How to Protect Your Income

Guidance on shielding paychecks, benefits, or additional income from interference.

How to Protect Your Income

Before Changing Anything

Consider making a simple overview of your current income situation.

• List all sources of income (wages, benefits, side work).
• Note how each source is currently paid (paper check, direct deposit, cash app, etc.).
• Write down which accounts each payment goes into.
• Identify who has access to each account (you, partner, family member, others).
• Save recent pay stubs, benefit letters, and bank statements in a safe place.

Setting Up or Adjusting Direct Deposit

Direct deposit can reduce opportunities for someone else to intercept or control physical checks.

1. Decide Which Account to Use

• Review which account feels safest for you right now.
• Consider using an account the other person does not know about or cannot access.
• If opening a new account, ask the bank how statements and notifications are sent.
• Check if your name, address, or contact details on the account could be seen by anyone else.

2. Gather Required Information

• Bank name and address.
• Routing number and account number.
• Type of account (checking or savings).
• Employer or benefits office direct deposit form, if needed.

3. Update Direct Deposit Details

• Ask your employer’s HR or payroll office how to change your direct deposit.
• For government benefits, follow the official instructions (online portal, phone, or mail forms).
• Confirm the date when payments will start going to the new account.
• Keep a copy (paper or screenshot) of your direct deposit change request.

4. Transition from Old to New

• Watch both the old and new accounts during the transition period.
• Check which pay cycle first uses the new account.
• Consider leaving the old account in place until you are sure all deposits have moved.
• Note any automatic payments that were linked to the old account for later review.

Setting Separate Notifications

Adjusting how you receive alerts can reduce how much others can see about your income and spending.

1. Review Existing Alerts

• Log into your online banking (if safe to do so) and open the “alerts” or “notifications” section.
• Note where alerts are currently sent (shared email, shared phone, personal email, etc.).
• Check if any alerts go to a device your partner controls or regularly checks.

2. Create or Use a Private Contact Method

• Consider a separate email address that only you can access.
• If possible, consider a phone number or device only you can check.
• Decide which contact method is safest for bank and income-related alerts.

3. Adjust Notification Settings

• Change email alerts from shared addresses to a private address, if safe.
• Update text alerts to a number that is not monitored by someone else.
• Turn off alerts that go to any shared device or shared login.
• Consider setting:
  • Deposit alerts (when income arrives).
  • Large withdrawal alerts.
  • Balance threshold alerts (when the balance drops below a set amount).

4. Consider App Access

• Check if your banking app is logged in on any shared devices.
• Log out on devices others can access, if safe.
• Update your app password and security questions.
• Turn off biometric logins (fingerprint, face ID) on devices controlled by someone else.

Removing Shared Access to Income Accounts

Where it is safe and appropriate, you may consider limiting who can access accounts where your income is deposited.

1. Identify Shared Access Points

• Joint bank accounts with both names listed.
• Individual accounts where someone else:
  • Knows your login details.
  • Is an authorized user or has a linked card.
  • Has power of attorney or similar authority.
• Online tools where someone can see balances or transactions.

2. Adjust Login and Security Details

• Change online banking usernames, passwords, and PINs to something new.
• Update security questions to answers that are not easy to guess.
• Review which devices are logged in and remove any that are not safe.
• Turn on two-factor authentication where available, using a method only you can access.

3. Consider Changes to Joint Accounts

• Decide whether to:
  • Stop using a joint account for new income.
  • Move your direct deposit to a different account.
  • Open an additional account in your own name, if that is an option.
• Check what your bank’s rules are for changing or closing joint accounts.
• Ask the bank what notices, if any, will be sent to the other account holder.
• Document any changes you make for your records.

4. Review Linked Cards and Automatic Access

• List all debit cards, credit cards, and payment apps linked to the account.
• Ask the bank how to:
  • Remove authorized users.
  • Cancel cards that others hold.
  • Stop automatic transfers to other people’s accounts.
• Update any recurring payments you still need to keep (rent, utilities, etc.).

Monitoring Withdrawals and Activity

Regularly checking activity on accounts that receive your income can help you spot patterns or changes.

1. Set a Simple Review Schedule

• Choose a review frequency that feels manageable (for example, daily or weekly).
• Decide when and where you will check (private place, secure device).
• Note upcoming pay dates so you know when income should arrive.

2. Use Available Monitoring Tools

• Enable alerts for:
  • New withdrawals above a certain amount.
  • ATM withdrawals.
  • Transfers to other accounts.
• Download or save monthly statements for your own records.
• Check pending transactions as well as posted ones.

3. Track Unusual Activity

• Write down:
  • Date and time of any withdrawal you did not plan.
  • Amount and type of transaction (ATM, transfer, card purchase).
  • Location listed on the statement.
• Keep screenshots or copies of statements showing the activity.
• Store this information somewhere secure (encrypted file, secure cloud, or safe physical location).

4. Responding to Concerning Transactions

• Contact your bank using a safe method to ask:
  • What options exist for disputing transactions.
  • Whether new cards or account numbers can be issued.
  • How to limit withdrawals or transfers.
• Ask the bank what information they will send to any other account holder.
• Note the name of the person you speak with and the time and date of the call.

Additional Things to Consider

• Keep important financial documents (ID, bank info, pay stubs) in a place that feels as safe and private as possible.
• When using shared devices, use private browsing and log out of banking sessions.
• Consider using a password manager if it is safe on your device.
• Review who can see your financial details through shared email, cloud storage, or shared phone accounts.

Recommended Articles

• Digital Safety and Financial Accounts
• Creating a Basic Financial Safety Plan
• Preparing Financial Documents
• Using Banks and Cards More Safely
• Protecting Benefits and Assistance