By Voung H.
Voung oversees AML/BSA, fraud prevention, and sanctions compliance and is responsible for building data-driven controls and partners across the FIGFCU to safeguard Members and stop emerging threats.
Summary
- Changing your PIN regularly is a simple security habit that can help protect your money
- Experts advise changing your PIN every 3 to 6 months
- A strong PIN is long, avoids obvious number patterns, doesn’t re-use PINs, is memorable without being meaningful
What’s the personal identification number (PIN) for your bank or credit union? We bet it immediately popped into your head. And we hope you didn’t say it out loud. For debit cards, ATMs, phone banking, and sometimes person-to-person transfers, a PIN authorizes movement of real funds—in real time. Changing your FIGFCU PIN regularly is one of the simplest, yet most impactful, security habits you can adopt.
Why regularly changing your PIN matters.
- Limits hidden exposure if compromised. Card skimmers, keypad overlays, and shoulder-surfing from people in line don’t always leave clues. If a bad actor captured your PIN last month, changing it today makes that PIN being used to access your accounts unusable.
- Reduces exposure after data leaks. Even when institutions store PINs securely, criminals constantly try to correlate partial data from multiple sources. Shortening the “useful life” of your PIN lowers their odds.
- Breaks predictable patterns. Many people choose birthdays, addresses, or simple sequences. Regularly changing your PIN is a built-in reset that helps you move away from predictable numbers.
- Offsets crowded environments. PIN entries in crowded places—such as travel hubs like airports, conferences, and busy retail—carry a higher risk. Regular changes offset those moments when privacy isn’t perfect.
How often should you change your PIN?
A good target is every 3–6 months, with immediate changes after:
- Travel (especially international)
- Card loss, temporary misplacement, or replacement
- Fraud alerts or unusual account activity
- Using an unfamiliar ATM or finding anything “loose” on a machine
- Sharing your PIN under pressure (e.g., emergency) or even hinting at it
However, some argue that assuming you have a strong password, there may not be a need to change it as frequently as every 3–6 months, as it could lead to creating new passwords that are only slight variations of the previous PIN. Pick a schedule you’ll follow and avoid minor, guessable variations of older PINs.
What makes a strong PIN?
- Avoid the obvious. Skip birthdays, anniversaries, and addresses, repeating digits (1111), or walking patterns (2580).
- Go beyond four digits if supported. Six-digit PINs are significantly harder to solve through trial and error until one works; digitally, this is known as a brute force attack.
- Do not reuse PINs, ever. Each card or account deserves its own PIN—don’t recycle a phone passcode or door code.
- Make your PIN memorable without being meaningful. Use a mental rule that only you know. Example: Take the last two digits of four memorable—but unrelated—numbers (e.g., your first car’s model year + a sports jersey + a random page number + an old locker number). Jumble the order and you’ve got a durable, non-obvious PIN.
Smart usage tips.
- Cover the keypad: Even at familiar ATMs and point-of-sale terminals.
- Inspect the machine: If the card slot or keypad feels loose, don’t use it. Choose in-branch or well-lit locations.
- Enable alerts: Turn on real-time notifications for withdrawals, card-present transactions, and PIN changes.
- Lock your card when not in use: Many financial institutions, including FIGFCU, allow you to temporarily lock your debit card in their app.
- Don’t store it in your phone’s contacts or notes: Use a reputable password manager that supports secure, offline notes protected by biometrics.
- Set a SIM PIN, too: This protects text-based verification if your phone is stolen.
How to change your PIN in Tulee.
If you have a Credit Union Debit or Credit Card, changing your PIN in Tulee is easy. Here’s how:
- Open Tulee, our digital banking platform, and sign in.
- Tap “Card Controls,”
- Tap “Change PIN” and follow the prompts.
Review the how-to video to learn more about all the things you can do with the Card Controls Tool.
Final thoughts.
You can update your PIN through our mobile app (Tulee), by phone (call us at 800.877.2345), or in-branch.
Build the rotation into your calendar—tie it to quarterly tasks, such as checking credit reports or doing a budget review. It takes a minute, and the payoff is huge: fewer sleepless nights, stronger account hygiene, and a safer financial life.
Rotate your PIN regularly, treat it like cash, and pair the habit with alerts and card locks. Small habits, big protection.
