An estimated 9 million Americans have their identities stolen every year, and while many of them probably did their best to protect their information. It is more difficult to keep information secure today than it was a few years ago. Thankfully, there are some very easy things that can be done to help make potential thieves have a harder time.

Always shred documents that contain your social security number, credit card numbers, or anything that might be used to impersonate you. This doesn't mean that there is a need to rush out right now and buy a shredder, but make sure that any checks that are thrown away are torn up, and the same goes for other paper with your information on it. This will make it harder for an identity thief to impersonate you if they are digging through your trash to find something of use.

When surfing the internet be vigilant about where you enter your passwords, user ID's, and personal information. Many times you need to enter this information to take care of something like securing a loan online, or renewing your vehicle registration. The important thing to make sure is that the address of the website matches that of the institution you are trying to interact with. The web pages where these types of transactions take place are secure, and somewhere in the browser there will be a lock logo. This lets you know that your information is being protected, and is another sign of authenticity.

Another best practice is to always keep your computer clean, and anti-virus software up to date. This will keep malware from taking some of your information. Avoid buying this software in response to a pop-up ad, but research the options that are available and pick the program you use based off of customer reviews.

When picking passwords try and be creative. Use numbers, symbols, and capital letters, and associate them with something you will remember. Do you like The Beatles? How about: 1amTh3W4lrus --> I am the walrus. You can do this with just about anything and it will create a password that is both secure and easy to remember. The remembering is important. Using the same password for every site on the internet is not secure because if a thief gains access to one of your accounts the can then access any account you have a relationship with online.

When looking for signs of identity theft always check your bank statements for purchases you didn't make, and your credit report for signs of activity that were not you. When you see that someone is making transactions in your name contact the police, and they will help you in guiding how you should respond, and what your options are. There are many more things that can be done to secure you identity, and while the reading isn't the most fun it is best to play it safe.

More information on identity theft can be found on the FTC's website here.

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I'm not talking about the playground game. I'm talking about Foursquare, a mobile based application that allows users to "check in" wherever they are via iPhones, Blackberry, and Android phones. Users simply download the application and start playing. They are able to look up other friends who may also be playing through their Twitter, and Facebook contact lists, or searching manually by name and phone number.

When a user checks in a notification is sent to that users friends on Foursquare, and points are gained for going to new places. Each week a leader board is formed based off of who has the most points and is reset each week. If a user goes to a venue more than anyone else then they can become the Mayor of that venue, and in many places there are actually battles over mayor ship. This Wall Street Journal article interviewed a girl who stated that she was going to try and become the mayor of her favorite coffee shop, and in the comments the current mayor made it very clear that he would do all he could to keep her from gaining that mayor ship! I personally am engaged with a feud with one of my friends over a burger stand that I like. Ridiculous, yes. Fun, yes!

As users check in more they can also unlock badges. They range from Gym Rat, for checking into the gym, to Zoetrope, for ten movie theater check in's, to Super Mayor, that one's for holding ten mayor ships at once. In addition to collecting badges many companies are offering specials to Foursquare users. These can come in the form of free coffee for the mayor to maybe a free cookie with every tenth visit to a bakery. They vary, and the application notifies you of specials nearby whenever you check in.

In preparation for the grand opening of our brand new branch in Pearland, just south of Houston, TDECU is offering a $250 Visa® Gift Card to whoever is the mayor if they are at the ribbon cutting at 10 A.M. on May 13th! We are very excited about this new branch, and the possibilities for rewarding or members through Foursquare. Check out our Foursquare page here, and my personal profile here. So be on the lookout for other types of rewards and start checking in!

Weddings are very expensive. The average wedding costs about $20,000. This is a tremendous amount of money, and if you aren't married yet, want to be, and aren't saving for yours I would recommend opening a savings account now! Many of my friends got married while they were in college, and sometimes were not able to enjoy a large amount of financial support from their families. Here are some ways that they were able to save money on their weddings.

Unique Use of Wedding Gifts
Many of us have friends with incredibly unique skills. That might come in handy for a wedding. Maybe you have a friend who is really good at coordinating events, and instead of bringing you a wedding present they would be willing to act as your wedding planner. Many of us have friends that are brilliant photographers, and they might be happy to shoot your wedding for free. There are a few caveats, of course. We never want to take advantage of our friends, and use our special event as emotional blackmail to get them to do something they otherwise wouldn't. My photographer friends have, on occasion, complained to me about their inability to get their friends to even consider paying them for their work. With that in mind, your friends still might be willing to discount their skills. In the end the cost of putting unnecessary stress on relationships might make the cost of these services worth it.

Consolidate Venues
Is there a reason to rent both a church and a reception hall? Having the ceremony in the same place as the reception, and giving 30 minutes for the room to change over can save money. There are even venues that are designed specifically for this. I've had friends get married at a great venue with two outdoor pavilions, one for the ceremony and the other already set up for the reception so that there wasn't even a delay in serving people food after the bride and groom walked down the aisle.

Regular Suits and Dresses
This might not help the bride or groom save money, but their wedding party would be thankful. Why not allow the groomsmen to all wear black suits? A tux rental can run upwards of $100, and eventually every man will need a black suit. And what about the bridesmaids? Once the colors for the wedding have been picked why not let them pick dresses that fit the color? This will give them more freedom to pick a dress they might wear again, and even give your wedding a unique look and feel. Though, I would recommend letting the bride have final say on what dresses are worn.

Elope
Yes, you rob your friends and family of the joy of sharing in the public proclamation of your unending and eternal love, but you get the satisfaction of being married without any of the costs. This could have serious repercussions on family relations for years to come. This is the nuclear option of saving on a wedding.

None of us wants to have a wedding that looks cheap, but there are definitely ways to save on the big day. What are some of the tricks that you know of for having a less expensive wedding?

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