23 Sep I froze my credit reports. What about my retirement accounts?

Q. I’ve discovered that our Social Security numbers, dates of birth, all of our addresses and more were hacked in the recent huge data breach. I have frozen our credit reports, however, my biggest concern is all our retirement accounts. The hackers have all the info needed to get into our accounts. What can we do to protect ourselves?
— Worried

A. We’re sorry your among the millions and millions of people whose information was hacked.

We’re also glad you froze your credit reports.

And we totally understand why you have concern about your retirement accounts.

The custodian of the funds has probably created its own security system to protect your money, but you have to be an active participant.

That starts with your password.

You should use unique passwords — don’t use your dog’s name, family members’ birth years, and the like — for each online account so if one is ever exposed in a data breach, your other accounts are still protected. Consider using a password generator that creates something random for you.

Then, sign up for two-factor authentication, which pretty much every financial company now uses. After you enter your user name and password, the company will send a one-time code to your cell phone or email, which you then need to enter in order to get access to your account. If you don’t text or email, some also offer to call you with the code.

Now, is it possible that a creative crook can get past that? Sure. We guess it is. But it’s not likely.

We recommend you contact your financial institutions and discuss how it protects your accounts. Also, use your online access to monitor your accounts to you know nothing fishy is going on.

Email your questions to .

This story was originally published in September 2024.

NJMoneyHelp.com presents certain general financial planning principles and advice, but should never be viewed as a substitute for obtaining advice from a personal professional advisor who understands your unique individual circumstances.