Ten Tips on Securing Your Identity (carpentry)

By Raul Levine

  Recent reports estimate that as many as one in ten of the population have been a victim of indentity theft, one of the fastest growing crimes of the last few years. By using a variety of means to usurp your identity and pass themselves off as you, the criminals involved go on to commit fraud and theft in your name - leaving you to pick up the pieces afterwards.

The effects on your credit rating can be devastating and often take years to completely fix, so prevention is obviously better than cure. Here are ten simple ways to help you avoid becoming a victim.

1: Be careful with your old documents such as paid bills, bank statements, and receipts. Either keep them safely stored or destroy them if you don’t need them anymore. Don’t just throw them away, as fraudsters often start stealing an identity by searching for these very kinds of documents in household waste. Shredding or burning unneeded papers will prevent this first step.

2: Store your personal documents securely by keeping them somewhere out of the sight of visitors to your home.

3: If you change your address, make sure that you inform your bank, utility companies, and everyone else who sends you mail. Documents wrongly sent to a previous address are a favourite target of fraudsters.

4: Make sure that when you stop using a credit card or bank account, you actually formally close the account rather than letting it go dormant. Having an unused, forgotten about account resurrected by a fraudster might not even be noticed until serious damage has been done.

5: Watch your plastic - make sure you know where your credit, debit and ATM cards are, and tell the issuing banks immediately if you lose them or they’re stolen.

6: If possible change your PIN numbers and passwords to something easily memorable, and NEVER write them down, especially not on scraps of paper kept in your purse or wallet.

7: Don’t respond to phishing. Banks will never ask you for personal details via email, and won’t ask you for the password to your account. You don’t need to ‘reconfirm’ your details following an email request either - just delete the email. If in any doubt at all, call your bank to make sure the request is genuine.

8: Use anti-virus software and firewall on your computer, especially if you use online banking of any kind. Keep the software up to date as well to guard against attempts by hackers to discover personal information on your computer.

9: Check your bank account and credit card statements carefully when you receive them, and query with your bank anything that you can’t identify. Spotting a fraud in progress early on will vastly help in minimising the damage it causes.

10: Finally, monitor your credit reports regularly to see if anything appears that seems odd, such as applications for credit cards that you didn’t make, or missed payments on finance that you haven’t taken out. Services are widely available online which can help you do this by automatically informing you when something on your file changes.

None of us can be 100% sure that we won’t fall victim to the crime of ID Theft, but by taking the measures listed above you’ll be making the job of any potential fraudster very difficult indeed, and they’re likely to move on to an easier target!

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What to Do and What to Avoid in Retirement Planning

By Raul Levine

  It is a well known fact that nothing is permanent in this world. Everything is ephemeral. That is why it is always best to have backups, especially financial ones, in case things go out of hand. Hence, a good financial planning for your retirement is the most feasible idea in order for you to save for the future.

DO’s

1. Do know what you are getting into

When making financial planning retirement, it is best to make sure if the management team of the company where you will invest your money is capable of providing you the necessary services that you need. Know how they are going to make money for you. Research the industry. Is it growing? What are the competitors like?

2. Do have an exit strategy

If you make your financial planning retirement, try to create an exit strategy as well. This is to safeguards you from any imminent problems that may arise. Remember that the liquidity of your investment is very important. So, before you start with your financial planning retirement, ask yourself: Can you easily convert it to cash when you need to get out or if something happens and you or your beneficiaries need it?

3. Do invest only in what you are comfortable with

Shop around and be proactive - don’t wait for an insurance company or retirement plan institution to appear at the last second. Even if a financial plan looks very attractive, if you do not understand it enough, or are not prepared to risk losing your money, do not put your money in it.

4. Do remember: nothing is sure in the world of investment

Until the matured money is actually in your pocket or is fully enjoyed by your beneficiaries, all projected returns are simply expectations. The important thing is to have a fallback and move forward. So, when making a financial planning retirement, keep in mind that it is not feasible to entirely depend on one financial institution. Look for more alternatives.

DON’Ts

1. Don’t buy into something just because everyone is

When making a financial planning retirement, do some independent research and analysis first; do not be swayed by what other people’s investment moves. Keep in mind that not all financial planning retirement packages are created equal; each plan has its own pros and cons. So, it is best that you know what will work on you when you make your very own financial planning retirement.

2. Don’t invest in the stock market

If you do not know your way around in the stock market, then do not put that on your list as you go along with your financial planning retirement. Stock markets can be a profitable retirement investment vehicle, but they tend to be a risky business. When you do your financial planning for retirement, keep in mind that it is not wise to gamble everything that you have, especially if the financial planning retirement scheme you are contemplating with is still unclear to you. At the very least, don’t put all your eggs in one basket, so to speak.

3. Do not borrow money just so you can head off immediately

When making a financial planning retirement, it is best that you focus more on your very own finances rather than deliberately borrowing money from others just so you can start right away.

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