I use something like xkcd suggests, but with some additional rules - usually around 20 to 25 chars for anything I have to type (e.g. log onto works PC) and is important

Use a password manager such as
https://www.roboform.com/
Print off a list once a quarter

Change financial passwords regularly

Ensure passwords are long and strong and don't try to devise a system to create and remember

The advice about nonsense answers for your mother's maiden name is sound. So long as you keep a note of each of them in your password manager

The one thing that is puzzling me is why the OP needed to ask others about the strategies they use for passwords in the first place.
A PW is supposed to be kept secret and so is the method used to create it.
For example just by reading all the above posts a lot of people are telling one other how they create a PW.
My question to the OP is why do you need this info.?
One other thing, by using a third party app or exe program to generate a PW seems wrong to me because what is to stop the third party from knowing every PW generated by there program.?
I am a programmer [ that is supposed to be typed with one "m" but the spell checker gives it 2] and could write a PW generating tool.

Edited by deleted (Fri 18-Nov-16 22:20:53)

IMHO, Quite sensible to find out how others approach the problem. I improved one of my passwords after reading this thread.

In reply to a post by Michael_Chare:

IMHO, Quite sensible to find out how others approach the problem. I improved one of my passwords after reading this thread.

I agree it could be helpful but just thought that PW`s were a rather private thing.
No offence mean`t.

I have found that I am not the only one whose mother has had many maiden names

In reply to a post by Michael_Chare:

I have found that I am not the only one whose mother has had many maiden names

LOL!.