Well, this week I couldn't resist adding my voice to those offering comfort. While no one can say for sure what will happen - and small problems will likely occur - companies have too big a stake in making this date change work not to have fixed potential problems by now. But, it's the possibility of those "small problems" that makes some preparation on your part a less than paranoid move.
Here's a rundown of some of the small steps you can take between now and January 1 that can help assure you ride out any trouble spots comfortably. Many of these are listed on the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.'s (FDIC's) Y2K list of things to do (http://www.fdic.gov), so head over these if you want more on the topic.
Step 1 - Withdraw SOME extra money A sum of one to two weeks' worth of spending money should be fine; anything more than that is overkill. It's also a dangerous move that could make you the target of an alert thief. And, considering that the government is printing up billions in extra currency to help out Y2K-wary customers, you should be in good shape. As an extra measure of comfort, some banks will stay open New Year's Day.
Step 2 - Keep records Just in case a computer does go haywire somewhere, it's a good idea to keep several months' worth of hard copies (including any Internet transactions) of any financial records such as bank sand mutual fund statements, credit card reports, and mortgage records. There's some concern that some Y2k-related problems (however small) may not pop up until later in the year, so this recordkeeping is a good safeguard against later trouble.
Step 3 - Have a credit report on hand While the major credit-tracking agencies have assured the public of their Y2k preparedness, let-s face it - these places have made some odd mistakes on a normal day (trust me), so ordering your credit report now isn't a bad idea. You can order copies from one or all of the "big three" agencies for a small fee: Equifax (http://www.equifax.com), Trans Union (http://www.transunion.com/Consumer), or Experian (http://www.experian.com).
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