Staying organized in the digital world can feel overwhelming, especially when your trying to manage finances, passwords and personal information are scattered across dozens of apps, accounts and services. The good news? With the right systems in place, managing your online life can feel simple, secure and stress-free.
Below is a friendly, step-by-step guide to help you keep your online life organized, easier to manage and safer.
Quick Links:
Get your online banking in order
Your online banking account is the heart of your digital financial life. Keeping it organized protects your money, helps you manage finances and makes day-to-day tasks easier.
- Set up account alerts for large purchases, low balances, deposits and suspicious activities.
- Name your accounts to distinguish checking, savings and special accounts.
- Create a digital folder in your email labeled “Banking” to store important statements or messages.
- Regularly review transactions to catch errors.
- Add accounts from other financial institutions to your Arsenal account so you can get a complete picture of your financial life in one spot.
If you haven’t done so already, make sure to download the Arsenal mobile banking app. You can take care of all of the above anytime, anywhere.
Tidy up your subscription services
Streaming platforms, cloud storage, monthly apps, gym memberships, etc. etc. It all adds up way too fast. Many people pay for services they haven’t used in months simply because they forget they exist.
- Create a master list of all of your subscriptions. Include renewal dates and monthly costs.
- Review your list every three to six months and cancel what you don’t need.
- Check for duplicate services, like two cloud-storage plans or overlapping streaming platforms.
This quick cleanup can help you save hundreds each year and manage finances easier.
Use a password manager
With dozens (or hundreds) of online accounts, memorizing passwords is impossible. Reusing the same password everywhere is risky. That’s why you should look into downloading a password manager app.
Arsenal Credit Union cannot endorse a particular one, but most of them provide you with the following tools:
- Strong, unique passwords for every account
- Secure storage protected by a single master password
- Automatic updates when passwords change
- Built-in alerts if a website you use has a data breach
A password manager is one of the simplest ways to protect your identity online, saving you time and stress.
Clean up your email
Email is the central hub of your online identity. It’s where password resets, bank alerts and personal messages all land. Here are some tips to help keep it organized:
- Create folders for banking, shopping, work, travel, and bills.
- Unsubscribe from newsletters you no longer read.
- Use filters to automatically sort messages.
- Archive rather than delete so you have a record without the clutter.
- Enable two-factor authentication to keep your account secure.
Protect your online identity
Identity theft is one of the fastest-growing digital threats, but a few smart habits can drastically reduce your risk:
- Enable two-factor authentication on all important accounts.
- Review your credit report at least once a year.
- Avoid using public Wi-Fi for banking or shopping.
- Keep your devices updated so you have the latest security patches.
- Freeze your credit if you’re not applying for new loans or cards.
