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Handing a child a phone means handing them a window to the whole internet. Parental controls will not solve everything, and no setting replaces a conversation, but they do give you a practical safety net: control over apps, screen time, purchases and who can contact your child. This guide walks through the built-in tools on iPhone ( Screen Time with Family Sharing ) and Android ( Family Link and on-device parental controls), based on Apple and Google support pages. Menus change between versions, so treat the paths below as a guide and use the vendors' help pages to confirm the current steps. Start With the Account, Not the Phone Both platforms build controls around a child's own account. Apple says that to use Screen Time and parental controls you need Family Sharing set up, and each family member should have their own Apple Account, with a Child Account for children. It stresses that a child should not share an account with another family member. Google's Family Link ...

Online and mobile banking are convenient, and they are also a favorite target. Criminals want your login, your card details or your cooperation in moving money. Most of the damage comes not from dramatic hacking but from ordinary mistakes: a reused password, a rushed click or a phone call that sounded like the bank. This guide gives you twelve habits that make your banking much safer. They rely on advice from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) , the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) . Check your own bank's security page for features it offers. 1. Give Your Bank Login a Unique, Strong Password The FDIC advises a strong and unique passphrase or password for each online account so that unauthorized access to one does not spread to others. CISA suggests a password of at least 16 characters that is random and not reused, and recommends a password manager to create and store them. If your bank's password i...

Every few months, someone asks whether they need to pay for antivirus software. The honest answer depends on the device, the habits of the person using it, and what you expect the software to do. Modern computers now ship with more protection than many people realize. This guide explains what Windows Security (Microsoft Defender Antivirus) and macOS (Gatekeeper, notarization and XProtect) provide, what they do not cover, and how to decide whether you want an additional product. It uses vendor documentation from Microsoft and Apple, plus advice from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). What Windows Security Includes Microsoft's support pages say that Microsoft Defender Antivirus comes built into Windows 10 and Windows 11. It is managed through the Windows Security app, where the Virus and threat protection area lets you run scans and review threats. Microsoft says its security software protects against malware, spyware, adware and other unwanted software, and that you do not need...

If someone gets hold of your Social Security number, one of the first things they may try is opening a new credit card, loan or phone plan in your name. You usually do not find out until a collector calls or a lender turns you down. Two free tools can make that much harder: a credit freeze and a fraud alert. This guide explains what each one does, how they differ, and exactly how to set them up with the three nationwide credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. The facts here come from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which publishes the official consumer guidance on both tools. What a Credit Freeze Does A credit freeze restricts access to your credit report. While it is in place, nobody can open a new credit account in your name, including you. The FTC says there is no cost to place or lift a freeze, and it does not affect your credit score. It lasts until you lift it. You do not need to be a victim of identity theft to freeze your credit. The FTC says anyone can do i...

Last updated: October 10, 2026 Scammers do not care about age. They target whoever is easiest to pressure, and both young people and older adults can be caught out for understandable reasons. A child may be excited about a free game reward and not yet know how phishing works. A teenager may be targeted by a stranger who pretends to be a peer. A parent or grandparent may be less familiar with the latest tricks, and may be more trusting of a caller who sounds official or a message that sounds like a relative in trouble. The losses can be serious. The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center reported that in 2024, people who said they were 60 or older filed 147,127 complaints and reported $4.885 billion in losses, more than any other age group in its 2024 annual report . Those figures only include people who reported and gave their age. This guide gives you a calm, practical plan for helping both groups. It focuses on habits, conversations and account settings rather than on scare st...