It’s a simple psychological fact that people want to believe that everyone thinks the same way they do. It’s very much an untruth, however, and it results in people often ignoring the ways in which they are at risk. Even if you don’t bank or shop online, don’t rule out the possibility of someone else doing so in your name.

US law allows residents to receive one free copy of their credit report each year, from each of the three major credit bureaus. You can (and should) request these free copies at the AnnualCreditReport website. Checking your credit report allows you to identify any inaccuracies, as well as any potential fraud being carried out in your name. That’s why it’s so important!

You now know how to identify potential identity theft and fraud after it has occurred, it is important that you are equipped with more of the information you need in order to ensure that you never will.

If you ever get an email from PayPal, you bank, or any financial institution asking that you click a link and log in to your account or provide any information, do not click the link. Do NOT provide the information. If you get an email from anywhere asking for your password, disregard it. Literally nobody legitimately requests sensitive information via email.

If you’re ever unsure, though, it’s worth looking in to some of these requests. When researching, do not use the links or addresses provided in emails; always type the address by hand, as links can say they lead one place and really lead to another, like so: http://www.mystagedlife.com

Another important thing to note is that the addresses given in emails are often fake, as well. Only use addresses provided by your financial institution, never trust addresses provided via email, even when you can verify that the email is legitimate!

If you’ve read the rest of my identity theft articles, you know I have to cut this short. Don’t worry, I won’t keep you waiting long for the rest!

I’ve already explained the importance of keeping physical documents behind lock and key in a secured cabinet. I’ve covered the importance if not giving out or writing down your passwords, ever. These are the most important steps you can take to protect yourself from identity theft, in general; however, they’re really only the tip of the iceberg.

Also important is choosing strong passwords. A strong password will contain a random mix of uppercase letters, lowercase letters and numbers, as well as punctuation marks when allowed and will be, at the very least, eight characters long. A longer password is better, in cases where it is allowed.

To be truly secure online, just as in the physical world, you must be willing to forgo some convenience. Security questions are a great idea, in theory, as they allow a method of verifying who you are in order to allow you to reset your password should you every forget it. The problem is that they are often answered by easily researched information, which anyone who knows you probably already knows and anyone who doesn’t can find out with minimal effort. Even if the password reset option relies on email to complete the task, try to bear in mind that your email password can likely be reset with the use of security questions, as well.

Don’t worry, there’s a simple solution. Pick someone you know and answer those security questions as though you were that person; never tell anyone who you picked and try not to pick someone obvious such as a family member, best friend or current or former lover. This way, no matter how well someone knows you, they won’t be able to have your passwords reset to gain access to your online accounts.

So far, everything I’ve covered has been about keeping your data locked up and secured. There’s much more to it than this, which I would love to cover right now. Alas, I hear about it in meetings if I make these articles too long. I’ll fill you in on the rest of the details shortly; in the meantime, start putting what you’ve learned so far to good use!

–

As promised, the next article is ready!

Why, then, should you listen to what I have to say about preventing it? It’s happened to me, twice, right? Right.

It’s happened to me, twice. I’ve recovered from it. Both times.

I, personally, tracked down the scumbag the second time; I traced their steps, I learned more about them than they knew about me. Then I turned that information over to the police.

How did I do this? Simple. I used the same techniques they used. That, right there, is what qualifies me to tell you how to protect yourself.

Before I take you online, let me cover the basics on how to avoid identity theft in the physical world, where I was first victimized.

The single, most important thing you can do to prevent identity theft is to keep your social security card (or equivalent, for non-US readers) and any credit cards you don’t use regularly locked in a safe location. Preferably, this would be a safe deposit box which requires photo ID and a key to access. Failing this, a fireproof safe bolted securely to a concrete floor will do just fine. If you lose a key, be sure to change it.

Shred any credit offers that you don’t intend to accept, as well as any piece of mail or other documents containing any personally identifiable information, unless you intend to keep it and file it in a locked cabinet (secured similarly to the safe mentioned above). Once shredded, divide each item into four piles. You’ll want to have four boxes, labeled 1, 8, 15 and 22, for this purpose. Place one pile in each box and empty each box on the day of the month for which it is numbered. This prevents all but the most dedicated identity thieves from reassembling and using your discarded documents. Yes, credit card companies will accept and process applications that have been shredded, reassembled, filled out, photocopied, wadded up and shipped to them in a jar of kool-aid. It’s a bit extreme, yes; just don’t ask me how I know this. You should follow this procedure, really, for any document you discard that contains anything more than your first name. You might not think there’s anything useful on that overdue notice from the library, but trust me, there is.

Again, if it has your personal information on it, secure it. Locked drawer in a cabinet that can’t simply be slid onto a dolly and wheeled away. Never carry anything on you that you don’t intend to use; my first incident was the result of armed robbery and the sale of my identification, including my social security card, which I had on me because I had just started a new job and my employer required a copy.

These are basic guidelines for protecting your identity in the real world. Beyond that, use common sense and don’t go around giving out your personal information to everyone you meet, even if you think they need it. You’ll eventually end up giving it to someone who does need it to steal your identity!

Protecting yourself from online identity theft, however, is a bit more complicated than protecting yourself in the real world. The most important step you can follow is very simple: NEVER TELL ANYONE YOUR PASSWORD, TO ANYTHING, EVER; NEVER WRITE YOUR PASSWORDS DOWN AND NEVER USE THE SAME PASSWORD FOR MORE THAN ONE ACCOUNT.

Nobody but you ever has a legitimate need to know your passwords. Ever. Period. I don’t care who they say they are, if they’re asking for your password, they’re lying. Service providers can access your account without a password, it’s their system and they have that access. I’ll repeat this one more time because it is the most important step you can take to protect yourself online: NEVER TELL ANYONE YOUR PASSWORD, TO ANYTHING, EVER; NEVER WRITE YOUR PASSWORDS DOWN AND NEVER USE THE SAME PASSWORD FOR MORE THAN ONE ACCOUNT.

There’s a ton more information that I’d love to dole out right now, but Sharon insists that I keep my articles short and sweet (shorter than this, even), so I’ve written more here.

Online video rental services, like NetFlix, allow you to make unlimited selections from vast libraries of movies for a low monthly fee!

First, you build a list of the movies you want to see and NetFlix will mail them to you. When you’re done with one movie, you send it back, postage prepaid, and they send you the next.

Best of all, you can get started tonight, with a free 30 day trial!

Freshaire Choice

VOCs, or Volatile Organic Compounds, can cause eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches, loss of coordination, as well as organ and nerve damage. These are not things you want in your home! Fortunately, Freshaire Choice Paint is available at your local Home Depot, which means no going out of your way to buy it.

Get started repainting today with 3 free samples of the 65 premium colors! For more information, click any of the links on this page or watch this informative video!

Would you use this plate? What is the most off the wall trick that you have used to get in shape?

Here is some history on Samara House:

• The original owners were John and Kay Christian whoe decided to build near the campus of Purdue University in 1950.
• The project took six years
• The exhibition features a collection of furnishings, textiles and other items Wright designed specifically for Samara, one of the late Usonian style homes he designed.

Planned lectures at the exhibit:

• Frank Lloyd Wright and the Art of Building will be given by Richard Cleary, Ph.D. on Thursday, March 13, at 7 p.m. Cleary will discuss Wright’s vision of organic architecture and his innovative approaches to structural systems and construction techniques.
• On Thursday, April 10, at 7 p.m. Margo Stipe, Curator and Registrar of Collections, at The Frank Lloyd Wright Archives, Taliesin West, will discuss Wright’s revolutionary reworking of architectural space, how he dissolved interior walls and opened interior spaces allowing communion with the natural world he believed was a great spirit.

The Westcott House is located at 1340 East High Street in Springfield, Ohio. Admission fee is $5; free for members of The Westcott House Foundation. For more information call 937-327-9291 or visit www.westcotthouse.org. 

(Article from www.Ohio.com, the Akron Beacon Journal’s online website)

Zillow has an interactive Home Value Report Map that, I have to admit, surprised me quite a bit… but in a good way. You may be shocked to find out where the values have gone up and where they have drastically gone down in the United States. Check the mad map out here.

A couple of things to do there:

 

See how home values have changed across the U.S.

Click on cities to compare neighborhood home values.

Download detailed city reports for more information, including single family vs. condo comparisons, and a ranking of neighborhoods within an area that are most popular on Zillow.

So do we.

Benjamin Moore carries a line of Pottery Barn paint colors for the home that coordinate with PB’s textiles and accessories. You can receive a complimentary color deck at any Pottery Barn store or you can request one to be shipped to you for just $2 by calling 1-800-922-5507 or by going to potterybarn.com and typing the word “colors” in the search box.

Staging friendly colors we love:
   Cedar Key
   Brookside Moss
   Oak Ridge
   Suntan Yellow

For more on this Henry and Vicker’s successful staging and sale, read the full story from Trans World News.

From the Akron Beacon Journal’s Article “Area home sales freeze, down 29% in January”

According to figures provided by the Akron Area Board of Realtors, number of home sales in the area dropped a whopping 29% compared to January of last year. In total for 2007, the annual decline was 12% and things don’t look much better for 2008. The total value of home sales from 2007 dropped 28%. Not that it is good, but one number did go up, the average number of days on the market went from 91 days to 94 days. Well I guess there is some good news…the average sales price in January 2008 was $128,799 compared to $127,360 in January 2007. Don’t get too excited, that’s only 1% and there is more bad news. The National Association of Realtors announced Monday that national sales dropped last month to the lowest level in nearly a decade and is the fifth consecutive decline. Home values in Akron are reported to have dropped 3.8% over the past year according to the Zillow Home Value report. Can we say, “housing slump?”

Figures from K+BB January 2008 issue

• Ability to translate needs, ideas, and desires into appropriate interiors
• An ability to understand human behavior
• An understanding and concern for sustainability
• Ability to be ethically responsible
• Must have empathy for human life
• Must have passion for design
• Must be technically competent
• Ability to provide usability and functionalty within pschologically enhancing space
• A sharp focus of needs of people
• An ability to know how to “do no harm”
• Must have the ability to communicate both verbally and visually
• Must have aesthetic understanding
• Must have respect for human life

I ran across a post from the Business Courier of Cincinnati. The article begins, “An Ohio furniture retailer with a nearly 50-year history is eliminating its corporate staff and beginning the process to close stores. According to documents filed with the Ohio Department of Job & Family Services, Sofa Express Inc. plans to close all eight of its Central Ohio stores and its headquarters and warehouse. Another six stores in northeast Ohio are scheduled to close, putting 436 workers out of a job altogether. That tally includes 253 workers at the Groveport, Ohio, headquarters.”

Yuck. As if Ohio’s economy wasn’t looking bad enough. The company’s reason for closing is their financial situation. Usually I can’t help but run into news like the closing of furniture retailers in my own backyard, but the company is quietly dragging out the closure. It will take several months for 40 stores to be closed.

My motto when selling a home is to “live like you’re on vacation.”  This means that all items in every room, including the basement, garage and attic, should be evaluated for regular use.  Buyers know you are moving and are not turned off by boxes.  They will be turned off by clutter in storage areas.

You are moving anyway – box everything NOW!  You will feel ahead of the moving game, have less to move and/or clean, and will really impress buyers with how clean, organized and spacious your home is.

- 10 ways to increase the value of your home anytime

- 10 ways to get the most money for your home when you sell

- advice on finding and buying the home of your dreams

- making your kitchen ready for homebuyers

- beautiful curb appeal

- and much, much more,

Find HGTV’s real estate tips and tricks here.