40. Always use a gel pen when you write your checks because it has been stated that gel ink contains tiny particles of color that get trapped in the paper, so it will be very difficult to wash the check and then re-write it.

41. You must ask for all your financial institutions to keep your data safely. Try not to let your bank make use of easy to decode numbers on your cards. If you’ve been given the last four SSN digits as a default PIN, try to immediately change it to something else. Insist that they destroy paper and magnetic records before they get rid of them.
 
42. When you fill out any loan or credit applications, try to ask how the company will dispose of them. Some auto dealerships, department stores, car rental agencies, and video stores have been well known to be quite careless with customer applications once they are finished with them. When you pay with your credit card, try to ask the business how it will store and dispose of the forms. When you do this on the internet, make sure that the company makes use of secure transmission and storage methods.
 
43. Try to store all of your canceled checks in a safer place. If you decide to rent a storage locker, try to take extra precautions when you store cancelled checks, tax return information, and other financial information which is sensitive. Thieves are always after these.

44. Try to keep all of your personal information at home, especially if you have any roommates.
 
45. Any company which handles personal information should try to train all its employees, from top to bottom, on practices for responsible information-handling.

This information was adapted from http://www.privacyrights.org/

More bankruptcy recovery information on the next page of our guide: Home Equity Options