This Holiday Season, Easy Ways for Americans to Protect Their Financial Identities
Washington, D.C. – Dec. 13, 2007 – Today, the Senate Banking Committee held a hearing on how to avoid financial scams around the holidays. ITAC, the Identity Theft Assistance Center, and The Financial Services Roundtable are urging American consumers to safeguard their personal data while shopping this holiday season and stay informed.

The financial services industry is committed to helping consumers protect their finances. Here are several tips on how to protect your finances during the holidays:

• Don’t volunteer any personal information when you use your credit card, other than by displaying personal ID as requested by a merchant.

• Don’t lend your card to anyone. You are responsible for its use. Some credit card misuse can be traced directly to family and friends.

• Always guard your PIN and transaction amount, and immediately cancel your transaction and leave if you see something suspicious.

• Always take your receipt. It contains personal information that could be helpful to thieves.

• Shop only at Internet merchants you know and trust. If in doubt, check with the Better Business Bureau (www.bbb.org)

• Do not provide your social security number, birth date, or mother’s maiden name in an email or within a Web site.

• Install the latest anti-virus software on your computer before shopping online.

Last year, the Roundtable launched www.MyMoneyManagement.net, a consumer portal that offers advice on creating budgets, balancing bank accounts, applying for home loans, protecting against natural disasters, and preparing for the future. With 12,000 unique visitors a month, the budget worksheet is overwhelmingly the most used product offered on the site.

The Identity Theft Assistance Center (ITAC) (www.identitytheftassistance.org) is a nonprofit that fights identity theft through victim assistance, research and law enforcement partnerships. ITAC has helped thousands of consumers restore their financial identities and is the leading source of verified data on identity theft crime. Recognized internationally for its innovative model, ITAC is sponsored by The Financial Services Roundtable as part of the financial services industry’s commitment to fight fraud and identity theft.

The Financial Services Roundtable represents 100 of the largest integrated financial services companies providing banking, insurance, and investment products and services to the American consumer. Member companies participate through the Chief Executive Officer and other senior executives nominated by the CEO.

Roundtable member companies provide fuel for America's economic engine, accounting directly for $65.8 trillion in managed assets, $1 trillion in revenue, and 2.4 million jobs.