I'll never complain or be annoyed again about the security, challenge questions/passwords. It apparently is what prevented me from potential harm last week. My credit union called and said someone called in and had my account number AND my SSN! They were trying to do a wire transfer. They didn't have my call-in password and apparently didn't know my first pet's name (or the other questions either). This is what raised the red flag, and also started a flurry of activity on my part. Had to close my old and re-open a new account which was linked to several sub-accounts (checking, savings, visa, HELOC) which of course my wife was joint on. Notify the credit bureaus and put a fraud alert out there, file an affidavit with the IRS, and the most time-consuming was re-setting up all the auto payments and direct deposits. The $10/month id theft service I have was very helpful in both initiating things for me, and giving me all the information I needed to do stuff that had to be done only by me. I won't complain about that $10/month again either!
So, I'm now as diligent about the answers to those security questions as I am about my passwords themselves. There's still at least one bad guy out there with my SSN! Lots of good ideas in this thread too. Thanks everyone.
