Protect yourself and your finances from identity theft by monitoring your credit and keeping close watch on your private personal and financial information.

To guard against identity theft, follow these financial safety tips.

1. Guard your important personal information. A Social Security number is the prime example of this, although it’s important to keep things like your birthdate, credit card number, and driver’s license number safe too. Only share your information with companies that you trust. And avoid carrying your Social Security card in your wallet — you have it memorized anyways (hopefully).

2. Shred private financial documents with a cross-cut shredder before recycling.

3. Avoid posting bills in your mailbox, where an identity thief can strike. Instead, place your outgoing mail in collection boxes or drop your bills and other mail at the post office.

4. Keep virus and spyware software up-to-date on your laptop and home computer and use firewall software for protection.

5. Use strong passwords to protect your financial accounts. And change your passwords frequently. You should also make sure you follow the advice of experts when data breaches happen – they can tell you whether you need to change your password, get credit monitoring, or do more to protect your identity.

6. Get free annual copies of your credit reports from each of the major credit reporting agencies — Equifax, TransUnion and Experian.

7. Monitor your credit score. With Credit.com’s free tools, you receive a free credit score each month plus expert tips on improving your credit.

An unexpected change in your credit scores could mean an identity thief has opened an account in your name.

For an added level of protection against identity theft, you may wish to sign up for a credit monitoring service so you will receive more frequent updates of changes in your credit file. Always compare identity theft protection plans carefully to make sure you understand the service’s terms.