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Christian InTech Articles - Mobile Cell Phones
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Accepting checks in your business virtually risk free
Most businesses accept checks as form of payment for goods and services. However, accepting checks can be a risky endeavor if your company doesn’t follow good policies and procedures for preventing loss from bad checks. In fact, the reason some...
Choosing The Right Merchant Account Provider
As a business owner, you want to succeed. You undoubtedly want to increase your sales and make more money. The best way to do this is to offer your customers the ability to pay for merchandise with their credit cards. Whether you operate your...
The Seven Deadly Tax Sins: Commonly Missed Deductions
It's that time again, the April 15 tax deadline is looming large. If youre like most people, you havent gathered all of your tax records, let alone filled your return.
Before you dig in and get started, take this opportunity to first review a...
Three Ways to Improve Your Help Desk's Reputation
I recently did some consulting for a large retail company and
sat in with their help desk department, which was probably the
worst I have seen in my 10+ years in business. This was an
internal help desk, with the end-users being employees from...
Tips For Maintaining Client Relationships
You may reprint or publish this article free of charge as long as the bylines are included. Original URL (The Web version of the article) --------------------------------------------- http://www.defendingthenet.com/NewsLetters/TipsForMaintaini...
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Identity Theft – Monitor Your Credit Report
The recent security breach at credit card processor CardSystems Solutions has many consumers worried. Thanks to a well-placed computer virus, nearly forty million credit card numbers were stolen, and cardholders nationwide are justifiably concerned about identity theft. Should a thief steal your identity, he or she could run up thousands of dollars worth of debt in your name and it could take years to sort out the ensuing financial mess.
Fortunately, a relatively new tool is available to consumers to help alert them to potential fraudulent activity on their credit record. Each of the three main credit bureaus offer a subscription-based credit monitoring program, as do numerous banks and financial institutions. Fees vary, but $50 or so per year is typical. The bureaus will notify consumers of activity conducted under their names, including the opening of new accounts, changes of address, credit inquiries from lenders, late payments and lawsuits and liens. Notification can come in the form of e-mail or even a message to your cell phone, if you like.
Should you be notified of suspicious activity, you can then call the appropriate agency, be it a lender, the credit bureau itself or the police, if necessary. The packages vary in both prices and features, so interested consumers
should shop around to find a plan that works to fit their needs.
A free alternative is to obtain a free credit report. Thanks to a law passed last year, Americans can obtain one free report from each of the three credit bureaus per year through a special Website. By obtaining one report every four months, consumers can keep an eye on activity under their name for free. This is not nearly as effective as subscribing to a monitoring plan, which will notify you when activity takes place, but it is better than doing nothing at all. With the recent security breaches by major credit card processors, consumers who are worried about being victims of identity theft have genuine concerns. The credit bureaus are doing what they can to help, and the monitoring programs and free credit reports are a step in the right direction.
About the Author
©Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing. Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm devoted to informational Websites, including End-Your-Debt.com, a site devoted to debt consolidation and credit counseling, and HomeEquityHelp.com, a site devoted to information regarding mortgages and home equity lending .
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