By Taylor J. Kovar – CEO/Founder, Kovar Wealth Management
–Hey Taylor – I lost my wallet a couple weeks ago and I’m still fretting a little. I canceled cards and keep checking my accounts, but are there other steps I should be taking? Stuff I can do to get a little peace of mind?
–Hey Anthony – Sorry to hear it! I lost my wallet on a family trip a few years back and it’s just the worst. Such an unnecessary headache. Let’s go over the steps you should take and the order in which you should take them.
Cancel cards, and request charges reversed. Calling creditors to have stolen cards cut off is the obvious first step. Before you make that call, log into your account to see if anything has been billed since the wallet went missing and let your bank/credit card know that charge was fraudulent. This is also good information to pass along when you file a police report, as it gives them at least a fighting chance of finding out who took your stuff. If you don’t see suspicious charges, you still want to get the cards canceled and replaced as fast as possible to limit your exposure to not just stolen money, but also a stolen identity.
Initiate a credit freeze. A lot of lost wallets result in a few small purchases and nothing more. If your cards and ID fall into the wrong hands, you might have years worth of trouble dealing with identity theft. The credit freeze is your best defense against that, essentially announcing that no accounts can be opened and no money can be borrowed in your name for six months or a year. It might cause some issues with your personal finances in the short term, but it’s worth it to avoid having a criminal destroy your credit and drain your funds. You can put a freeze in place by contacting the major credit bureaus and it should be a pretty straightforward process.
Update automatic payments. This is the easiest step to forget because it’s less dire than the issue of having your money or identity stolen. Still, if you forget to update all your subscriptions with new payment info, you might be dealing with late fees and cancellations. If you have to wait two weeks for the new card to arrive, contact your providers, explain the situation, and ask for a grace period. They’re usually happy to comply.
Hopefully, you’ve already taken these steps, and you’re through the worst of it. Best of luck, Anthony!
