Living In USA

However much money you keep in your home or in your wallet or purse, be extremely careful with it. Never leave a wallet or purse on a desk in your office or on a store counter for even a moment, and don't leave your purse in a supermarket basket. At home keep it out of sight and away from the entrance, and do not carry excess cash when you go out. Regretfully, purse snatching and pocket picking are quite common in metropolitan areas in the United States, as they are in other parts of the world. In today's world of electronic finance, "identity theft" (in which someone is able to use your personal information to convince others that she or he is really you, often by obtaining your credit card, bank account number, social security number, and other personal information) is a growing and serious threat. This is best avoided by keeping your identification and financial information secure from others and shredding, rather than discarding, any documents that contain such information.

If you have jewelry or other valuables (passports, wills, stock certificates, mortgage or insurance papers, leases, etc.), you may want to rent a safe deposit box at a nearby bank. This will cost from $15 to $250 per year, depending on the size of the box and the area of the country. You can get your valuables out any time during banking hours, and these irreplaceable items will be safe and protected in bank vaults. If you are staying in a hotel, have the desk clerk put jewelry and other items into the hotel safe. Do not leave valuables in your hotel room, even in a suitcase. Many hotels offer electronic safes in the rooms. Insure expensive or irreplaceable jewelry, furs, cameras, watches, or other items that can easily be stolen. It is worth the cost and the extra time to secure your valuables.