There's been a tremendous spike in cybercrimes targeting banks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Between banking Trojans and phishing campaigns, there's no shortage of ways to have your account hijacked and money stolen. If you want to keep your money safe, follow these steps to secure your bank account.

Do you remember the last time you set foot in a bank? I can’t remember, either. Handling our money matters online is so convenient, but you still have to watch out for a huge mistake when depositing checks from your smartphone.

Sure, it’s easy to take the photos and wait for the “processing” message, and then you’re good to go, right? Don’t write it off just yet.

• Don’t get rid of that paper check immediately. The time it takes for a deposit to clear can vary based on factors like the amount, how long you’ve been with the bank and the status of the payer’s account.
• Set a reminder for 14 days after the deposit. Just use your favorite reminder app to set it up, then put that paper check in a safe place while you wait.
• Once it clears, don’t just throw it away. Shred it so sensitive account details aren’t at risk of falling into the wrong hands.

💸 Check out more about this big online banking mistake here.

Speaking of photos, when you’re sharing holiday photos with your family, it’s easy to get an error message because you tried to send too many at once. My sponsor, IDrive, can help, and you can get a great deal right now through this link. 🤳

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A virtual private network, or VPN, is a layer of protection between your devices and the internet. Every week, Kim gets questions from listeners and readers about how that protection works and what a VPN can and can't do. If you want to know more about protecting your privacy online, look no further.

Master all things Microsoft with Kim's Windows newsletter. Free downloads, update news, pro tips and more, delivered weekly.

You know what’s not fair? Netflix hides thousands of shows and movies from you based on your location and then has the nerve to increase prices yet again. Make sure you’re getting your full money’s worth by using ExpressVPN. 

What’s on Netflix in the U.S. is completely different from what someone in the U.K. or Japan has on theirs. ExpressVPN has over 90 countries to choose from, so every time you run out of stuff to watch, just switch to another country to unlock new shows.

Stop paying full-price for streaming services and only getting access to a fraction of their content.

Traveling is stressful enough without worrying about what to do if your child goes missing. Of course, kids can get lost while you're shopping at the mall. The first few hours are crucial in locating missing children, and you need to have all the essential information to give to authorities. The FBI has an app that streamlines this process.

Are you ready to explore the world but don't have the time or means to get everywhere you want to go? Good news, Amazon has a new tool that lets you explore the world from the comfort of your own home. We've got details on how this cool program works and how to get started.

When you own your own business, you're the CEO, the marketer, the IT person and the data analyst. Don't go it alone. Get Kim's must-read small biz tips every week.

A bicycle is seemingly one of the most basic contraptions. You pedal to move and turn the handlebars in the direction you want to travel. Well, it turns out riding a bike takes some natural intuition that you would never think about. This bike shows how our brains automatically know something about bike riding that you wouldn't have imagined.