Identity Theft

Information from more than 50,000 credit card accounts -- and perhaps as many as 200,000 accounts -- was taken from online shoppers at Wards.com, now run by a direct mail company. While the catalog company reported the breach to credit card processors and authorities, cardholders were left in the dark.

You may know the basics about your credit score, but there's more to it than just paying your bills on time. Ken and Daria Dolan take you behind the hidden tricks of credit reporting so you can keep you score high.

Overnight, credit ratings for about one million student loan borrowers plunge 100 points due to an error in reporting by the lender to Equifax. The problem should be cleared up in a few days.

Identity theft can happen to anyone. Nancy Trejos, a personal finance columnist for the Washington Post had her identity stolen and her debit card and bank account compromised.

It is unfortunately not possible to prevent identity theft and credit fraud entirely. But by managing your personal information carefully, and with a full understanding of its importance, you can substantially reduce the likelihood that it will happen to you. The following tips in this article will show you how.