Every year, February brings about the start of tax season. For some, the process may be quick and painless while others may spend months gathering the needed documents. Some may completely forget the fast approaching due date of April 18^th (traditionally April 15^th but for 2017 it is the 18^th).

During tax season, procrastination can be one of your worst enemies. Waiting to file your taxes could cost you more money and have other implications down the road. Here are four reasons why you should think about filing early.

Tax season is here, which means it’s also open season for identity thieves and IRS impersonators. As you prepare to file your taxes, know what scams to be on the lookout for and what you can do to protect yourself.

It’s no secret that there have been numerous attacks on major retailers over the past few years. Several websites have also been compromised from scammers who are looking to steal your identity and money. Whether or not you’ve already encountered one of these scenarios, you should take proactive steps to keep your money and identity safe.

It’s sad to say but many of us have experienced, or at least know someone who has had their credit card or debit card information stolen. In our digital age, we no longer fear the purse snatcher but instead have to worry about cyber thieves stealing our money or identity.

When you think of your information getting stolen, you might think it’s due to an online shopping incident or a gas station that got hacked. However, in today’s rapidly changing world it’s not just those types of circumstances anymore.

When internet frauds trick you into giving up your personal information, this is called phishing. You can be the victim of a phishing scam from all sorts of ways, such as through an email, a phone call, or even a text message. Learn how to identify these scams and take preventative action.

We all remember last holiday season when Target’s systems were breached, exposing millions of customers’ credit card data. Since then Home Depot, Kmart, and Neiman Marcus have all been added to the list of retailers who have been compromised. Over the past year, the world has become a lot scarier for shopping. Luckily, even though hackers have become a lot smarter so have retailers and financial institutions, so that shoppers can have a safer and more merry holiday. As the VP of E-Commerce and former Manager over the Risk Management Department, it is my job to keep our GNCU members and their information as safe as possible, whether it be online or in stores.
 
 ‘Tis the season to be jolly so in order to help keep the holidays bright, I’ve decided to answer questions that our members have been asking on how to best keep your money and information safe this shopping season and security improvements slated for 2015.

We’ve talked quite a bit on this blog and on our website about safeguarding your financial and personal information to protect yourself from identity theft. By now, hopefully, you’re careful about web sites you shop on, shredding your bills, monitoring your accounts and all that. But today let’s discuss a type of fraud threat that may not even be on your radar: child identity theft.

When I hear the term tax fraud I always think of illustrious criminal Al Capone and his eventual downfall caused by tax evasion. While Capone’s crime involved trying to avoid filing a tax return, modern day criminals are trying to do just the opposite. These fraudsters are filing a multitude of tax returns claiming false refund amounts. How does a criminal filing a false tax claim affects you? They might be doing it with your name.

‘Tis the season to be jolly! And a big part of the season is holiday shopping. If you're a crack-of-dawn-Black-Friday type, holiday shopping can be a lot of fun, buying gifts you know will bring joy to the ones you love. It can also be a hectic time, where you cut in line at black Friday, snatch the last Playstation 4 and try to make it out of Wal-Mart before an angry mob erupts. Either way the season won’t be as merry and bright if you are a victim of holiday fraud. So here are a few tips to keep your identity (and you!) safe and secure while holiday shopping.