With shorter days approaching, bringing more hours of darkness along with them, it’s more important than ever to brush up on ATM safety. Using a compromised machine can mean risking identity theft and/or having cash stolen. With this simple machine, all it takes is a few short minutes for a victim’s life to be completely ruined.
Here at Ingersoll-Rand FCU, we take our members’ safety very seriously. We use multiple protective measures to keep you, your information and your money safe when you use one of our ATMs. We keep our machines well-lit, have security cameras in place and we’re careful to place them in areas with lots of foot traffic to keep isolation to a minimum. However, it’s important for you, as the member, to be aware of basic ATM safety so your transactions are never compromised. As with all banking platforms, you are the first and best defense for protecting your personal information and your money. Here are 10 tips to help you keep your ATM transactions completely secure. 1. Keep your PIN private. Your personal identification number should always be kept personal. Don’t share this number with anyone and don’t write it down anywhere or keep it stored in your phone. It’s also a good idea to choose a unique PIN for all your accounts and to change your number once a year to keep it fresh. 2. Check the ATM for a card skimmer. Scammers are experts at hiding their tracks and often do so by attaching a card skimmer to the payment terminal of an ATM. The skimmer fits right over the card slot and will read the card information as soon as it’s inserted. It is then passed onto the criminal, who may be hiding just a few hundred feet away. Sometimes, a skimmer is instead placed over the keypad to pick up the PIN. Look for a skimmer by checking to see if the card slot feels loose, is colored differently than the rest of the machine, or if the keypad is too thick or looks newer than the ATM. 3. Bring a buddy. A lone target is always more vulnerable. If possible, and especially if you’re using an ATM late at night, bring a friend along. 4. Be aware of your surroundings. As you use the machine, it’s crucial to be aware of your surroundings and to look for anything suspicious, like characters lurking nearby or dark cars parked in the area for far too long. 5. Use your body as a shield. Never let an ATM you are using be in easy view of a criminal. Stand close to the machine to block it from view and cover the keypad with your hand while you input your PIN. This way, no one will be able to steal your information just by watching you complete your transaction. 6. Have your debit card ready to be used. Make sure you can remove your card in just a few seconds when you reach the ATM. Those precious few moments of rummaging through your purse or wallet until you find your card can give a criminal the time they need to make their move. 7. Put away all cash as soon as you complete your transaction. If you’re making a withdrawal, be sure to move all cash out of sight as soon as the machine spits it out. Have your wallet or an envelope ready so this takes as short a time as possible. Never count cash in public; you can check that you’ve received the right amount when you’re safely in your car. 8. Lock all doors and roll up passenger windows when using a drive-thru ATM. If you’ll be remaining in your vehicle to complete your transaction, keep it as secure as possible. 9. If you suspect foul play, leave immediately. If something, or someone, looks suspicious, cancel your transaction, grab your card and leave the area as soon as you can. 10. Be sure to take your receipt. Don’t leave any evidence of the transaction you just completed. If you think you’ve been the victim of ATM fraud, report it immediately. If you report the scam within two days, your liability is capped at $50. Stay safe! Your Turn: How do you protect your information and your money when using an ATM? Share your tips with us in the comments.
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As 2021 draws to a close and we prepare to usher in 2022, take a moment to go through this year-end financial checklist for ensuring your finances are in order before the start of the New Year.
Review your budget Is your monthly budget still working well for you? Are you stretching some spending categories or finishing each month in the red? Take some time to review your budget and make any necessary changes. Top off your retirement plan If you have a 401(k), check to see that you are taking full advantage of your employer’s matching contributions. If you haven’t contributed as much as you can, you have until the end of the year (Dec. 31, 2021) to catch up; to a limit of $19,500. If you turned 50 this year, you are eligible for an additional catch-up contribution of $6,500. If you anticipate getting a holiday bonus, consider putting this money toward your debt. Likewise, if you have an IRA, you have until April 15 to scrape together the maximum contribution of $6,000, with an additional $1,000 if you are age 50 years or older. Check your progress on paying down debt Give your debt an annual checkup by reviewing your outstanding debts from one year ago and holding up the amounts against what you now owe. Have you shed debt from one year ago, or is your debt growing? If you’ve made no progress, or your debt has grown, consider taking bigger steps toward paying it down in 2022, such as consolidating your debt with a [personal/unsecured] loan from Ingersoll-Rand FCU. Get a free copy of your annual credit report The end of the year is a great time for an annual credit checkup. It’s a good idea to review your statements each month to check for fraudulent charges, but you can also request a free copy of your credit report from all three credit agencies once a year. Get your free annual credit reports here, and take a close look at each report. Look for accurate, updated information and any errors, like charges you don’t remember making, or other signs of possible identity theft. If you find any wrongful charges, be sure to dispute them immediately. Review your investments and asset allocation Take some time at year’s end to rebalance your portfolio and to see if your asset allocation is still serving you well. You may need to make some changes to your mix of stocks, bonds, cash and other investments to better reflect the current state of the market. Review your beneficiaries Has your family situation changed in the past year? If it has, be sure to switch the beneficiaries on your accounts and life insurance policies to accommodate these changes. Complete open enrollment and select your employer benefits The end of the year coincides with open enrollment for health insurance policies. This is your chance to select the employer benefits you want for the coming year. If you miss this window, you will be stuck with the benefits you chose last year or with no benefits at all. Review your tax withholdings It’s a good idea to review your W-4 annually and see if the amount of tax being withheld from each paycheck needs to be adjusted. If you’re not a numbers person, ask your accountant for help. Changing up the numbers just a bit can make a significant difference in your tax bill at the end of the year. Or, if you usually get a large refund, adjusting the amount withheld can mean enjoying a larger paycheck throughout the year instead of giving the government an interest-free loan to be paid back in one lump sum at year’s end. The doors are closing on 2021 and it’s time to give your finances a full checkup. Use this checklist to make sure your money matters are in order before the start of 2022. Your Turn: What’s on your financial checklist for the end of the year? Tell us about it in the comments. The visitors have returned home, the leftovers in the fridge have been tossed, the kids are back in school and you have work first thing Monday morning. After the excitement of the holidays, the return to normal can make even the most jolly of folks a little depressed.
Without the holiday festivities to distract us, the winter months can suddenly seem very gray and drab. If you find yourself feeling blue after the holiday season, you’re not alone. It’s normal to start feeling down as the flurry of the holidays winds to a lull. Fortunately, there are measures you can take to beat the blues, and they don’t need to cost you any money. Here are some simple tips to use this winter that may help lift your spirits: Stay social – not social media The holidays are centered around social gatherings, such as parties, big meals and traveling to see family or friends you haven’t seen in a long time. After such a flurry of social activity, you may find yourself feeling lonely when it’s all over. But there’s no rule that says your social calendar needs to be empty after Jan. 1. Plan some activities with a friend. They don’t need to cost money. Take a walk or watch a movie at home with a friend or family member. Talking on the phone can be a great social outlet as well. The important thing is to talk to someone verbally, not through texting or social media. Social media apps often give us the illusion that we’re being social, but in reality it’s not the same thing as truly talking with someone. Planning a fun social outing can help remedy the letdown after the holiday parties have ended. Get active Physical activity is one of the best things you can do for yourself, especially when you’re feeling a little down. When we exercise, our bodies release endorphins. Endorphins are natural chemicals in the brain that help trigger a positive mood. If you’ve got the blues, get out there and get some exercise. It may be tempting to veg on the couch with your favorite show all day, but before you begin the binge watching, try some physical activity first to see if getting the body moving and the blood flowing doesn’t help lift your mood. You may be surprised at how good you’ll feel after your workout. You don’t need to pay for a gym membership or an expensive exercise machine. Get outside for a quick run or walk. Stretch or do yoga in your living room, or try an aerobics class on YouTube for free. Focus on realistic resolutions New Year’s resolutions give us something to focus on after the holiday parties are over. It’s great to have goals and something to look forward to, but be careful not to become too perfectionist and hard on yourself about achieving your resolutions. Unattainable goals only cause stress and feelings of failure. Instead, focus on realistic goals that you can actually work toward and feel good about. Start by writing out specific and measurable goals you can realistically achieve. This will give you the best shot at success. For example, instead of making a vague goal of saving enough money to retire early, try setting a goal to save an extra $100 per month. This way you can see your success each month as you save money and build that nest egg. Look forward to the next big thing Thanksgiving through New Years isn’t the only fun season on the calendar. After the holidays, there is still plenty to look forward to with excitement and optimism. Start planning your next vacation or what you want to do on spring break. And there are still upcoming long holiday weekends to consider in January and February, such as President’s Day and Martin Luther King Jr’s birthday. Planning a simple family outing, staycation or dinner party with friends can refocus your thoughts. Weekend day trips can be done on the cheap and give you something to spur your spirits. Boost your mood with vitamin D Low levels of vitamin D, known as the “sunshine vitamin,” have been linked to depression and seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Our bodies produce vitamin D when our skin is exposed to the sun. Of course, in the winter months, exposure to sunshine can be a little hard to come by. Eating foods that are rich in vitamin D or taking a supplement is an affordable option that may help improve your mood until spring. Your Turn: What are your tips for beating the post-holiday blues? Tell us about it in the comments. The holidays may be over, but scammers never take a break. The weeks after the holiday season generally bring an increase in scams that can be difficult to spot. Watch out for these four common post-holiday scams.
1. Charity scams Did you know that there are more charity donations made nationwide during the last two days of each December than there are all year? People are a lot more charitable during the holidays or when they are trying to get in more tax deductions for the calendar year. Scammers know this all too well. Unfortunately, they use this opportunity to con do-gooders out of their money through bogus charities, look-alike sites and fraudulent fundraising schemes. When giving to charity this time of year, be extra cautious. Don’t make a donation without taking some steps to verify if the charity is legitimate. You can look up the organization on CharityNavigator.org, do a quick Google search with the charity name and the word “scam,” and look for a physical address and phone number on the organization’s website. Also, if you have a specific cause you like to give to, contact them personally instead of clicking on an ad that allegedly represents them. 2. Bargain-priced gifts for sale The weeks following the holidays bring a rush of scams on resale sites like Craigslist and eBay. Typically, you’ll see a listing of an expensive item priced at a fraction of its real cost with an excuse like, “Got this as a gift and already have it,” to explain the price. Of course, when it’s too good to be true, you’re likely looking at a scam. If you agree to purchase the item, it will probably never arrive in the mail and you won’t see your money again. Avoid a gift scam by exercising great caution when buying an item on a resale site, especially after the holidays. Ask for the seller’s phone number, street address and for several references to see if they check out. If everything seems to be legit, make arrangements to meet in a well-lit and populated area, preferably one with security-camera coverage. Make the exchange of goods and money after you’ve checked out the legitimacy of the item, using cash only. 3. Belated holiday e-cards Late holiday cards are as much a part of the January scene as yards of tangled Christmas lights. However, lots of the e-cards that land in your inbox after the holidays may be the work of scammers. These fake virtual greetings are often loaded with malware that will infect your device if you click on a link embedded in the email. Don’t assume that every belated holiday e-card you receive is legitimate, even if it appears to be sent from your friend. An authentic e-card will include a confirmation code for you to copy and paste to the associated website. If you receive a late e-card without such a code, do not open it. Delete the email and mark it as spam. 4. Post-holiday sales With the pre-holiday frenzy over, retailers are looking for ways to attract customers and increase their sales. In fact, January is famous for sales on a variety of products, including furniture, bed linens and even gym memberships. Unfortunately, though, lots of the advertised sales you may see in the weeks after the holidays are actually scams. The scammers may be working off a bogus site that looks just like one representing a legitimate business, or they may be targeting their victims with emails that advertise “sales,” but are actually carriers of malware. Before making an online purchase, check the site for signs of authenticity. Look for the “s” after the “http,” and check for the lock icon in the URL. If the site allegedly represents a well-known retailer, check the URL carefully to see if there are any spelling mistakes. Words like “deal” and “sale” should not appear in the URL; if they do, you are likely looking at a scam. Look for the store’s logo on the site, and continue to check the URL of each landing page as you complete your purchase. If you’ve been targeted by an email from an unfamiliar contact that’s announcing a “sale,” delete it and mark it as spam. Never download an attachment or click on a link in an email from an unverified sender. Stay alert and stay safe! Your Turn: Have you been targeted by a post-holiday scam? Share your experience with us in the comments. |
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