Okay, you’ve been stressed about the divorce settlement, the child custody arrangements, your new living situation and money. Yes! It does suck! But it does get better. Protect your assets from your EX with these top 5 tips.
Change all the passwords. Change is good! So change all those passwords on your personal email, social media and any banking or credit accounts. You might think he or she doesn’t know the password to your “Amazon” account – but you can never be sure. Also, if you have a WI FI account change that password as well. Having a more secure WI FI password is a step in the right direction to prevent “hacking.” (Don’t use a password that your EX might figure out such as your child’s birthday, etc.)
Change all the house locks. Change those locks and don’t forget to retrieve that spare key if it’s hidden somewhere. Gate locks and garage door codes will also need changing.
Remove EX as benefactor. Your EX should no longer be a beneficiary on your investment(s) , bank account(s) or life insurance forms. Be sure to take your EX off the health insurance policy as well.
Open a separate checking account. If you pay or receive child support consider doing so through a separate checking account. Neither EX should have access to saving account digits or major checking account information.
Run a free credit report. You are allowed one free credit report each year so “run your credit” to insure nothing funky is going on without your knowledge. TransUnion, Equifax and Experian are the three major credit reporting agencies in the U.S. Beware, there are a lot of free credit report scams out there. This Forbes free credit score article summarizes how to avoid such pitfalls. Protect your assets now!