Locking your SSN is one of the best ways to protect yourself from identity theft, and you can do it for free. Geoff Williams Contributor Geoff Williams is a journalist and author. His byline has ...

Your PC’s storage media is subject to malware and, on occasion, natural disasters such as lightning, fire, etc. — which is why formulating a backup strategy is critical for keeping your data safe. Our ...

Brittany Brown is a full-time copywriter writing covering real estate and personal finance topics like budgeting, investing, credit cards, and more. She is currently working to become an accredited ...

Julia Kagan is a financial/consumer journalist and former senior editor, personal finance, of Investopedia. Mira Norian / Investopedia A bank identification number (BIN) is the initial set of four to ...