vehicle, a lender will assess your credit report to determine if you are a reliable borrower or not. Also, when doing things such as apartment hunting, the prospective landlord may run a credit check to determine if you can pay your bills on time. A future employer may even run a credit check to determine if you are dependable.

Will My Credit Be Affected?

Simply enough, no. When two people are married, their previous credit history remains their own. Your spouse’s credit score does not directly affect your credit score and vice versa. It does, however, affect your future finances and debts and credit purchases you take on jointly. So, any debts you take on jointly will appear on both you and your spouse’s credit reports. If you and your spouse are applying for a loan together, especially when purchasing a home, and one of you has a low credit score while the other has a much higher score, it may be beneficial to apply with only one of you instead of both. When applying with a spouse with bad credit, you may not be approved for the amount desired or might end up paying a much higher interest rate.

Identify the Issues

It is not uncommon for couples to avoid the discussion of finances, especially before they are married. If you tie the knot and have yet to have a discussion on finances, now is the time to do so. If you or your spouse have credit issues, it is imperative to keep an open mind and try not to judge their past choices. It is essential to understand why your spouse has credit problems to help them identify and attack the source. To figure out where you stand, obtain a copy of both of your credit reports. Take a thorough look over each credit report to determine what led to either yours or your spouse’s credit issues. Was it overspending, the loss of a job, or an emergency? Getting to the root of the cause will help you immensely along the way.

Plan of Attack

To repair damages, you must first learn the ins and outs of what caused them. When reviewing credit reports, make a list of all collections accounts available and the payoff amount for each. Work to pay off each of these debts, either in small amounts of each consecutively or one at a time if it is easier that way. Reduce credit card balances to 30% or less of the total credit limit. Keeping credit card balances to 30% or less of the card’s total limit shows lenders that you can maintain a healthy balance between borrowing and paying off debts. In repairing the damages done to your credit report, one of the options you may want to pursue is to seek out help from a professional credit repair company. These experts spend every day helping others just like you and your spouse, maybe even those who are worse off. A credit repair specialist can make recommendations and help you establish a plan to get you in good standing with credit bureaus. Below are a few tips to aiding in the repair of your spouse’s bad credit: Do not let a significant other’s credit history scare you off. Unless the two of you apply for a joint line of credit, your credit will not be affected in any way. Help your spouse build their credit so the two of you can enjoy all that life has to offer.

Working Through Credit Issues with a Spouse

View Resource Working Through Credit Issues with a Spouse
When purchasing a standard mortgage from a private lender, you may be required to purchase private mortgage insurance (PMI). However, PMI can be costly, usually charging you around 0.5% to 1.0% yearly interest on your loan amount. The interest rate may seem like a small, even negligible amount of money, but if you are purchasing a mortgage for a home, it can be a substantial sum of money. For example, if you purchase a $500,000 home, you could be charged $2,500 and $5,000 a year in mortgage insurance, or approximately $210 to $420 every month. Even for one year of payments, this can be a significant chunk of your money and added together with all of your other bills and expenses; it can add up. So, it is no wonder why people want to get rid of PMI as quickly as possible. Luckily, you can take specific steps to eliminate PMI as promptly as possible. In this article, we will go over what PMI is, its cost, and how to get rid of it.

Defining PMI

Private mortgage insurance is an additional payment to your mortgage that usually ranges between 0.5% to 1.0% of your mortgage balance every year. In addition, PMI is in place to protect your private lender if the home buyer defaults on their mortgage.

PMI Costs

In most cases, homebuyers who use a standard mortgage with a down payment of less than 20% must purchase PMI. In addition, PMI costs depend on the amount of risk a lender has to take on: low risk means lower costs, while high risk usually equates to higher PMI costs. Factors that can affect your PMI costs include your down payment amount, credit history, and type of loan.

Getting Rid of PMI

It is no surprise that anyone that can get rid of PMI generally wants to. Paying for a mortgage alone can be a heavy burden without the weight of additional costs that PMI brings about. There are four standard ways to get rid of your PMI:

Takeaway

PMI can be an extra cost that everyone wants to avoid if they can. Before purchasing a home, consider factors like your credit score, your planned down payment, and the type of loan you are considering purchasing to see if you can do it beforehand to avoid or reduce PMI costs. If you have PMI, try getting over the 20% mark as quickly as possible, or consider refinancing or reappraisals if the housing market is doing well.

Getting Rid of Private Mortgage Insurance

View Resource Getting Rid of Private Mortgage Insurance
Pre-qualified and pre-approved are some of the most common terms you may encounter when applying for a mortgage. Unfortunately, most people often use these two phrases interchangeably, not knowing they are not the same. For this reason, this article discusses everything you need to know about pre-qualification and pre-approval, covering their definitions, requirements, differences, and more.

What Does Pre-Qualified Mean?

During the earliest stages of the lending process, you may want to get some guidance on how much you will be able to borrow when looking to purchase a home. To do that, lenders and banks need to have a rough idea of where you stand financially and your base qualifications for a loan. Therefore, they may request you provide your financial information, including assets, income, debts, etc. This process is known as ‘being pre-qualified’. It can be conducted online, in person, or over the phone and is usually free.

What Does Pre-Approved Mean?

On the other hand, being pre-approved is usually the next step after pre-qualification. Here, you will be required to complete an application for pre-approval for the loan. You will then provide the lender with additional information and documentation along with your application. The lender will then conduct a thorough financial background check based on the provided information. If your application meets all the requirements for that particular loan, the lender will offer a specific loan amount based on your financial background. You will also find out more about the interest rate for the loan you have been pre-approved for at this stage. In addition, pre-approval allows you to begin searching for homes within the price range provided by the bank or lender. Finally, pre-approved means you can start negotiations with the seller because you have a higher chance of being approved for the mortgage.

Differences Between Pre-Qualified and Pre-Approval

As mentioned earlier, these two terms are often thought to mean the same thing but are entirely different. Below is why, but keep in mind there might be slight variations in requirements per lender.

Mortgage Application

In a pre-qualification, you don’t need to fill out a mortgage application. Instead, the lender or bank wants to know where you stand financially. In a pre-approval, you need to fill out a mortgage application.

Application Fees

You do not typically need to pay any application fee during pre-qualification. However, some pre-approval applications involve an application fee.

Financial Background Check

A pre-qualification does not include a financial background check, but pre-approval does. The latter may analyze your bills, debts, credit history, and anything in between to find out whether you are eligible for a mortgage and the exact amount to offer.

End-Goal

The end goal of pre-qualification is to find out about you as the borrower, but a pre-approval focuses on finding out more about your finances. It involves analyzing documentation to prove the information you provided during pre-qualification.

Down Payments

You don’t need to estimate your down payment during pre-qualification, but you do need it for pre-approval.

Loan Estimate

During pre-qualification, the lender will provide an estimate of a loan amount for you. However, the same does not apply for pre-approval; you won’t find out how much the lender can offer until they’ve reviewed your finances.

Loan Amount

The loan amount offered during pre-qualification is just an estimate, which could change during pre-approval. On the other hand, the amount shown during pre-approval is usually the specific amount the lender will give.

Interest Rate

During pre-qualification, the lender won’t tell you anything about the interest rate. But, pre-approval involves disclosing the interest rate after the lender establishes a certain amount they are willing to part with based on your financial background.

Key Takeaways

Pre-qualification and pre-approval have two different meanings, even though they may sound almost the same. During pre-qualification, you’ll provide basic information, such as your income, down payment amount, desired mortgage amount, and so on. But, on the other hand, the pre-approval process requires copies of your pay stubs as proof of income, financial background check, bank statements, down payment amount, desired mortgage amount, tax information, and so on. Another essential thing to note is that pre-qualification comes before pre-approval. Therefore, the lender may provide an estimate of what they can offer based on the information you provided during pre-qualification. The amount may change during pre-approval after reviewing your financial records. Lastly, pre-qualification provides a rough idea of how much mortgage you may be eligible for, while pre-approval gives you the confidence to engage sellers, knowing the lender has a certain pre-approved amount to offer.

Being Pre-Qualified vs. Being Pre-Approved

View Resource Being Pre-Qualified vs. Being Pre-Approved
Buying a home can be complex. Since it’s probably one of the most significant purchases you will make in your lifetime, it’s a good idea to assemble a team to guide you through the process. Having a solid support team in place will take some of the burden off you as a buyer, as you can rely on experts to make sure everything is just right before and after you make your purchase. Below, we will discuss the benefits of building a team, who will be on it, and their specific roles.

Benefits of Building a Team

Going through the home buying process can be likened to an obstacle course. You could find it challenging to navigate on your own, especially if this is your first home purchase. However, having the expertise of a team of professionals can protect your interests as they guide you through finding a home, making an offer, getting financing, and finalizing the sale. Let’s look at a few advantages of the team approach to home buying.

Core Members: Who Does What?

Each of the core members of your house buying team brings expertise and benefits to the home purchase process. These core members and functions include the below:

The Bottom Line

Buying a home can be complex, stressful, and exciting simultaneously, but if you have the right team, it can be relatively easy, and you can rest assured you’re getting a good deal for the property you are buying. If you don’t know where to start, you can always begin with an agent, and they can help you find the rest of the team members.

Building a Home Buying Team

View Resource Building a Home Buying Team
You have finally received the phone call or email you have been waiting on regarding your recent job interview. But, the excitement begins to fade when you realize that the offer isn’t exactly what you were looking forward to when you initially applied for the job. When that happens, you can either take up the offer anyway or negotiate better terms — the latter is always the best thing to do, even though it may seem a little bit uncomfortable at first. For this reason, this article discusses the art of negotiating a job offer, hoping you will find the much-needed courage to ask for what you believe you deserve before taking on a new job.

What to Negotiate

The answer is simple — you can negotiate anything that does not meet your requirements as far as the job offer is concerned, as long as it is reasonable and negotiable. Here are some examples:

Why Negotiate Your Salary?

According to studies, most managers expect new and potential employees to negotiate their salary and benefits, despite not mentioning that the job offer is negotiable. So even if the job offer does not state that it is open to negotiation, this should not stop you from negotiating. If you are reasonable, there is often nowhere to go but up! It is therefore advisable to negotiate your salary if:

Tips For Negotiating Your Salary

Now that you have decided to negotiate your salary, your next move will determine whether the potential employer will accept your proposal. Here’s what to do:

The Aftermath

One of the most important things to know before negotiating a job offer is that you do not need to challenge every offer element. You do not want to seem like a dissatisfied employee even before working at your new job. Instead, choose two to three issues that you want to discuss with your potential employer and then build your case around them. Also, for the best results, remember to keep a positive attitude throughout the negotiations.

Negotiating a Job Offer

View Resource Negotiating a Job Offer
A cash-free world might be on its way sooner than you think. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco’s May 2021 “Diary of Consumer Payment Choice” study, cash use accounted for only 28% of all non-bill payments. That was down seven percentage points from 2019. There’s little doubt that the COVID-19 had a meaningful impact on the number of cash-less transactions, as retailers, merchants and restaurants increasingly encouraged the use of ‘touchless’ credit and debit cards. Whether that behavior will continue as the pandemic eases is unknown. But the direction is pretty clear. The increasing popularity of cashless payments has led to alternative digital payment methods, such as PayPal, Zelle, Venmo, and many others. For this reason, a cashless society is now a question of ‘when’ not ‘if.’

What Does ‘Cashless’ Mean?

Cashless is a term used to describe a system where people rely entirely on electronic payments rather than paper money. Processing such transactions usually occur through channels, such as:

The Benefits of Going Cashless

Ditching cash payments for electronic payments comes with lots of benefits for both individuals and businesses. They include:

Reduction of Illegal Transactions

Electronic payments always leave behind a trail, unlike cash payments. For this reason, it’s easy for law enforcement agencies to identify individuals behind illegal transactions by simply following the trail. Most black market trades, such as selling recreational drugs and unlicensed weapons, complete transactions using cash. Therefore, getting rid of cash payments could significantly reduce such deals. Additionally, white-collar crimes, such as money laundering, will be challenging to pull off because electronic payments always leave behind a digital paper trail.

Easier International Payments and Transfers

Exchanging foreign currency at a forex bureau can be pretty challenging, especially if you aren’t familiar with the exchange rates. But if all countries adopt electronic money and digitized payments, there will be no need to visit a forex bureau to exchange money received from or sent to another country.

No Cash Management Costs

Physical paper is costly to print, store, protect, and transfer in large amounts. In addition, hard printing cash requires many resources and minerals, such as paper, copper, zinc, cotton, linen, etc. But such expenses won’t be necessary when the world goes cashless.

Reduced Operating Expenses

Employees who deal with physical money in banks, grocery stores, and other industries must be trained to handle cash registers and account for the money at the end of every shift. But on the other hand, electronic transactions are easier to account for, significantly reducing such operational expenses.

More Secure Than Hard Cash

According to FBI data, banks lost approximately $482 million due to robberies in 2019 alone. However, it would be possible to reduce this significantly if businesses, individuals included, did not keep any cash on hand.

Better Customer Experience

Businesses that only accept cash payments from customers often experience long queues during peak times. Typically, cash exchanges take longer to process, thanks to the calculations involved. Going cashless would tremendously increase a business’s efficiency and improve customer experience. Cashless transactions don’t require complex human calculations that often lead to impatient clients’ frustration and workers’ exhaustion.

Electronic Payments Improves Budgeting

Unlike cash payments, electronic payments leave a trail, making it easy for individuals to track their spending habits and budget their money accordingly. For example, some banks have mobile applications displaying data about their customers’ spending habits by day, week, month, year, among other parameters.

Significantly Reduces ‘Lost Cash’

Lost cash or small change loss is solid cash lost due to individual errors, such as unknowingly dumping it in a trash can at home, at the gas station, or anywhere else. If you’ve experienced a ‘lost cash’ moment in your life, you probably know how frustrating it can be. But, unfortunately, the worst thing about this kind of loss is it happens even to the most careful person. But with cashless transactions, you may misplace your wallet and not your money, just as long as no one else has your PIN. But if they do, you can log into your online account and block future transactions.

Where to Begin: How to Go Cashless as an Individual or Business

You can take concrete steps to move to a mobile wallet and digital transactions only as an individual. Here are tips to get you started. As a businessYou can play a significant role in transitioning from paper to cashless payment. Here are some great tips on how to begin:

The Bottom Line

There’s no doubt that the world will soon go completely cashless, thanks to the popularity and benefits of electronic payments. However, the transition to electronic payment requires collective effort both at the individual and corporate levels. And, whether you’re transacting and cash, cards, mobile payments, or a digital platform, there are risks. So, as with money, it’s essential to protect and manage your finances wisely.

Going Cashless

View Resource Going Cashless
Child identity theft is nothing short of heartbreaking. Unfortunately, many victims of this crime only find out about it when they are older and need essential services, such as student loans. As a result, their applications suffer rejection due to damaged credit history. According to a study by Carnegie Mellon University’s CyLab, children are 51 times more likely to be victims of identity theft than adults. Also, the Federal Trade Commission reports that over one million children are vulnerable to identity theft crimes every year. These shocking statistics explain why it is becoming increasingly important for parents to learn more about the possible signs of identity theft involving their children. As a parent or guardian, here is all you need to know about this notorious crime.

What Is Child Identity Theft?

A child identity theft crime occurs when an individual accesses a child’s personal information and uses it to commit fraud. It mostly begins when the criminal steals a child’s Social Security number and uses it to illegally apply for a job, loan, or government benefits. When this happens, the criminal usually leaves the innocent child with debt worth thousands of dollars. Children are prone to identity theft because they have clean credit records. Criminals then use their victim’s details to apply for loans, given that they stand a higher chance of being approved thanks to the clean credit history. Additionally, children may never need to apply for such services until they are older, providing plenty of time for the fraudsters to go unnoticed. As a result, child identity theft can ruin the future of these innocent kids if not dealt with soon enough. Criminals can access a child’s information through data breaches, phishing, or even physical theft. Also, since parents are usually the custodians of their child’s private information, criminals may use any means possible to steal such information from the parents.

Protecting Your Child’s Information

Parents need to do all they can to keep their children’s information safe from identity theft. If you’re a parent or guardian, here are some valuable tips to protect your child.

Warning Signs of Child Identity Theft

So, how do you know that your child is suffering from identity theft? Here are some warning signs to watch out for: It’s also important to note that if the criminal changes the physical address of the child’s residence, the identity theft incident may go unnoticed for several years. Criminals do this to divert mail and calls to a new address.

Dealing with Compromised Information

Have you recently discovered that your child’s identity has been stolen, or are you suspecting something along the lines? Here’s what to do:

The Bottom Line

Child identity theft is a serious crime that can ruin a child’s future, given that it often stays unnoticed for years. Additionally, children are the most sought-after victims of identity theft because their clean records are attractive and hard to detect. Therefore, parents should be vigilant in protecting their children’s information from third parties, online and offline.

Protecting Your Family Against Child Identity Theft

View Resource Protecting Your Family Against Child Identity Theft