Protecting Your Credit

Protecting your credit has never been more important. With prospective employers and lenders using your credit history to determine whether or not to hire you for that job or to qualify you for that loan, it is increasingly important to ensure your good name remains secure from the ever rising threat of identity theft.

Identity thieves can use your personal information to obtain credit cards, apply for loans or Social Security benefits and set up utility, phone or other services in your name. These are some of the reasons why identity theft has become one of America's fastest growing crimes¹.

Protect Yourself Today

Fortunately, with a few proactive steps, there are ways to help protect yourself from being a victim of identity theft. According to the FTC, a majority of consumers discovered they were victims of identity theft by monitoring their credit reports².

Wachovia, through its insurance agency affiliate, has made available Identity Guard® CreditProtectX3^SM, a service provided by Intersections Inc. This valuable tool is a comprehensive credit monitoring and identity theft protection service, using data from the three main credit reporting agencies, Equifax ®, Experian® and TransUnion^SM to monitor your credit files daily and alert you if there have been any signs of fraudulent activity.

For $12.99 per month, CreditProtectX3^SM provides:

• Three-bureau monitoring and alerts
• A 3-in-1 Credit Report and Credit Scores
• Quarterly Credit Updates
• Credit Analyzer
• Identity Theft Recovery Unit
• Up to $20,000 in identity theft expense reimbursement (for certain covered expenses related to costs associated with restoring your identity) at no additional charge to you*.

Learn more about Identity Guard® CreditProtectX3^SM

Steps to Take to Protect Yourself

• Shred your mail, most importantly any unwanted credit offers.
• Be aware of your surroundings when making purchases in stores.
• Report lost or stolen checks, credit or ATM cards immediately.
• Monitor your credit on a regular basis so you can quickly identify fraudulent activity.

To learn more about identity theft, or what to do if you become a victim, visit our archives.