You're actually safer using Mint.com than not using it.
I know that seems counter-intuitive to all of you with security concerns. I'm sure you're thinking: "Isn't that putting all my eggs in one basket?"
The fact is, 90% of all fraud and identity theft starts offline, not online ([www.informationweek.com]).
It's much more common for someone at a restaurant, gas station, etc. to get your credit card number, your security code, and your name. None of which, by the way, Mint.com asks you for.
Mint.com syncs up with all your accounts every night. Not only does this tell you where you're money goes, but it means Mint.com will send an alert if:
1) Your balance drops too low,
2) A large purchase occurs (by default it's set to $500, but you can change this),
3) Unusual spending is detected, e.g. all the sudden Mint sees $1,500 in electronics purchases when you typically only spend $50/mo.
Basically, Mint.com watches your back. If there's a problem, you'll know about it right away through an email or text-message alert.
The alternative (i.e. not using Mint.com) is to log into every one of your accounts every day to look for anything suspicious, or wait 30-45 days for a paper statement before you notice something has gone wrong. Javelin Research found that victims of cyber-crime who monitored their accounts online lost 9 times less than people who waited to receive paper statements. [finance.yahoo.com]
It's much better - and safer - to be proactive in monitoring your finances, and Mint.com is the easier way to do that.
You're actually safer using Mint.com than not using it. I know that seems counter-intuitive to all of you with security concerns. I'm sure you're thinking: "Isn't that putting all my eggs in one basket?" The fact is, 90% of all...
A Casual Review Of Mint.com
You're actually safer using Mint.com than not using it.
I know that seems counter-intuitive to all of you with security concerns. I'm sure you're thinking: "Isn't that putting all my eggs in one basket?"
The fact is, 90% of all fraud and identity theft starts offline, not online ([www.informationweek.com]).
It's much more common for someone at a restaurant, gas station, etc. to get your credit card number, your security code, and your name. None of which, by the way, Mint.com asks you for.
Mint.com syncs up with all your accounts every night. Not only does this tell you where you're money goes, but it means Mint.com will send an alert if:
1) Your balance drops too low,
2) A large purchase occurs (by default it's set to $500, but you can change this),
3) Unusual spending is detected, e.g. all the sudden Mint sees $1,500 in electronics purchases when you typically only spend $50/mo.
Basically, Mint.com watches your back. If there's a problem, you'll know about it right away through an email or text-message alert.
The alternative (i.e. not using Mint.com) is to log into every one of your accounts every day to look for anything suspicious, or wait 30-45 days for a paper statement before you notice something has gone wrong. Javelin Research found that victims of cyber-crime who monitored their accounts online lost 9 times less than people who waited to receive paper statements.
[finance.yahoo.com]
It's much better - and safer - to be proactive in monitoring your finances, and Mint.com is the easier way to do that.
Aaron Patzer, Founder & CEO, Mint.com