Eat healthier and exercise more. Spend more time with the kids. Reconnect with an old friend. Remember what’s truly important.

This is the time of year when we each pause for a moment to reflect on what we have accomplished this past year, where it has brought us, and where we want the new year to take us. We write lists of goals that we optimistically hope to achieve and we make new plans. For each of us, it’s the chance at a new beginning. The opportunity for a fresh start.

No matter what New Year’s resolutions top your 2014 list, an important one to include is getting your personal information and financial documents in order. In today’s world, there is a lot of information that is critical to you and your loved ones’ well-being – from Social Security, Medicare, and Veterans benefits, to financial records and healthcare information. One way to protect yourself and your information is to take active precautions against identity theft. Some simple steps include:

Opting out of prescreened credit card offers at 1-888-5-OPTOUT

Adding your name to the National Do Not Call Registry: www.donotcall.gov or 1-888-382-1222

Securing or shredding your mail

Ordering a free annual credit report at www.annualcreditreport.com or 1-877-322-8228

Keeping your personal information and financial records organized and in a safe place is another critical step. To assist in that process, my office and I have put together an Organizational Toolkit as a helpful resource for constituents of the Fourth District. Use the informational guide above as a starting point to getting organized, or pass it along to a family member or friend. You can also find a copy of this Organizational Toolkit on my website, at http://forbes.house.gov/UploadedFiles/OrganizationalToolkit.pdf.

 

 

U.S. Rep. RANDY FORBES, R-Va., represents Western Tidewater in the U.S. House of Representatives. His e-mail address is randy@randyforbes.com