Issue #68: I’d like to speak to the (password) manager

Money
Dollar Scholar
Sponsored by Haven Life
Hi y’all —

The other day I was browsing Good Reads when I discovered what sounded like the perfect book for me. It was titled
Grace and the Fever, and as I skimmed the summary I couldn’t believe I hadn’t found it sooner:

“In middle school, everyone was a Fever Dream fan. Now, a few weeks after her high school graduation, Grace Thomas sometimes feels like the only one who never moved on ... Then, one summer night, the unthinkable happens: Grace meets her idol, Jes. What starts out as an elusive glimpse of Fever Dream's world turns into an unlikely romance, and leads her to confront dark, complex truths about herself and the realities of stardom.”

My YA-loving, boy band-obsessed heart leapt as I bought the $10.99 Kindle version and eagerly began reading. The first couple pages felt eerily similar, but I chalked it up to the genre (and, uh, the fact that I’ve consumed a LOT of fan fiction).

But a couple of chapters later, it dawned on me. There was a reason this book sounded so great to me — I’d already read it. Years ago. I had simply forgotten.

Clearly, my memory can be bad, and it has the unfortunate side effect of meaning my online accounts also aren’t very secure. I’m straight-up unable to remember complicated passwords. We’ve talked before about
expert-approved tools that create/store/fill in super-secure passwords, but I’m wondering whether I should take it to the next level.

Do I need to pay for a password manager?

I called Dave Hatter, a cybersecurity consultant with
Intrust IT in Cincinnati, to get the lowdown on password managers. He said he's fond of highly rated tools like LastPass, Dashlane and Keeper.

“I feel pretty safe recommending to anyone check out any of those three,” he says. “Whether you should pay or not depends on what you’re trying to accomplish.”

All three of those brands have free options that provide customers with a virtual password vault. They also all have staggered membership tiers with premium features like dark web monitoring, syncing across devices and tech support. Costs vary — Keeper has options that cost $2.91, $4.87 and $6.01 per month, while Dashlane offers $4.99 and $9.99 monthly levels.

LastPass is Hatter’s personal favorite, though. And he told me the free version “is an amazingly good fit for most people who just need a secure password manager.”
Twitter

Luckily for my budget, there’s no big correlation between fees and security here. When paying for a
password manager, “you’re not really getting safer — you’re just getting more advanced features, more options,” Hatter adds.

Paying might be worth it, of course, if I felt I needed emergency access or encrypted file storage. But I don’t deal in sensitive state secrets — I can’t even manage to download books I haven’t read before — so the free version probably does what I need.

From there, the hurdle is coming up with a master password to unlock the manager. It must be something I can remember but others can’t guess.

Hatter said that password guidance used to suggest more complicated, mumbo-jumbo passwords were better. But a couple of years ago, the National Institute of Standards and Technology
changed its best practices. Now, it’s generally thought that a coherent passphrase is the way to go. (Lengthy passwords, especially with special characters, take longer for brute-force hackers to crack.)

To make this master password, Hatter recommended I start by writing out a passphrase that I’d know but nobody else would. For example, ilovenickjoekevinjonas won’t work — I talk about them too often for it to be secret. But something like mintchocolatechipismyfavoritetypeoficecream would.

Next, he said I should mix it up with symbols and punctuation. Maybe mintchocolatechipismyfavoritetypeoficecream becomes m1ntchoc0latechipismyf@voritetyp3oficecre4m!

“It’s still easy to remember, but someone would have to know which characters you replaced
and get the whole phrase right to get in,” Hatter says.

Note that this phrase theory doesn’t apply to the individual sites I keep within LastPass. LastPass will come up with, store and fill crazy-complicated passwords for those for me. We’re only talking about the master password.

It’s worth taking the time to make sure it’s secure because if someone guesses it, “they have the keys to my entire kingdom,” he adds.
THE BOTTOM LINE
(but please don't tell me you scrolled past all of my hard work)
For my purposes, a free password manager will do just fine. There’s no need to pay to upgrade unless I need special features.

Hatter said I should compare LastPass, Dashlane and Keeper and see which appears like it’d work best for me. No matter which I choose, I’ll need to think hard about a good master password. If I combine a long, number-studded, unguessable passphrase with multifactor authentication, I should be good to go.
Mr. Robot
via GIPHY
SOMETHING IMPORTANT YOU CAN ACCOMPLISH FROM YOUR COUCH
Sponsored by Haven Life
Today we're going to share with you the secret of life... insurance. Or, more specifically, how to buy up to $3 million of affordable term coverage issued by MassMutual without leaving your couch. Check out Haven Life — they're an online insurance agency that has taken the application experience, put it online and made it enjoyable. Yes, enjoyable.


Haven Term is a Term Life Insurance Policy (DTC and ICC17DTC in certain states, including NC) issued by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual), Springfield, MA 01111-0001 and offered exclusively through Haven Life Insurance Agency, LLC. Policy and rider form numbers and features may vary by state and may not be available in all states. In NY, Haven Term is DTC-NY. In CA, Haven Term is DTC-CA. Our Agency license number in California is OK71922 and in Arkansas, 100139527.
RECEIPT OF THE WEEK
check out this crazy celebrity purchase
Jon Lester
via Twitter
Baseball player Jon Lester ran up a colossal bar tab last weekend when he bought Miller Lite to thank his supporters. In all, the pitcher purchased 4,838 beers and spent $47,094.90 at four Chicago bars. (You can see the receipts on his Twitter.) Lester also tipped 34%, his uniform number, making this a home run for bartenders and Cubs fans alike.
INTERNET GOLD
five things I'm loving online right now
1 I love this MEL Magazine piece in support of “normal” gossip — trivial news or overheard conversations about things that don’t concern you. “Eavesdropping has always been one of life’s little joys; now it’s more concentrated, more potent,” it reads. “A slice of someone’s experience outside your mental prison, served like an hors d’oeuvre.” Yum.
2 Can’t decide whether I am enamored with or terrified of these gigantic straw gorillas in Thailand.
3 Need some soothing music? Check out the replies to this tweet where people gave each other feel-good song recommendations. Might I suggest “This Year” by The Mountain Goats?
4 Do yourself a favor and visit the subreddit /r/TruckerCats, which — as you might guess — is filled with photos of pet cats truckers have taken with them on the road. Come for the pics of kittens lounging in the sun, stay for the posts imagining what it’d be like if the animals themselves took the wheel.
5 Did you guys know there’s a mineral that looks just like tiny grapes?
401(K)ITTY CONTRIBUTION
send me cute pictures of your pets, please
Johnny
via Roy Roddey
Meet Johnny, a cat who uses a free passfurd manager for all of his pawsonal information.
I’m going to attempt to find an actually NEW book to read. Wish me luck.

See you next week.

Julia

P.S. You guys are well aware of the dangers of shopping online — particularly Scholar Jenna, who told me the biggest threat to her wallet is her TikTok habit. She's bought a fancy water bottle, tie-dye sweats and a puffer coat so far, which is relatable. I also got some real nice feedback from Scholars Garey and Kakoli.

P.P.S. Do you use a password manager? Do you think those straw gorillas are scary? Do you have any hot gossip you can share with your favorite Dollar Scholar? Give me the tea at julia.glum@money.com or @SuperJulia on Twitter. I may feature your reply in a future issue!
This newsletter is free because Money earns a commission when you click or make purchases from the links in this email and on our site. We also receive compensation for some of the products and services featured in this message. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Learn more about how we make money.

Privacy Policy Advertise With Us We're Hiring!

You can update your email preferences or unsubscribe by clicking here.

Copyright ©2020 Ad Practitioners, LLC. All rights reserved.

Metro Office Park Calle 1, Building 7 Suite 204, Guaynabo, 00968 Puerto Rico, USA

Older messages

3 Ways Joe Biden’s Victory Could Be a Lifeline for the Unemployed

Friday, November 13, 2020

Daily Money Careers 3 Ways Joe Biden's Victory Could Be a Lifeline for the Unemployed Proposals include extending pandemic jobless benefits and supporting job sharing. Retirement Everything You

Meet the TikTok Influencer Whose Viral Videos Are Helping Gen Z Boost Its Credit

Friday, November 13, 2020

Daily Money Credit Cards Meet the TikTok Influencer Whose Viral Videos Are Helping Gen Z Boost Its Credit “Anyone who knows how to color can build great credit.” Credit Cards 7 Missed Bills and What

Lockdown Converted Many Americans Into Serious Savers. Now They Have Houses to Show for It

Wednesday, November 11, 2020

Daily Money Mortgages Lockdown Converted Many Americans Into Serious Savers. Now They Have Houses to Show for It More than a quarter of first-time homebuyers say saving a down payment was the most

Which Stocks Will Gain the Most from a Coronavirus Vaccine?

Tuesday, November 10, 2020

These cars are the most expensive to insure Retire with Money Fidelity When we get a coronavirus vaccine, will life go back to normal? Or has the pandemic created a new normal that will remain even

What Is Debt Consolidation?

Saturday, November 7, 2020

Daily Money Everyday Money What Is Debt Consolidation? And how such tools as loans and balance transfer credit cards can help you achieve it. Investing How to Invest in Index Funds Don't spend all

You Might Also Like

Cashless Chronicles? - Issue #461

Friday, March 29, 2024

The digital finance era unfolds, charting new paths for global economies. March 29, 2024 FinTech Weekly presents a panorama where each thread weaves into the broader narrative of digital finance's

🤝 Amazon doubled down on AI

Thursday, March 28, 2024

China's green energy goodies are too cheap for the US | Amazon doubled down on Anthropic | Finimize TOGETHER WITH Hi Reader, here's what you need to know for March 29th in 3:12 minutes. 🌞 As

🤝 Amazon doubled down on AI

Thursday, March 28, 2024

China's green energy goodies are too cheap for the US | Amazon doubled down on Anthropic | Finimize TOGETHER WITH Hi Reader, here's what you need to know for March 29th in 3:12 minutes. 🌞 As

China’s ‘lost decade’

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Bloomberg Evening Briefing View in browser Bloomberg Ray Dalio has a warning for China. The hedge fund titan says the country should cut its debt and ease monetary policy or face “a lost decade.” China

Looking to buy a home? Good news.

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Don't miss out on lower mortgage rates ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌

This woman made investing history

Thursday, March 28, 2024

And so can you. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

The Simple Solution Worth Billions to Walmart and Amazon

Thursday, March 28, 2024

The following is a third-party sponsored message. It should not be considered a recommendation or endorsement by HS Dent Publishing. Dear Investor, In warfighting, there's a saying: "Amateurs

Markup matters: monetary policy works through aspirations

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Tim Willems and Rick van der Ploeg Since the post-Covid rise in inflation has been accompanied by strong wage growth, interactions between wage and price-setters, each wishing to attain a certain

🇯🇵 Japan's latest low

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Visa and Mastercard cut merchants some slack | Japan's yen hit a 30-year low against the US dollar | Finimize TOGETHER WITH Hi Reader, here's what you need to know for March 28th in 3:14

‘Out of the blue’ correction

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Bloomberg Evening Briefing View in browser Bloomberg With a number of market watchers warning of a bubble, traders are increasingly on the lookout for signs of the cliff's edge. But if you ask