Medical Identity Theft

Hi All,

Its a fact of life - we live...and we sometimes get sick.  And its a very unfortunate fact of life some people try to take advantage of those very same sick people.

As a result there is such a thing as medical identity theft. 

Basically it goes like this: 'A thief may use your name or health insurance numbers to see a doctor, get prescription drugs, file claims with your insurance provider, or get other care. If the thief's health information is mixed with yours, your treatment, insurance and payment records, and credit report may be affected'.  

If you see signs of medical identity theft, visit Identity Theft.gov to report and recover from identity theft.

Click on the following links to learn more about detecting medical identity theft, correcting mistakes in your medical records, protecting your medical information and checking for other identity theft  problems.

For more information on extended fraud alerts and credit freezes, click this link.
To learn how to keep your personal information secure, click here.  

Hopefully you won't need these links, but if you do I hope they help!

Regards,

Stu

Consumer Action Handbook

Hi All,

The new, 2014 Consumer Action Handbook (CAH hereafter in this blog entry) is now available for download now.  Readers can download the CAH by clicking on this link.

A good summary of the CAH is that, 'Users can use the Consumer Action Handbook (CAH) to get help with consumer purchases, problems and complaints. Find consumer contacts at hundreds of companies and trade associations, local, state, and federal government agencies, national consumer organizations, and more'

The 2014 CAH is 148 pages long and is divided into 4 parts:
Part I - Be a Savvy Consumer
Part II - Filing a Complaint
Part III - Key Information Sources
Part IV - Consumer Assistance Directory

In the 'Be a Savvy Consumer' section alone the reader will learn about 'Service Contracts and Extended Warranties', 'Identifying and Stopping Fraud', 'Shopping From Home', using 'ATM/Debit Cards', using 'Prepaid Cards', 'Buying a New Car', 'Buying a Used Car', 'Financing', 'Leasing', 'Lemon Laws', 'Car Repairs' and much, much more. 

this part on 'Being a Savvy Consumer' has further sections on 'Credit Reports and Credit Scores', 'Dealing with Debt', 'Paying For College 101' and more. 

The book is 148 pages for a reason! It is extensive, comprehensive and chock full of useful information for consumers of all needs and interests. And it is free!  What a helpful resource!!!!

Other sections that are notable in the 'Be a Savvy Consumer' section include: 'Insurance' - which covers Auto Insurance, Health Insurance, Homeowners/Renters Insurance, Life Insurance and more, 'Privacy and Identity Theft', 'Telemarketing and Unwanted Mail' (National Do Not Call Registry', 'Travel' (Resolving Air Travel Problems, Cruises, Travel Safety) and 'Utilities' (Billing questions and starting Utility Service).

There is one section in particular that users should be aware of: Part III - Key Information Resources contains a list of  various federal agencies that deal with various products.

For example,
 - Animal Products safety hazards are dealt with the Food and Drug Administration
 - Automobile safety hazards are dealt with the national Highway Traffic Safety Administration
 - Consumer Household Product hazards are dealt with by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Finally, 'Key Information Resources' has information regarding Drugs, Cosmetics, Medical Devices, Toys, Baby Products and Play Equipment in this section. 

So there you have it.  A blog entry that might be short on additional links, is very, very long on useful, helpful, time-saving and money-saving information!

Enjoy the free download - and remember that you can access the CAH by clicking on this link!

Regards,
Stu

Financial Calculators

Hi All,

Today's blog entry is all about numbers. Specifically it is about financial numbers. More specifically it is an entry about how to find financial calculators to help you make better financial decisions.

For example, a common number on many credit card statements indicates how long it will take you to  payoff your credit cards if you only make minimum payments.  Click on this link to actually see how the calculation is made.

Another common calculation that folks need to make is to find how much interest you can save by increasing your monthly auto loan payment.   Click on this link to dig into the particulars of how this calculation is made.

Astute readers will realize that the two links above come from a website called DinkyTown.  Sure it might have a silly name, but the financial calculators on the site are current, easy-to-use and well organized.  

With categories like Mortgages, Loans, Credit Cards, Auto, Investments, Retirement, Insurance, Taxes, Savings, Finance and Business, DinkyTown.net is a veritable one-stop shopping site for financial calculators.  Of course users can click on any of the blue links above to go directly to that part of DinkyTown that you are interested in visiting.

Now, one of my personal favorite parts of the site is the Finance section.  In this section users can find a basic calculator, a basic financial calculator (can calculate present value, future value, payments or periods), a checkbook balancer, credit assessment calculator, net worth calculator, 'Should my spouse work? calculator' and a student budget calculator.  Interesting stuff, eh?

And just remember, these are just some of the available calculators in just the Finance section.  Remember that there are the other categories available - which all have multiple calculators under their own respective headings.  Very cool stuff!

So...with the tax season just getting underway, hopefully this site might just make completing your taxes just a bit easier!

Regards - hope the site saves you time and money!
Stu

Steps For Applying For FEMA Assistance

Hi All,

More helpful - hopefully at least - links...

How to Apply For FEMA Assistance

Disaster Assistance Online.gov

FEMA Phone Number - Call 800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY at 800-462-7585.

Hope this helps!
Stu

Accidents Happen

Hi All,

Accidents happen.  Glasses break, mail gets lost, people forget appointments and there are automobile accidents.  Hey, its life, it happens...

So, what to do when you have a car accident?  Great question and I've got the answer!  Click on this link from the ever-present (in this blog at least) Farmingdale Patch. The article is called, 'What to Do During a Roadside Emergency?'  The article has a list format of things drivers should do while parking on the side of the road during an accident...useful info in a tiny, little article!


Click on this article for a list of 14 Things To Do Before and After a Car Accident. The advice on this site deals with insurance concerns, medical concerns and police/traffic related issues. More good information!

And finally, from Geico, comes this article entitled, 'What to Do if You Get Into an Accident'.  This article suggested that drivers keep a first-aid and a medical-kit in the car. Also, keep you insurance card and driver's license handy.

Hope you don't have to use these links - but if you do...

Regards,
Stu