| |
| |
|
Credit Information |
|
|
|
10 Ways To Protect Your Financial Identity Being Used For Someone Else's Shopping Spree
Someone impersonating you could be spending your hard-earned money. Impossible! Not really, check, loan, and identity fraud are a real problem. In 2002, the federal trade commission estimated that identity fraud affected and estimated 3.3 million Americans; costing consumers $3.8 billion and business $32.9 billion. Here are 10 ways to protect yourself from having your financial identity used for someone else's shopping spree: 1. Order your credit report once a year from each of the three credit bureaus to make sure that you are familiar with all of the reported transactions and that there isn't any unusual activity. Call (888) 5OPT-OUT to request to have your name removed from their marketing lists. 2. Cancel all unused credit card accounts, and make sure to keep a copy of your credit cards and the toll free contact numbers so you can report the card number immediately if it is lost or stolen. 3. Don't carry extra credit cards, your social security card or passports in the same wallet except when completely unavoidable. 4. Install a locked mailbox at your office or home to keep people from snatching your mail. Don't drop paid bills in the mailbox; take them to the post office to be mailed. 5. Ask your bank about its privacy policies and information practices. Find out the circumstances under which your bank would provide your account information to a third party. 6. Always save your credit card receipts to match against your monthly statement. Keep track of when your cards expire to make sure your new card arrives in the mail. 7. Never have your social Security number printed on your checks. Never put your account information on the outside of an envelope or on a postcard. Give your Social Security number only when absolutely necessary. Ask if you can use another type of identifying number whenever possible. 8. Review your phone bills and cellular phone bills each moth for any unauthorized use. And compare your ATM receipts and cashed checks with your periodic bank statements to check for unauthorized transfers or charges. 9. When filling out a loan or credit application, ask how the company disposes of them. When you receive one of those pre approved credit card offers in the mail make sure to cut it in small pieces before throwing it away. 10. When creating passwords or Personal Identification Numbers (PIN) choose something different from your address, telephone number, middle name, the last four digits of your Social Security number, your birth date or any other information that could be easily discovered by thieves. Bonus- Always write checks using a fine point permanent marker and put a line before the written amount so that no one can add something in once you've written the check. Resources: Credit reporting bureaus: Eqifax- P.O. Box 740241 Atlanta GA 30374-0241. Experian- P.O. Box 2104 Allen TX 75013-2104 Trans Union- P.O. Box 390 Springfield PA 19064-0390. Check verification companies: To verify if there are any activities on your account from fraud contact these verification companies. CheckRite- 800-766-2748 Social Security Administration- About The Author ©BZ Riger-Hull. www.in-spiros.com. For valuable free articles, assessments, & practical success tools mailto:A1@smartautoresponder.com Certified as a Success Coach, "Four Agreements" Facilitator, & Tele-Course leader We help you communicate powerfully, reduce stress, Strategically Attract success, & increase your financial well-being. bz@in-spiros.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Credit - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
How Your Credit Rating Affects You, and How to Check It You might not know it, but every time you take out any kind of loan or credit or pay something back, it gets counted on your credit rating. Who keeps a record on you will vary according to where you live, but the big three credit reference agencies are Experian, Equifax and Trans Union. What You Need to Know About Credit Reports You hear people talk about credit reports all the time but do you know what they are really all about? Well, if you have ever been turned down when applying for a credit card or a loan it is high time you learned all about your credit report and how you can get it working for you instead of against you.Let's start off by explaining what your credit report actually is. Debit Card vs. Credit Card, What Are The Differences ? Ah, the "good old days". If you are a baby boomer, like me, then you probably remember how important it was to rush to the bank on payday. Which Credit Bureau Should I Use To Check My Credit Report? There are three main credit bureaus in the United States; Equifax, Experian and Trans Union. Each bureau collects your personal and financial information which is then sold to lenders such as banks, credit unions, credit card companies, mortgage and auto loan lenders. What You Need to Know About Interest Rates For all people shop around for the best rate, there are few who have taken the time to sit down and add it all up. After all, why would you bother? The answer is that understanding just how interest rates work can help you see how important small differences in rates and payment amounts can be. ChexSystems: Who They Are and How it Affects You ChexSystems is a company that maintains a subscriber membership service used in the banking industry. The members consist mainly of Banks, and Credit Unions, but can include other types of Financial Institutions. Various Types of Credit Cards - Part 2 Several different types of credit cards offer several different options, depending on what your needs are. Some are geared toward individual consumers while others are set up in ways that work best for small business needs. My Student Credit Card Adventure And some practical advice too!My first credit card?I remember my college days when it seemed there was a credit card advertisement on practically every bulletin board on campus. The banks would travel to the college and set up application booths on registration day. Credit Cards - A Blessing or a Curse? Owning a credit card can be quite an advantage. Whether making online purchases, booking an air ticket or a hotel room on the phone or simply being in need of some emergency cash, having a credit card can be a big help. 10 Signs You May Need Credit Counseling Debt management programs can be of real help for people that discover they cannot face their debts. At first, they will attempt to solve the situation all by themselves by cutting down on spending and keeping a close eye on accounts. Bailiffs & Council Tax - Knowing What To Do This article is about bailiffs who may call trying to collect Council Tax or Community Charge (Poll Tax) arrears. If a bailiff has contacted you to collect another sort of debt the law might be different. My Credit Card Application Was Rejected! Now What?!? No doubt, you've probably gotten literally hundreds of credit card applications in the mail and online, and each and every one of them has said that you've been "Pre-Approved".Of course it's natural that this would lead us to believe that the application process is simply a formality. What Are the Most Common Ways to Commit Identity Theft or Fraud? It's the number one source of consumer complaints at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and unfortunately, it's one of the simplest crimes to commit. Identity theft involves information from your daily life, from shopping, bill-paying, and even applying for a job. How Businesss Mess Up Their Credit Policies In "Become the Squeaky Wheel" a book recently published, Michelle Dunn demonstrates the major areas a business should focus on to ensure a satisfactory customer experience.One mistake business owners make is not having a credit policy in place when they open their business. The Exact Action To Take When You Find Errors In Your Credit Report There are times when you may be turned down for credit and you do not understand why.According to the Fair Credit Reporting Act you are entitled to a free copy of your credit report if you have been denied credit because of negative items on your credit report within 60 days of the request for credit, if you are unemployed but looking for work, are on state benefits, or believe that your credit report is incorrect because of fraud. Fair Isaac Corporation Credit or FICO Score As I am not from the US, I had no idea what FICO meant before researching it. FICO stands for Fair Isaac Corporation, a company based in California. Credit Counseling: Could it Work for Me? In the face of financial hardship, many seeking a responsible solution turn to credit counseling. Credit counseling is, all too often, the last stop before bankruptcy. Student Credit Cards 101 If you're a college student, you probably already have a credit card. If not, you may have plans to get one or more soon. How to Order the Right Credit Reports to Repair Your Own Credit In this week's article, I am going to offer some tips and insight regarding how to order the right credit reports needed to repair your credit.Believe it or not, a majority of the credit reports offered on the internet don't have the required information (File Number, Confirmation number, or Report number) needed to repair your own credit. Credit Verus Debt Secured and unsecured debt - what's the difference?It's easy to just think that debt is just debt, but in reality, there are different types of loans, and it's important to know what which type you have.You will need to understand the differences in order to be a good money manager, or, if the worse happens and you find yourself turning to credit or debt counseling, you'll need to understand how different types of debt can be handled.
|
| Good Credit Loans | home | site map | School Bus Clothing | Florida Pool Heating |
| © 2006 |
