It’s a serious crime that’s getting worse. Identity thieves are stealing people’s lives for their personal gain. Victims can suffer more than a hit to their wallet. They can have their credit score plunge with all sorts of devastating consequences.

During a TODAY Money web chat on Wednesday, Adam Levin, CEO and co-founder of Identity Theft 911 answered a variety of questions on this subject. We started with why things keep getting worse.

Adam Levin: ID theft is increasing because people over-share information on social networking sites, don’t encrypt their computers and smartphones, provide information to people they don’t know, are on databases that have been improperly accessed because government or corporate databases are not properly secured or employees click on the wrong attachment sent in a phishing email and release malware into their computers which permits unauthorized access to a hacker.

TODAY: Clearly, there’s nothing that can guarantee that someone won’t be the victim of identity theft, but there are things we can all do to improve the odds. Can you share a few tips with us?

Adam Levin: It is not preventable. There is simply too much information out there through consumer over-sharing, human error, breaches at all levels of government and business security lapses. So you need to look at the issue in three ways: 

1. Minimize your risk of exposure: Don't carry Social Security cards, don't carry your entire inventory of credit and debit cards, don't give information to people who call you - always return their call to the official number on the back of a credit or debit card, secure your computer and smartphone with the most advanced security software, shred everything in sight, never click on links that look unfamiliar, never click on pictures, never respond to charities that you don't check out

2. Engage in a culture of monitoring: Go to annualcreditreport.com, go to trusted sites where you can monitor your credit or scores free, check your bank and credit accounts daily, enroll in programs where your bank, credit union or credit card company alerts you to transactions in your accounts, enroll in credit and fraud monitoring programs if you like the price, and consider a credit freeze

3. Have a damage control program: Check with your insurance company, bank, credit union or employer if they have a program to help you through the problem. It might be free or available at minimal cost. Ask if you are enrolled, what is the cost and how you can get in.

Read the rest of the Q & A below:

For most of us, doing the income tax return is a major project. The laws are confusing and they keep changing all the time.

During a TODAY Money web chat on Wednesday, Mark Steber, Chief Tax Officer with Jackson Hewitt Tax Service, answered a variety of tax questions. 

Here's one that may affect you or someone in your family:

Andrew: I owe the IRS over $2,500 this year. And I simply don’t have the money. What should I do? File an extension? Ask for a payment plan? My wife and I are freaking out. Help!

Mark Steber: First, don’t freak out. There are many like you and much help is available. Second, do not simply file for an extension, as would not likely be valid with such a balance due. The extension would be invalid and the tax return late in addition to underpaid.

Having said all of that, there are options as you note. The IRS offers a pretty good payment plan option. The plan allows up to 72 months to pay your taxes. There is a fee of $105, $52 if you agree to electronic debit of your monthly payment.

Other considerations – as we noted earlier – include possibly using a credit card for short term financing.

Read the full Q & A below:

Yahoo's new CEO Marissa Mayer has taken a lot of heat for her ban on working from home. The lion's share of TODAY.com readers disagreed with her decision, too, but Kathie Lee thinks that much of the outcry has to to with the fact that Mayer is a woman. KLG said that radical decisions made by other executives haven't been met with as much resistance.

TODAY

"She's trying to get her ship in shape," said KLG, noting that the policy wouldn't be how she'd personally run things. She also pointed out that the value of the company's stock has increased since Mayer took over, and that it's important to give her credit as a leader.

Hoda said that employee happiness is important to consider, too, but that working from home is a potential sap on productivity. When she's home trying to work, Hoda admitted, "I watch soaps."

KLG agreed that it's better for some families to have the option to work from home, but that the job of a CEO is to think about the bottom line. "A lot of people work really hard… and I feel for everybody. But we live in a world where there's a system in place," she said.

"Let's talk about something trivial that doesn't matter," sighed Hoda, transitioning to a much more hard-hitting topic: Ben Affleck's newly shaved beard.

What do you think of the work-from-home debate? Vote here in our poll. 

Julieanne Smolinski is a TODAY contributor who is glad she never got into soaps.

More: Notable women who made the 2012 Forbes billionaire list
Shapewear win: KLG and Hoda meet Spanx founder

Scott Smith, Account Director Social@Ogilvy at the Ogilvy & Mather ad agency in Chicago

In all the Super Bowl ad "leaks" and "teasers" getting pushed out before the big game Sunday, the one thing that stands out is how many Super Bowl advertisers are trying to tap the power of social media to amplify their advertising dollars.

With all the hashtag fights, online voting, drawing script ideas from user tweets, fan videos and pictures making it into the Super Bowl ads, you start to wonder whether the ads during the game itself matter anymore. At an average of $3.7 million for a 30-second shot at fame, advertisers are putting earnest money down betting that they are. From the legendary Ogilvy & Mather ad agency, Scott Smith, Account Director at Social@Ogilvy, joined TODAY viewers in a live online chat to break it all down and share his top Super Bowl ad picks this year.

TODAY: Scott, this year advertisers seem to really be trying to push the social media component of their ads, although perhaps the key word is "trying." Is the attitude among Super Bowl advertisers 2013 "go viral or go home?"

SMITH:  In the same way that we saw the presidential election as the first real socially-driven election and the Olympics as the first socially-driven Olympics, the 2013 Super Bowl seems to be the first socially-driven Super Bowl.

Question from viewer Ken: Does previewing a full ad online before the game diminish the message of the ad?

SMITH: I don't think it diminishes the message. If anything, it gives the advertiser some immediate feedback they can use to inform their in-game social strategy.

Personal finance advice expert Hitha Prabhakar says the havoc wrought by the fiscal cliff on your tax prep is pretty minimal. More important is investing in a good pack folders you can get for just a few bucks.

Among the storm and thunder during the fiscal cliff wrangling was hand-wringing over how it might mess up all our taxes this year. People were worried that revised tax forms wouldn't get out in time and that the IRS might not even be able to collect taxes this year!

But in the final result, the biggest impact for regular Americans was the expiration of the Payroll Tax and if they were early filers, they would have to wait an extra week.

Personal finance advice expert Hitha Prabhakar joined us in a live online chat to help readers sort through the fiscal cliff aftermath, get their ducks in a row for tax prep time, and take a deep breath of relief.

TODAY: One of the many fiscal cliff fallouts was anxiety over what it would mean for tax time. Hitha, what's the biggest takeaway from that whole mess taxpayers should be thinking about as they get their forms together?

PRABHAKAR: I think the biggest take away regarding Fiscal Cliff with regard to 2013 taxes are two issues- the Payroll Tax and the Alternative Minimum Tax. Let's talk about the Payroll Tax first. Basically during the Fiscal Cliff negotiations, Congress decided NOT to renew a temporary payroll tax reduction. What that means for you is your paychecks are going to get a little smaller and will probably cost you close to $1,000 over the year.

Ben Popken

Steve Siebold says the secrets to wealth can be found within the pages of his book that he will sell to you.

The reason that the middle class stay in the middle instead of moving up in the world is because they're afraid of money, says multi-millionaire Steve Seibold.

He was teaching tennis lessons for a living and $50k in debt when he graduated college. Wanting to pull himself up, he began a 29-year journey of interviewing the rich and learning their secrets. What he says he found is that wealthy people fundamentally think about money differently than regular folk. The good news is that us common-born can change our station in life simply by changing the way we think about money, the premise of Siebold's new book, "How Rich People Think."

In our TODAY Money live chat, a reader asked Siebold how they as a recent college graduate should invest their $2,500 in savings.

SIEBOLD: I would invest the $2,500 in yourself through personal development. Read books by rich people, attend their seminars and study them like a scientist. That will prepare you to be rich.

TODAY: So the way to get rich is to pay rich people to tell you their secrets ... a little self-serving, no? In any event, what about the advantages the wealthy are typically born with, like an inheritance, higher education, and social connections. Don't those give them an insurmountable head start over the common born?

SIEBOLD: 2/3 of millionaires are self made, 1/3 are inherited, I interviewed the self made and anyone with a great idea can catch and pass them.

To make extra cash in 2013, CNBC's personal finance correspondent Sharon Epperson recommends using one of several innovative new sites for picking up work on the side.

A resolution on a lot of lists is to make more money this year. But how can you do it with the economy still tight and unemployment at 7.8 percent? New groundbreaking sites for getting your side hustle on are one solution CNBC's personal finance correspondent Sharon Epperson shared with us in a live online chat with TODAY Money readers.

TODAY: The big news that just happened is that finally, finally, the fiscal cliff has been averted. But average citizens didn't escape unscathed. Bottom line: how is the fiscal cliff fallout going to take a bite out of my wallet?

EPPERSON: The fiscal cliff has been averted, but the payroll tax holiday has gone away too. Payroll tax rate is 6.2 percent this year, up from 4.2 percent last year. That change may amount to about $1,000 for someone earning $50,000 a year.

CNBC's Sharon Epperson shares her savvy tips for making the holidays special while staying on budget.

Sharon Epperson, CNBC's personal finance correspondent, and author of The Big Payoff: 8 Steps Couples Can Take to Make the Most of Their Money--and Live Richly Ever After, joined us Thursday morning for a great live chat with TODAY Money fans on how to have a holiday blow-out without blowing your budget.

Q: In order to make Christmas happen for the kids this year I took out a new credit card and didn't tell my wife. I was hoping to pay it off secretly but I don't think my sales bonus is coming through as high as I thought. What do I do?

Epperson: You've got to tell her about the credit card! In a marriage, secrets when it comes to finances can be devastating to a relationship.

Big-box retailers are promising huge door-buster deals on big-screen TVs this holiday weekend. And, sure enough, the Black Friday TV bargains are out there.

But if you want a good deal on a big-brand television set, you may be better off waiting a month.

"The week before the Super Bowl is a great time for TV shopping," advised The ConsumerMan Herb Weisbaum.

Weisbaum joined  hundreds of anxious shoppers on our TODAY Live Chat on Wednesday to talk about Black Friday.

A few other ConsumerMan tips included in the chat:

• You can avoid the crowds by shopping online. More and more retailers are offering their door-buster deals to on the Internet.
• Store credit cards are usually not a good deal. Just say no to the sales pitch.
• Gift cards make a decent gift. Cash is better.
• Extended warranties are usually a waste of money
• Debit card vs. credit card? Don't use the debit card.
• Most of all, don't get caught up in the frenzy. It truly is the thought that counts!

You can read the full chat here.

Do you plan on fighting the crowds as America unofficially rings in the holiday shopping season this weekend? Will you be taking part on Cyber Monday, the biggest online shopping day of the year?

Join our live webchat with ConsumerMan Herb Weisbaum on Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. ET to discuss great deals and how to get them.

Before you head out and join the craziness, do your homework.

• Black Friday tips: How to snag door-buster deals
• Black Friday becomes Black Thursday as retailers expand holiday pie
• Black Friday diehards will do just about anything for a bargain
• Target, Wal-Mart, Kmart: Who has the best deal?
• 10 things not to buy on Black Friday
• Tips on how not ot bust your budget over the holidays
• Gift cards are popular, but beware of fees on some

msnbc.com

John Schoen will answer your questions about the fiscal cliff.

Stop! Wait! No! It's a "fiscal cliff," and the country is in danger of driving over it.

Yes, the term "fiscal cliff" has been in the news a lot lately, and you can be forgiven if you don't entirely know what it means. For starters, what's up with the name?

New York Magazine posted their own tongue-in-cheek Q&A to help clear up the confusion. It's called, "The Absolute Moron’s Guide to the Fiscal Cliff."

"Q: So, first things first: What is a “physical cliff”? 

A: It’s fiscal. As in, relating to government finances."

Ahh, that makes a lot more sense. Now why again is it such a big deal?

Fear not, this Wednesday from 12-1 p.m., economic reporter John Schoen will host a live chat to help explain it all. No matter how dumb you think your questions are, John will answer them. 

For homework, you may want to read these stories:

• Congressional deal on 'fiscal cliff' would water down deficit reduction 
• The biggest obstacle to tax reform? You are 
• Obama victory clouded by looming fiscal battle with Congress 

Dan Schawbel

It’s become a fact of job-hunting life. With more than 90 percent of recruiters now using social media to find job candidates, if you want to improve your job search, or your career, you’ll have to engage on social networking sites such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

But how do you engage exactly?

You have to be open to linking up with lots of people in your industry, stay professional, and not be afraid to put your cyber self out there, advised Dan Schawbel, social media guru and author of “Me 2.0: 4 Steps to Building Your Future” during our live web chat Wednesday.

“You should be on Facebook and LinkedIn to expand your opportunities,” he suggested to one reader.

For those who are reluctant to reach out to too many friends on social networking sites, he said, get over it.

One reader, Gib, asked: “I'm on LinkedIn but I'm very selective as to whom I link in with. What is your advice on ‘unlinking’ people you have linked with (or have linked with you.)”

To that Schawbel said:“I would accept everyone on LinkedIn because when you search, you have access to more people. Your network grows exponentially with every contact you add. If you only accept a few people, you close yourself off to opportunities.”

While going all in with social networking will be a boon for your job search, there are pitfalls job seekers have to consider, especially if they’re gainfully employed right now.

Taimour asked:

“How do I keep my job search active on LinkedIn without letting others (especially coworkers) knowing about. I have a lot of my contacts from work including my boss and his boss and just like I get updates when other people connect with recruiters etc on LinkedIn they may see the same for me.”

Generally, Schawbel said, no matter what you do to change you social networking privacy settings information can get out. “Think of everything you post as being public,” he explained. “You never know who has access to your profile so it's better to be careful about what you post. Employers tend to find ways around private profiles too.”

But he offered some specifics when it came to LinkedIn:

“You should change your LinkedIn settings so that your network can't see your connections and updates. This way, when you're updating your status or adding contacts, they won't be notified. I would also recommend that you do more private job searching by emailing hiring managers directly, finding their names through LinkedIn and their emails through a Google search.”

You can view a full transcript of the web chat Q&A here: