| Are you one of those people who know precisely | | | | that come to mind may be: |
| how many accounts you have with different | | | | - so what? |
| companies and institutions? Do you have all of the | | | | - do I need to know the details of each one? |
| details for each account duly noted and recorded in | | | | - do I care? |
| some organized fashion? | | | | - if I have gotten by this long, should I change how I |
| If you are and if you do, you are likely in the | | | | manage them now? |
| minority. | | | | - should I try to manage them a bit better? |
| For purposes of this discussion, we will use a broader | | | | The answers to those questions are not always |
| definition of the word 'account' than may immediately | | | | easy. You may in fact be doing okay and getting |
| come to mind with most people. We will define an | | | | along just fine the way things are. If that is the case, |
| account as being 'a situation where a person has a | | | | great, there may be nothing more to do. |
| business relationship with a third party'. | | | | But the reality is that the world is changing and |
| With that definition in mind, a wide variety of | | | | continues to change at a rapid pace. The increasing |
| accounts we may have immediately come to mind. | | | | use of computers for conducting business with third |
| They include accounts with: | | | | parties is changing the landscape. In many cases it |
| - businesses we deal with on an everyday basis, such | | | | means many more account relationships than you |
| as banks, investment brokers, credit and loyalty card | | | | previously had. It also means much more information |
| companies, department stores, utility companies and | | | | to be concerned about and to keep track of - |
| so on. In most cases we use their services and | | | | account names, numbers, log-in names, passwords, |
| receive a monthly or annual statement or bill from | | | | credit information and the like. It may also mean |
| them so we are quite familiar with them. | | | | information on model numbers, serial numbers and |
| - clubs and organizations we belong to and have | | | | license keys if you are dealing with software. |
| joined over the years - social, auto, libraries, athletic, | | | | Because of that, there is a strong case to be made |
| networking, professional, dining and so on. In each | | | | for being much more formal and organized in |
| case we have an account with them, whether active | | | | managing account information. |
| or dormant. | | | | Here are a few thoughts for you to consider about |
| - companies providing insurance for medical, dental, | | | | why you might want to consider changing or |
| home, travel, auto, accident, life and other forms of | | | | improving the way you currently manage all the |
| coverage. | | | | information associated with your accounts if you use |
| - levels of government for such things as social | | | | a computer. |
| services, income and property taxes, driver licensing | | | | 1. Paper trails you could refer to and rely on in the |
| and vehicle registration, health insurance and other | | | | past for information are disappearing as more and |
| services. | | | | more businesses prefer to deal with you electronically |
| - newspaper and magazine publishers for | | | | and you opt to do without receiving a periodic paper |
| subscriptions. | | | | statement or bill. |
| - and so on. | | | | 2. Many businesses have unique needs when it comes |
| Then there are other accounts that may or may not | | | | to log-in or sign-in identification phrases so you may |
| immediately come to mind. These are accounts you | | | | have a number of them to remember. |
| may have opened - deliberately or inadvertently - | | | | 3. Many businesses have unique requirements for the |
| over the years. Think about the following: | | | | password you establish for accessing your account |
| - If you ever visited a doctor, hospital, clinic or other | | | | information so you may have a number of them to |
| medical practitioner for a service, you likely have an | | | | remember. |
| account there, because you probably filled in some | | | | 4. Many require you to select one or more questions |
| sort of application in order to obtain the service | | | | and provide your answers to those questions so that |
| - If you ever rented a vehicle, stayed at a hotel or | | | | they can use the information to verify you at some |
| ate at a restaurant and agreed to enter a loyalty, | | | | point in the future. |
| contact or discount type program by submitting your | | | | That can add up to a lot of information to manage. |
| contact information and e-mail address, you likely | | | | Here are a few thoughts and questions for you to |
| have an account with them | | | | consider about what might happen if you do not |
| - If you use service companies to do such things as | | | | have all the information associated with your |
| mow your lawn, do maintenance on a property or | | | | accounts well organized and accessible. |
| device such as an air conditioner, clean, inspect or | | | | 1. If any of your personal information changes |
| fumigate, then you likely have accounts with them | | | | (contact information, e-mail address, credit card |
| - If you ever made a purchase over the internet, | | | | number, etc.), would you know how and who to |
| you likely have an account with each and every | | | | contact to advise them of the change? |
| vendor you have dealt with, and with an internet | | | | 2. If you had to cancel a credit card because of loss |
| payment service such as 'PayPal' if you used their | | | | or theft, would you know who and how to contact |
| services | | | | any of the businesses who might use that credit |
| - If you ever submitted a warranty form or | | | | card? |
| registered a product you purchased with a | | | | 3. If you lost your wallet or purse, would you know |
| manufacturer for electronics, tools, appliances, | | | | who to contact to get replacements for all of the |
| equipment or whatever, the name and contact | | | | cards (bank, credit, loyalty, membership, identification, |
| information required on these forms become the | | | | business and others) that you carried on your |
| basis of an account with them | | | | person? |
| - If you have ever used the services of a delivery | | | | 4. If you required help with software installed on your |
| company (i.e. Fedex, UPS) or a customs broker to | | | | computer, would you know the version, serial |
| clear an item, then you likely have an account with | | | | number, license key or what options and preferences |
| them | | | | you may have set when installing the software? |
| - If you use a computer, and you likely do if you are | | | | 5. Should you become temporarily incapacitated in |
| reading this, then you no doubt have had to enter | | | | some way and a family member had to conduct |
| license keys and the like, and register the software | | | | business with your accounts on your behalf, would |
| you purchased and use (operating system, utilities, | | | | they know how to proceed and do that? |
| applications, etc.) and guess what, you have an | | | | 6. Were you to become more permanently |
| account with each and every one of them | | | | incapacitated, would a family member or estate |
| - If you use a computer, and again you likely do if | | | | executive know how and who to contact to access, |
| you are reading this, then you no doubt have had to | | | | change or wind down your accounts? |
| enter your name and submit an e-mail address to a | | | | It is quite a simple and easy task to record relevant |
| web-site in order to gain access to the site, obtain | | | | information about your accounts in an organized and |
| information, research a database, play a game or | | | | disciplined fashion. It is not onerous and does not |
| whatever and guess what again, you opened an | | | | take much time because changes do not happen that |
| account with each and every one of them every | | | | frequently. You simply have to be diligent about it, |
| time you did that | | | | ensuring that you capture any type of change to the |
| - and so on | | | | information whenever there is a change. |
| There are likely a number of other relationships you | | | | You can keep the information manually in a journal or |
| have with third parties (leases, contracts, loans, etc.) | | | | log, or you can use a computer program to help - |
| that are not even mentioned above because there | | | | there are quite a few around. You should also let |
| are so many types of relationships that people can | | | | others know where the information is in case of an |
| get into. | | | | emergency. |
| In all, and when you stop to think about it, most of | | | | It can save you and others a lot of time and |
| us probably have many more account relationships | | | | frustration when the information is needed, as it |
| than we realize. | | | | undoubtedly will be some day. |
| Given that you may have quite a few accounts and | | | | So do yourself a favor if you have not already done |
| probably more than you realize that you have before | | | | so. Get on top of things and get organized when it |
| you started to read this article, the next questions | | | | comes to managing information about your accounts. |