Add identity theft to the list of potential financial stressors (and distractions at work) for employees. According to the 2016 PWC Employee Financial Wellness Survey, almost one-fifth of employees say they have been a victim of identity theft, and only 60% say they would know what to do if their identity were stolen.
In addition to the potential impact on finances, dealing with identity theft can be a huge time suck, and one that produces a lot of anxiety. The good news is that there are many steps people can take – starting with those that cost nothing – to protect their identity and prevent identity theft:
- Use strong passwords. Change them often.
- Look closely at bank and credit card account statements every month.
- Once a year, get a free credit report from the three credit companies – Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.
Those who are more risk-averse and still concerned may find peace of mind by investing in identity theft protection services. These services will monitor accounts and notify you of any unusual activities. Some even provide financial compensation and/or services to help you recover from identity theft if it occurs. ConnectedHealth recently partnered with InfoArmor for a full suite of identity theft protection services, including proactive identity, credit and privacy protection, full service identity remediation and an insurance policy for state-of-the art identity protection.
As part of protecting one’s assets, identity theft protection is just one piece of the health and financial security puzzle…one that is becoming increasingly important as we conduct more and more of our lives online.
