As winter begins its inevitable descent onto the country, many homeowners brace themselves for the annual spike in utility costs. Some homeowners, however, don’t take the cold weather onslaught lying down beneath a pile of comforters. Rather than shiver through the cold or accept higher bills, they take action to save money. They use some tried and true winterization techniques on their homes to keep the cold out and the utility costs down.

Statistics state that at least 9 million consumers fall victim to identity theft each year. Approximately 10 percent of Americans have been victims of credit card theft alone. The staggering numbers indicate that consumers need to start taking immediate precautionary steps. The following are some steps that modern consumers can take to protect their credit.

Credit card use puts consumers at risk for identity theft and fraudulent charges. There are all types of unscrupulous individuals who make careers of stealing others' personal information and using it to make purchases from jewelry to automobiles. When an individual's account is breached, thieves can rack up thousands of dollars in charges, leaving the card holder broke and with bad credit. This is why some credit card issuers provide what is known as "zero liability."