A major identity theft study that comes out every year around this time suggests we are making progress in fighting this crime. The report from Javelin Strategy and Research shows slight decreases in the number of U.S. victims between 2005 and 2006 (8.9 million down to 8.4) and total fraud losses ($56 billion down to $49 billion). Those are not huge drops by any means, but it's significant because for years ID theft has been called the nation's fastest growing crime. For this progress, Javelin cites wiser consumers and security improvements at banks and credit card companies.

Still, don't let your guard down on ID theft. We have lots of tips for you.