Stimulus Checks in the Mail
As soon as next week the economic stimulus plan checks will be pouring into bank accounts and household mailboxes. To learn more about the stimulus plan and when to expect a check (it’s ordered by the last two digits of your Social Security Number), read a CNN Money article about the plan here.
Unfortunately you won’t [...]
Phishing Scam Goes Elite
There’s an email scam out online attempting to reel in the nation’s top executives:
Thousands of high-ranking executives across the country have been receiving e-mail messages this week that appear to be official subpoenas from the United States District Court in San Diego. Each message includes the executive’s name, company and phone number, and commands the [...]
April Fools!
By now you’ve probably heard about all those April Fools jokes Google is playing today (rickrolling on YouTube, anyone?)!
But some Internet hoaxes just aren’t funny, especially identity theft and phishing scams. If you have become or think you’re a victim of an identity theft crimes, here are some tips to help you through:
1. Contact your [...]
Open Sesame!
Your personal and financial information is only as strong as your passwords.
We’ve written about this on the blog before here and here but the best passwords include numbers, letters and symbols (i.e. 5RT!sm345@). Why? Because these take much longer to hack.
Lifehacker, a personal productivity blog, has also just reviewed a free online tool called The [...]
Spring Cleaning Series: Day #2
Welcome back! It’s Day 2 of our week-long spring cleaning series. (Read Day #1 here!)
Spring cleaning can be a lot more than just cleaning out closets and putting winter items away: how about “cleaning” and organizing your financial house as well!
Pick a topic below and get started!
Insurance
Having adequate coverage is key, just in case the [...]
Stolen Mail: Advice from USPS
Conveniently, after writing yesterday’s blog entry on Stolen Mail, I arrived home to find a friendly letter from our Postmaster General, John E. Potter. I’m sure many of you have received a similar letter.
Mr. Potter wrote to alert us all to the possibility of mail theft: “While I’m pleased that in a recent Federal Trade [...]
Real Life: Stolen Mail
One of my favorite bloggers, J.D. over at Get Rich Slowly, had some of his mail stolen last week.
His top tip? Tell your mail carrier - they can help you with the recovery steps you’ll need to take.
Thinking about doing your taxes? Remember tax season is prime time for identity thieves. Instead mail your forms [...]
Top Ten Phone Numbers to Have…Just In Case!
Bloggers Marc and Angel have a list of the top ten phone numbers you should have in your cell phone just in case. You just never know when you might need them!
10 Handy Numbers to Save in Your Mobile Phone [Marc and Angel via Lifehacker]
Also, this brings to mind another blog post from a while [...]
Save Money and Plan for the Unexpected
One of my favorite bloggers, Trent of The Simple Dollar, has a great list of 100 little steps you can take to save money. I listed my favorite six tips here - visit his site for the rest!
Car Maintenance
24. Clean your car’s air filter. A clean air filter can improve your gas mileage by [...]
Podcast:What to Do With New and Old Tax Forms
It’s tax time! This is the time of year when W-2s and all those fun forms start pouring into your mailbox.
If you’re expecting information-sensitive documents or are carrying important forms around, be careful! You certainly don’t want that information falling into the wrong hands.
In our latest podcast, Beth Givens, the director of the Prviacy Rights [...]