Dan Barrett

As more banking and bill-paying move online, simple habits can better protect families: stronger passwords, multi-factor authentication, and skepticism toward unexpected messages.
A financial analyst said one strong starting point is a password manager or passwords with at least 15 characters, mixing uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols.
Even a strong password can be stolen, so multi-factor authentication adds a second proof step, helping block account access when criminals already have login details.
The most common breach tactic remained phishing by email, text, or phone, so avoid unexpected links or attachments and verify companies using independent contact details.
Scams are growing more sophisticated with AI, including fake explicit images of real people; parents should discuss deepfakes, and platforms face a 48-hour removal rule.

Harder to Hack: Simple Steps

A bipartisan bill reached the president's desk after House and Senate approval, aiming to make Social Security claiming ages easier to understand for retirement planning.
The measure would not change eligibility or retirement ages. It would rename key milestones so benefit tradeoffs are clearer when workers choose when to claim.
At age 62, the new term would be Minimum Benefit Age, signaling claims can start then but may permanently trim monthly checks by ~30%.
Full or normal retirement age would become Standard Benefit Age, generally 66 or 67 by birth year, with benefits rising ~8% yearly until 70.
Age 70 would be renamed Maximum Benefit Age, reflecting the latest claiming point and benefits up to ~24% above the standard benefit.