Comptroller Susana Mendoza Offers Holiday Shopping Tips

It’s that time of year, when deals are aplenty and everyone makes their wish lists. But it’s important not to go overboard and to make sure you are shopping safely.

“Everyone wants to find the perfect presents for their loved ones, but you also don’t want to close out the year with an overdrawn bank account and a mountain of credit card debt,” said Comptroller Mendoza.

The concern is real. The National Retail Federation is predicting retail holiday sales in November and December will grow between 3.7% and 4.2% over last year, and Debt.com’s Annual Holiday Shopping Survey found that 66% of those surveyed last year expected to go into debt because of their purchases.

Here are a few tips to keep your spending under control:

• Come up with a budget before you begin shopping, and then track how much you spend. You can set a total amount you feel comfortable spending or set a limit for how much you plan to spend per person. Make a list of what you have bought each family member and the cost.
• Don’t forget about other holiday expenses that may sneak up on you like gifts for your child’s teacher, decorations, gift exchanges with friends, traveling and hosting.
• Take advantage of sales as much as possible but be careful about deals that sound too good to be true. There are always plenty of Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals from reputable retailers and coupon codes and free shipping offers to help save a few bucks. Take the time to compare prices at different retailers.
• Here’s a trick. If you are interested in an item online, put it into your cart and wait. Oftentimes, the retailer will send an email offering a further discount if you go ahead and buy the item.
• Take advantage of cash back websites/browser extensions like Rakuten, Honey and RetailMeNot. They offer coupons and a percentage of your purchase back that you can redeem as cash or a gift card. There are also apps like Fetch where you can scan your receipts and collect points that turn into cash.
• Don’t wait until the last minute to start shopping. Procrastination can end up costing you big bucks in express shipping charges, or you may not find the item you planned to buy.
• Be careful about “Buy now, pay later” offers. Choosing that option may cause you to overspend and regret your decision when it comes time to pay up.
• Plan for next year. Many banks offer special “Christmas Club” type savings accounts where you can save all year for future holiday expenses.

Shoppers also need to be careful to avoid being scammed. “The holidays should be about friends, food and family, not having a con-artist wipe out your bank account or steal your identity,” said Comptroller Mendoza.

Here are some tips to protect your personal information:

• Only shop with well-known retailers. Be wary of third-party retailers, which may not even be legit and even if they are, they may not accept returns or acknowledge problems with a product.
• Texts and emails offering unbelievable markdowns may be a scam. Check the email address to see if it looks legit and be cautious of links that could harm your device. This is the time of year when phishing scams increase.
• Check the online retailer’s URL to make sure it’s legitimate and secure. It should have https, with a focus on that “s” in the web address. If it doesn’t, don’t enter your information on that site.
• Use strong passwords for online accounts. Passwords that include an individual’s name, date of birth or phone number are the easiest to hack.
• Use secure forms of payment. Federal law limits consumer liabilities when using a credit card compared to debit cards. That means you have stronger fraud protection and a better chance of getting your money back if you lose your credit card or it’s stolen, or if someone gets ahold of your credit card number. It’s also easier to trace credit card transactions online.
• Be wary of package delivery messages. This is a common scam that may include random text messages and emails that alert you of delivery updates. Scammers will include a link in those messages that will most likely infect your device. Instead, visit the shipper’s website to verify any shipping updates.
• Never give out your personal information unless you initiate contact with a company.
• Check your bank account and credit card statements regularly for any suspicious activity. If you have been a victim of identity theft, you can file a report with the Illinois Attorney General’s Office or the Federal Trade Commission and/or place a fraud alert or credit freeze with one of the< three credit bureaus: Experian, Equifax or Transunion.

Comptroller Mendoza adds, “This time of year is stressful enough, so don’t overburden yourself with a lot of debt or fall victim to an email, text or phone scam.”

***For more holiday shopping tips and a closer look at what drives people to make the purchases they do, check out the latest edition of the Mendoza Podcast: Mind Over Markdown – The psychology of shopping, focusing on behavioral economics and Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales: YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts.?