securing my wallet and crypto currencies for dummies.

[Eram]

Good day all,

I am new to crypto currencies and I find all the info on this forum and other places a bit overwhelming.
I'd like to find some information that is suitable for dummies like me to educate myself on these currencies and in specific how I can safely buy, trade and store these.

I have just bought some exercise bitcoin and ehtereum and I am quite sure that I don't know what I'm doing at the moment.
Some advice on what information I need to secure and how to do it would be deeply appreciated.

Here's the situation:
I have bought my bitcoin and ethereum through a website named: btcdirect.eu
I ended up with a wallet on blockchain.info for my bitcoin currency and a wallet on myetherwallet.com for my ethereum currency.
Both wallets had different sets of security keys/passwords etc attached to them.
For now, I have printed out on paper about all the numbers, keys, security questions etc that came across.

My questions are:
- what information do I need to store exactly for each wallet to make sure that I can access them when I want to?
- Are there other ways to save this wallet?  Meaning:  could I also choose to get that wallet out of that website and on my computer for instance?
- These website,  are they like exchange platforms,    the ones that I keep hearing warnings about for they would be at risk for hackers etc?
- What is the safest way to store these wallets?
- For my bitcoin wallet, to enter it on blockchain.info, they send an verification link to my e-mail. If I ever loose access to my e-mail,  will I then forever loose access to my bitcoin wallet?

Thanks in advance! 

[picorino]

Blockchain is pretty good online service . For more security there are offline wallets ,hardware wallets or paper wallets . (Google about them )

Blockchain offers a security option with some code you create through words . Go to security and follow the instructions. If you lose your Accra to the mail the communicate with them and you will find a solution .

[Velkro]

My questions are:
- what information do I need to store exactly for each wallet to make sure that I can access them when I want to?
- Are there other ways to save this wallet?  Meaning:  could I also choose to get that wallet out of that website and on my computer for instance?
- These website,  are they like exchange platforms,    the ones that I keep hearing warnings about for they would be at risk for hackers etc?
- What is the safest way to store these wallets?
- For my bitcoin wallet, to enter it on blockchain.info, they send an verification link to my e-mail. If I ever loose access to my e-mail,  will I then forever loose access to my bitcoin wallet?

Thanks in advance! 

Respectively:
- private key, its literally key to your coins. In ase of HD wallets secret phrase
- you should, not if you can, online services can dissapear overnight with your coins
- use only well known bitcoin services with several years of history and opinions of users, its best bet
- paper wallet is a way to go, but its kinda pain to use (many steps), use software desktop wallet
- you can loose ur bitcoins if you loose access to your email, make sure your email have two factor authentication enabled, enable it everywhere

[Lauda]

Blockchain is pretty good online service .

No. That is a horrible wallet.

Blockchain offers a security option with some code you create through words . Go to security and follow the instructions. If you lose your Accra to the mail the communicate with them and you will find a solution .

No. Ignore this user as he does not know what he's talking about. Web wallets are horrible. Avoid using them wherever possible.

- what information do I need to store exactly for each wallet to make sure that I can access them when I want to?

The private keys or the mnemonic seed.

- Are there other ways to save this wallet?  Meaning:  could I also choose to get that wallet out of that website and on my computer for instance?

Do not use web wallets. Use desktop wallets.

- These website,  are they like exchange platforms,    the ones that I keep hearing warnings about for they would be at risk for hackers etc?

Yes.

- What is the safest way to store these wallets?

There is arguably no "the safest way"; there are several very safe ways. Anyone who tells you otherwise, or recommends web or mobile wallets should be ignored. A pretty safe way is to store it on a device (e.g. laptop) that is not used for anything else and does not have a connection to the internet.

- For my bitcoin wallet, to enter it on blockchain.info, they send an verification link to my e-mail. If I ever loose access to my e-mail,  will I then forever loose access to my bitcoin wallet?

Possibly. Do not use blockchain.info.
Just read this thread: [General] Bitcoin Wallets - Which, what, why?.

[Jayshree85]

The best and safest way of securing the bitcoin wallet is to use the desktop wallet like Electrum, which is very safest and light weight, you dont have to download full node, when you install they will give you passphrase key just you have to secure that passphrase key and any where you can download the software and upload it using passphrase key and immediately you can use it. about other currency that you have to check it according to their own wallets.

[Mitchell]

Please read [General] Bitcoin Wallets - Which, what, why? and ask any question there. General threads are meant to be used as an overview of useful information and to prevent unnecessary duplicate threads within the section.