How to Protect Your Identity From Fraud

Thousand of people find themselves victims of identity theft each year, it is a crime that can destroy financial lives and the personal reputation of a good citizen. To protect your identity from savvy thieves you must take a very proactive attitude towards your personal information and employ strict routine precautions to keep your sensitive date from reaching the wrong hands.

It is not the responsibility of anyone else but your own to avoid identity theft, yes the task can certainly be outsourced to a reliable service that dedicates a lot of resources to providing you with the best identity protection methods, however, there are things that as an individual you can also do on your own to minimize the risk of you becoming a victim of identity theft.

To protect your identity you should follow these steps, these are the most basic things you can do on your own, if the tasks seem too much of a burden for you, the only other alternative is to automate the process by employing a identity theft protection service from one of the top providers. But, if you're up to the task here's what you need to do:

1. Monitor your credit accounts - most of us do not take the time to read our credit card statements when they arrive, it order to spot credit card fraud you need to have a clear eye on your credit accounts. Some identity thieves may be using your credit card accounts in a less aggressive or subtitle way by only charging small items. Others may just go for it and buy all the can at once, either way way you need to carefully analyze your statements for accuracy and spot fraud early on.

2. Review your bank statements - along with credit card fraud, bank fraud is also a hot issues. Often people lose their bank related information online, since more people are going towards online banking. Take the time to read your bank statement and review the purchases you made through the month before you archive the statement.

3. Monitor your credit report - one of the most basic and yet important measures in preventing identity theft is for you to review your credit report often. You can in fact get your credit report once a year from all three credit bureaus, although reviewing your credit once a year is not good enough. You should review it at least once every quarter to be able to spot fraud on your report early on. You're looking for new credit card accounts, or personal loans, student loans etc. anything that you knew was not issued by you.

4. Set up fraud alerts - if you have big concern right now and you feel overwhelmed by all the manual tasks you have to perform, one way you can automate preventing identity theft is to set fraud alerts on your credit. Fraud alerts are good first line of defense, these will flag and require any credit or company running a credit check to approve an application in your name to verify your identity by contacting you directly. Fraud alerts must be renewed every 90 days.

5. Monitor your health insurance benefits - medical identity theft is a huge deal today, the consequences of this type of identity theft is much more severe in many ways for the victims. Primarily, if your medical history is altered by someone else receiving treatment under your name, the changes to your medical history are hard to reverse and you could potentially be at risk of being given the wrong diagnosis and prescription due to this. In order to protect your identity against medical thieves, you need to also review your medical benefit statements carefully and make sure that only you and your family are receiving benefits.

6. Use anti-spyware, anti-virus and firewall protection - when it comes to doing business online, shopping, or just wasting time, you need to be aware that there are hackers and identity thieves constantly on the lookout for entry points into computer systems that are not properly protected. Anti-virus alone can not protect you from malicious broadcasts and malware. Spyware software is a must and firewall protection is also a plus to fully protect your identity while online.

Everyone has the ability to do this, it just takes some effort. If this looks like a lot more than you're willing to do on your own, then you must consider fully automating the process of identity theft protection by hiring one of the top identity theft protection services to look after your information. However there are other tasks you need to perform to protect your identity, that these services can not really for you:

1. Limit the amount of information you carry in your wallet, most of us carry way too much information and the reasoning for this is usually "just in case", "what if" etc. You should take your social security card out of your wallet and lock it up at home. All those extra credit cards and things you have not used in years can cost you dear if they end up in the wrong hands if you lose your wallet.

2. Get a lock mail box or PO box address if your current mailbox does not lock. Mail fraud is also an easy way to fall prey to identity theft. This is an easy way for credit card fraud to occur if someone is able to simply swipe your mail from your mailbox.

3. Never hand out your social security number without it is absolutely necessary. Many online sources and often cable and phone companies ask for this information carelessly. Opt for a different form of ID or simply consider a different service.

Chattel Mortgage - Best Commercial Vehicle Finance

When you want to purchase a car, one of the main considerations is financing. This is because many people do not have the initial high amounts of money, which are required to meet the cost of the car. One thing you should note about car financing is that it is very hard to quantify, it is determined by many other factors such as the type of car that you want to purchase, the price tag and the possibility of a trade-in.

If there comes the right time that you familiarized yourself with the best options, your finance consultant will handle your account earnings, you should choose only the great chattel mortgage lender. here are many different types of auto financing companies out there that will work with you and you do have some good options to go through. To know if this is something you can use, you must consult your accountant regarding this issue. In addition to taxes, some of the other benefits of using this type of finance is that there is usually no capital outlay involved at the time of purchase, therefore your business cash flow is not affected. Also, unlike other means of financing, you own the commercial vehicle immediately while paying the mortgage. Most other types of Commercial Vehicle Finance prohibits you from being the actual owner until you are fully paid up.

Another option that is usually common with this type of mortgage is a balloon payment, meaning you owe a large amount of money at the end of the contract. But you could raise your monthly payments throughout the term of the mortgage which would significantly reduce the balloon payment at the end.

There really is a lot of flexibility with this type of Commercial Vehicle Finance, you can also make an initial deposit or a vehicle trade-in which would reduce the total amount of the mortgage. The debt can also be fully amortized, again it is what is best for the cash flow of your business and your accountant should be involved in assisting you in obtaining the mortgage. Search for the best Mortgage Companies and you'll find several offers that fits your needs.

Commercial vehicles are a great support system and are a life line of a business. You may choose to have a higher down payment to minimize the overall amount of the mortgage. Once you are fully aware of all your options and have informed your accountant and taken into account your cash flow, you should shop around for the best chattel mortgage lender. There are many lenders available and I am sure you will find one that suits your Commercial Vehicle Finance needs.

Toyota Evaporative Emissions

Greetings fellow Toyota owners! Is your check engine light on? Do you have the famous p0440, p0441 or p0446 stored in your computer? Well you're in luck! I am going to talk a little about this problem Toyota has been having, how to fix it, and how to prevent it from coming again.

Did you know that Toyota issued a Technical Service Bulletin issued for this problem? The Technical Service Bulletin simply goes into explaining that one or more of the above codes stored in the computer are due to an inoperative Canister Closed Vacuum Switching Valve. This TSB from Toyota allows the technician to quickly identify the problem so the tech can assign the correct fix. Or does it? Some of these Diagnostic trouble codes are fixed by replacing the Canister Closed Valve Vacuum Switching Valve (VSV valve) located on the air cleaner box, however most are not.

You see, all these codes are saying that there is a leak in the Evaporative emission system. The evaporative emission control system advances fuel vapors generated in the fuel tank from escaping into the atmosphere. These vapors are stored temporarily in the EVAP canister. When the vehicle is in operation, fuel vapors stored in the EVAP canister flow through the EVAP purge solenoid, purge port and take manifold plenum to the combustion chamber and are burned in the combustion process. This increases gas mileage and decrements the emissions as well. The leak in the evap system could be anything from a loose or missing gas cap, to a stuck open purge valve.

This is where the diagnostics come into play. Many shops will just replace the vacuum switching valve as proposed in the TSB. But this may not take care of the problem. What many Toyota owners do not know, is that by topping of their tank after the gas pump has already stopped can cause serious problems in the evap system. When the gas tank is overfilled, the gas will actually back up and go into the evap system. Because the Evaporative Emission system is only designed to work with vapors, as soon as liquid gas enters the evap system, it starts to create problems immediately.

Another cause is when the charcoal in the Charcoal canister breaks apart and contaminates the whole system. This can happen with age as well as by overfilling your gas tank. The little charcoal bits will actually make their way from the rear of the vehicle by where the canister sets, to the front of the vehicle to the purge valve and the canister closed vacuum switching valve. When the computer opens and closes these valves, the charcoal bits will lodge into the all valves in the system causing them to stick open when they are supposedly to be closed. This is where the computer will recognize the leak in the evaporative emission system and flag your famous evap codes.

The fix: VSV valve. If the charcoal is breaking up in the canister, it will need to be replaced. It would be important to also replace the purge valve and canister vent shut valve as these are contaminated as well. Blowing compressed air through the lines will clean out any access derbies that will contaminate the system in the future.

So as you can see, this is a huge problem and Toyota is aware of it. Toyota has taken the right steps to fix this problem for the later generations models.

Understanding The Real Rate of Return!

There is one indicator more than any other which determines the health of an economy and it is the Real Rate of Return. Furthermore this is the simplest of all indicators to understand because it determines the safety of assets. Next time you hear the TALKING HEADS discussing the nuances of the markets, filter what they say through your own understanding of the Real Rate of Return.

The Real Rate of Return is the one number that determines the safety of principal. It is calculated by taking the current BOND YIELD and subtracting the expected INFLATION rate from it. The result is the REAL return on giaranteed money from the government.

Interest Rates are on the rise as we have been expecting and this pressure has put a tremendous amount of pressure on the stock market. The essential simplicity at work here is very, very basic. If Interest rates on Bonds are yielding 5.14% and inflation is forecasted at 5%. The difference is the REAL RATE of RETURN, (in this instance we are speaking about .14%). The REAL RATE of RETURN is what sparks major rallies and declines on Wall Street.

The reason for this is that the Bond market is the largest financial market in the world. There are literally trillions of dollars invested in debt denominated assets. These investors are primarily interested in the security of their principal and taking as minimal risk as possible. They historically have been thrilled with REAL RATES of RETURNS that would be in the 2% - 5% annually. During the 1970's this indicator went NEGATIVE for a while indicating INFLATION was rising faster than interest rates and BOND INVESTORS actually had substantial negative returns. During this time there was much "screaming and gnashing of teeth."

It has always been my estimation that Federal Reserve Chairman, Alan Greenspan's key task is to keep the REAL RATE of RETURN as high as possible. HE has been extremely successful at doing this. If you read back over any history of the financial markets you would be WISE to view events through this indicator. The economic climate becomes remarkably different and people's opinions change dramatically when the REAL RATE of RETURN on the most SECURE investments is threatened.

A thorough understanding of this simplicity is necessary for success in any kind of investing as IT is the basic building block from which all other analysis is based. Although it is always difficult to forecast what will happen in the future, the one factor you can count on is that when THE REAL RATE OF RETURN is falling there is much SWEAT on the brows of Money Managers who monitor the trillions of dollars entrusted to them.

At this point KEEP YOUR EYES on this indicator and make your own forecast of INFLATION. You'll realize that your ANALYSIS can be better than the Big Boys.

Let's be careful other there!

Dowjonesfully,

-Harald Anderson

http://www.eOptionsTrader.com.

How To Paint the Furniture To Retain Its Elegance

When I was chatting with my friends about home renovation, many of them felt that painting the furniture is a waste of money. I argued against that point by drawing an analogy between human beings and furniture pieces. I compared human dressing with the paint applied on the furniture and I explained them in detail about the advantages of paints. Finally, I won the argument and had a treat.

I am using this space to share a few important points that helped me to win over the argument and also help you to revive the charm of the furniture. We should take a cue from the nature. The ozone protects us from harmful UV rays, similarly the furniture has to be protected from environmental issues. But be clear that the painting a wall and furniture are different except for a few points.

If you are planning to paint the furniture, spare some time to read the following points.

Primer

Firstly, the furniture has to be coated with a primer. It is an undercoat to prepare the furniture for painting. It facilitates the paint to stick on the surface instead of spreading. It also increases the durability of the paint besides protecting the furniture.

The primer must also match the paint you are going to use. For latex paints, choose a latex primer. It is easy to use and it blocks stains. It won't smell like an oil-based primer.

Similarly, Oil-based primers must be used for oil-based paints. They offer good adhesion and stain blocking compared to latex ones.

Metal enamel primer is known for its durability. This type of primer comes in satin and semi-gloss finishes.

Paint

Many often get confused what to use either Oil-based paints or Water-based paints

Oil paints have been used for centuries. They generally took long time to settle and dry.

Water-based paints are of different types namely Mud, Standard latex, Chalk and Milk paints.

Mud paints give antique appeal to the furniture. They have smooth, flat finish with great coverage. It works well with wax or any water-based coat. They also don't need a primer as it is inherently adhesive.

Standard latex require a long curing time. They are relatively durable. They need the support of the primer.

Chalk paints have many benefits over other. They don't require primer as they are normally adhesive. Another advantage is they don't even need sanding.

Milk paints are commonly available. They can be easily applied to all kinds of surfaces. They are eco-friendly and non-toxic.

Over and above, take some safety precautions while painting as many of the petroleum-based paints are toxic. Paint the furniture in open surroundings as it is a hazardous work.

Five Ways to Make Your Wireless Home Alarm Click

There are several different ways to set up a home alarm system, yet the wireless choice is becoming more and more popular by the day. Because of its versatility and low impact on any type of home, going wireless is possible whether you are renting an apartment or moving into a house without long term plans. In many cases, you can take the system and monitoring coverage with you, giving you one less thing to worry about if your plans change in the near future. Either way, there are a number of things you can do to make a wireless home alarm system really click. Look over this list of ideas when you want to create a more durable level of protection at home.

1. Do not tap your own budget on tech. The brilliant home security technology on the market will tempt anyone trying to set up a tight safety net, but you have to keep one eye on the hard materials as well. Do not let a sharp alarm system be spoiled by a soft front door or street-level windows. Often, it only takes a few extra screws connected to the wall to keep out less entering burglars.

2. Go with an alarm and monitoring plan from the same company. The advantages of working with one company are obvious. They will be able to troubleshoot your alarm when there is a problem and can offer you upgrades when they become available. At the same time, you might be able to get a price break when you join up. Beware of the 'free home alarm system' offers, as they can end up being a scam of one sort or other.

3. Do not pigeonhole your security apparatus. Because there are so many options on the table, you should not dive into an all-in-one package with different parts of your security plan. Just because one company makes a good lock does not mean that they make a superior motion sensor as well. At the end of the day, do not get lazy in your examination of the tools you need to protect your family.

4. Think outside the box with detergents. Sometimes, the best parts of a home security system could seem like the silliest. Maybe it was a sign posted on your window stating the type of alarm you have; maybe it was the puppy you adopted who grew up to be very protective of your family; maybe it is the bushes you planed in your yard. Each of these elements can have a very big impact without costing much at all.

5. Do not balk at partitioning. When you have a few different structures to protect on your property, the partitioned approach could serve you best. Do not consider it an added headache or anything out of the ordinary. This system is very common when there is a guest house or studio on a property and will not force you to learn anything new in the process.

The Benefits of Renting Forklifts and Other Material Handling Equipment

Material handling services come in all shapes and forms. When considering your option to rent equipment for a short period of time instead of purchasing it, there are several advantages to keep in mind.

• Low Cost: Renting equipment on a short-term basis simply costs less. If you are a small business and do not have the capital to invest in purchasing equipment, renting the equipment you need when you need it can help. Contacting several local dealers for quotes will help ensure you are getting the best price. If there is a particular company you want to work with which pricing is a little higher be sure to call them back. Rental rates are not usually set in stone, and many dealers are open to negotiation. Most dealers will also discount your short-term rental if you commit to having it for an extended period of time. Short-term rental rates compared to lease or loan payments are usually much more affordable. If your equipment breaks down and jeopardizes production, then paying a little extra for a rental may save you money in the long run.
• Maintenance Included: When you go with a dealer that includes maintenance with their short-term rentals you are guaranteed that if you have any trouble they will be there for you. Making a phone call and having a technician on-site within hours is much easier than trying to repair a purchased unit by yourself, or making lots of calls to various companies for technical advice and service quotes. When you rent equipment for an extended period of time, a good dealer will periodically send technicians out to check the unit for operation and fluid levels, and note any repairs it may need. The frequency of this visit is usually determined by how often you are using the unit / how many hours you are putting on it. Full coverage maintenance at no cost to you is always a good thing.
• Instant Response: When you call to order a short-term rental you can usually get it delivered quickly. This is a very positive point, especially if you suddenly find yourself in a bind and needing equipment ASAP. Unforeseen situations such as your unit breaking down, a sudden peak in business, seasonal inventories or a special application or job to complete can create create claims for short-term rentals. A good local dealer will do their best to supply you with the equipment you need, when you need it.
• Positive Relationship & Loyalty Rewards: The more often you rent from a dealer the more likely they are to discount your pricing and going the extra mile to help you reach your goals. Developing a professional relationship with your rental contact will help familiarize them with your material handling needs. For example, if you call them late on a Friday afternoon for that certain piece of equipment you always rent from them, you can be pretty sure they're going to make delivery happen for you. Once a strong relationship is established you will be able to trust that your dealer is giving you the best prices and quality customer service. This will save you the time and trouble of shopping around. It's nice to be able to pick up the phone, order the equipment you need, have it delivered when you need it and know you're in good hands. They want you to keep coming back to them, and realizing you right is their sure way to secure your business.