On Wednesday, March 19 at 1:30 p.m., Sissy Osteen will present “Tips to Avoid Identity Theft,” which will teach retirees how to keep their finances, online data and other private information safe.  The program is part of the OSU Emeriti Association’s monthly “Making the Most of Retirement” series co-sponsored by the Stillwater Public Library.

“The biggest mistake that people make in regard to their information is not keeping track of credit reports and being a little careless in their approach to personal information,” said Osteen.  “Even though all consumers have the right to three free credit reports every year, less than 25% are actually ordering them.”

Ordering free credit reports is one of the identity safety techniques participants will learn in the class.  In addition to learning other safety strategies, students will find out about the various threats to privacy and how to find out whether they are victims of theft.

“The Federal Trade Commission says we can ‘Deter, Detect and Defend’ against identity theft,” said Osteen.  “Older people can be more susceptible to identity theft if they are not tech savvy, or aware of people around them, but there are strategies for making sure we are well prepared.”

Osteen will end the class with an explanation on how to deal with correcting records and how to recover from identity theft.

Osteen received her Bachelor’s degree in Home Economics Education and Master’s degree in Clothing and Textiles from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. She received an Ed.S. in Counselor Education from the University of South Carolina and a Ph.D. in Human Environmental Sciences from Oklahoma State University.

She is a Certified Financial Planner™ professional and provides programming and evaluation in the areas of money management, homebuyer education, retirement and estate planning, credit management and financial literacy.

Osteen previously held positions as a college instructor, food service director and catering manager, county extension educator, and Director of Consumer Credit Counseling Service. She is currently an associate professor at Oklahoma State University and Extension Resource Management specialist.

“Making the Most of Retirement” is free and open to all retirees.  It meets the third Wednesday of each month.  Upcoming programs include a tour through OSU’s new art gallery on Monday, April 14, “Journey through Health” by Janice Hermann and Seungeun Gung on May 21and “Managing Individual and Employer Retirement Accounts After Retirement” by Louise Schroeder on June 18.