Anne's Blog

Identity theft is continuing to skyrocket thanks to the proliferation of online shopping and the sharing of personal information with companies and financial institutions alike. In fact, hundreds of millions of people have had their data stolen. This can occur through massive breaches of banks, stores and other businesses, or a dishonest person can misuse data that was disclosed on medical forms, employment records or other documents.

Identity theft can be devastating. Thieves can open fraudulent accounts, make purchases with existing accounts, or empty bank accounts altogether. Victims often dont realize there’s a problem until criminals have been misusing their accounts for weeks or longer.

Call Your Creditors
If you notice an unauthorized charge on a credit card, contact the bank immediately to dispute it. Its possible that someone made a mistake, but there’s also a good chance that your identity has been stolen. Check your other accounts for fraudulent activity, as well.

If you think your identity has been stolen, close the compromised account and all others (even if you dont have any specific reason to think they were compromised), and open new accounts with different account numbers. It will be a hassle, but it will prevent any other fraudulent transactions and damage to your credit score.

Check and Monitor Your Credit Reports
An identity thief may have used your information to open new accounts in your name. Request copies of your credit reports from all three bureaus and look for any accounts you dont recognize.

Notify the credit bureaus of the suspected identity theft and place a fraud alert on your report. If someone tries to open a new account in your name, the application will be flagged and the creditor will contact you to verify that you made the request. Another option is to freeze your credit, which would stop credit bureaus from sharing your information at all. Keep in mind that this would make it harder for you to open credit cards and to obtain loans if you need them.

If your identity was stolen as a result of a data breach, the company whose records were compromised may offer you free credit monitoring, which can help you spot any suspicious activity and provide you with peace of mind. If you haven’t been offered free credit monitoring, you can sign up online for a monthly fee.

Notify the Authorities
Contact the Federal Trade Commission to file a report and receive helpful advice. Your local police department might be able to help if your identity was stolen in your town. If you think it was stolen somewhere else, you can file a police report in that jurisdiction. Unfortunately, identity thieves operate all over the world and are often not caught.

Be Vigilant
If you suspect that your identity has been stolen, act immediately. Contact your creditors, check your credit reports and report the crime to the authorities. You should also check your credit report at least once a year and monitor monthly financial statements to catch any suspicious activity as quickly as possible.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

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First, establish eye level, which in most houses is 57 to 60 inches from the floor.

The center of the picture should be at this point.

Second, consider your space. Is your artwork landscape or portrait?

Coordinate that with the space, or hang portraits side by side and landscapes one on top of the other.

Third, keep it neat.

If you’re creating a gallery wall, align them on a grid.

You can also begin with one in the center, and arrange outward.

Above all, look for symmetry. It’s important that everything is even throughout your home.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

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Auto insurance rates typically rise for senior citizens, who can be more accident-prone than they were in middle age with slower reflexes, changes in hearing or vision, and health conditions that can make driving difficult.

Older drivers are also more likely to die or suffer worse injuries in auto accidents than younger people, requiring expensive treatment. That can lead to higher costs for insurers, which are passed on to drivers.

Senior drivers can lower their auto insurance costs in a few ways:

Take a class: Many states require discounts for completing a driver safety course. AARP offers many of these classes, which can reduce premiums by 5-15 percent.

Pay as you go: Seniors can save up to 40 percent by using pay-as-you-go insurance programs where a device is installed on their car to record mileage and driving habits. Speed, braking tendencies and acceleration are collected and people who drive safely can have lower insurance premiums.

Drive less: Chances are youre no longer commuting if youre a senior driver, so be sure to alert your insurance company to your annual mileage change. Driving about 7,500 miles per year or so can save about 10 percent on insurance. A device tracking your mileage can tell your insurer how few miles youre driving.

Less coverage: If you go to a second home for the winter and leave your car at your primary home, ask your insurance company if it offers parked vehicle or snowbird coverage during the months youre not using your car.

Get a safer car: If youre thinking of buying a new car, you can save on insurance if it has the latest safety features. Rearview cameras, lane drift warnings, collision warning systems, parking assist, among others that arent even on the market yet, can lower insurance rates.

Group discounts: Groups such as AARP have promotional pricing, called an affinity discount. If youre a retired teacher or government worker, for example, your union may have a group discount for members.

Stop driving: This is an extreme way to save money, but if your auto insurance rates are high because you have a poor driving record, it may be time to stop driving entirely.

AARP says that some of the signs that youre having difficulty driving include frequent close calls, dents or scrapes on your car, getting lost in familiar locations, trouble seeing or following traffic signals or signs, confusing the gas and brake pedals, misjudging gaps in traffic at intersections, and having difficulty turning around to check the rear-view mirror while back up or changing lanes.

Hope these tips proved useful! Feel free to contact me for more information.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

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Keeping track of every single dollar you spend can be difficult, no matter how closely you track your spending and monitor your bank accounts. Automatic payments from your checking account to pay for a gym membership, for example, can be forgotten and leave a checkbook unbalanced.

But besides accounting for where your money goes, there are some invisible money leaks that you may not be paying attention to that can add up to wasted money. Here are four:

Unused memberships and subscriptions
A gym membership is a common example of an automatic payment that gets forgotten and is rarely used. But other things can crop up too.

An annual renewal for a magazine you no longer read, a razor subscription and a monthly subscription to a premier cable TV channel that you rarely view are some things that can drain your bank account without you realizing it.

Bank fees
The average overdraft fee at a bank is $30, up 50 percent from $20 in 2000, according to research by Moebs Services, a research firm that focuses on financial institutions. Fees at credit unions are also high, with the average overdraft fee almost doubling during that same period to $29.

Banks used to automatically enroll customers with overdraft protection " which covers a transaction through a debit card or check if the account doesnt have enough money.

The Overdraft Protection Law of 2013 changed that, requiring banks to ask customers if they want to opt in for the coverage. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau found in 2014 that opted-in customers paid seven times more in overdraft and nonsufficient-funds fees than those who hadnt opted in.

Price creep
If youve ever bought a low, introductory offer on cable TV or internet service, or signed up for a new credit card, chances are youve been the victim of price creep.

After a year of service, the monthly fee rises. With a credit card, an annual fee may be charged after no fee for the first year.

These price creeps can catch you off guard, and you may not notice them on your monthly bill when youre no longer a new customer. Call the company that raised its fees and ask if it has a new deal available.

Wasted food
From grocery stores to restaurants, Americans buy food that they dont eat. The National Resources Defense Council found that Americans waste 40 percent of their food purchases, an average of $2,000 per year, per household.

Meal planning and only buying and cooking food youll eat can cut down on that money leak.

Every bit counts when fixing invisible money leaks. With some persistence and looking in the right places, that invisible money will soon be an expense youll notice and can do something about.

Contact me for more insights and info!

Published with permission from RISMedia.

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