Protection Against Identity Theft: What You Can Do

By Lakiesha Lehman

My brother's identity was stolen a few years ago. In less than a week, four different $300 charges materialized on his credit and his bank didn't make it easy for him to drop those items from his account. This time around wasn't too problematic, because the bank finally sided with my brother, cancelled the extra charges and gave him new numbers for his account.

The horrifying thing about the whole experience was just knowing that there was someone out there claiming to be my brother, armed with just enough personal and financial data to get into big trouble.

My brother thankfully resolved the trouble with the bank. His credit still gets poked by mysterious charges every now and then. My brother was incredibly lucky.

Identity theft is the scariest Internet crime. It costs millions of dollars to millions of people worldwide every year and soaks up hours upon hours of frustrating phone calls to halt payment on fraudulent purchases. In the past few years, several businesses have sprung up to help protect consumers all over the world, taking advantage of fear to scrape together a load of cash. You can even join in for a monthly fee.

No Tracking On Services

Protection against identity theft is not customer friendly; there is no possible way for customers to see how effective these service providers really are, or if they are improving computer security at all.

Most companies center their efforts around checking your credit score regularly so no charges can slip past you without you being aware of its presence. There's nothing complicated about reading your credit report -- you could do it too, for much cheaper, I might add. So, not counting this, what exactly do these businesses do?

That question is impossible to answer, which is the most frustrating thing about these protective services. You have to take their word for it and assume you are somehow safer. Obviously, this can cause friction between the customer and the business. Protection against identity theft can only be measured by whether or not your identity has been stolen since beginning the use of their product. If your identity isn't stolen, that means their efforts helped, right?

No. There are no guarantees.

Zero Features For Lots Of Money

Pricing for protective services changes heartily from service to service depending on what they claim to do for you. There is no business out in Internet Land who explicitly states what they do and for how much and which ones are premium and which are not. Just about everything -- yes, everything -- these companies do for you, you can easily do on your own. For free.

Protection against identity theft is crucial to maintaining your financial security, but throwing money at strangers to read your credit report just doesn't make sense in the long run. - 23211

About the Author:

Make your info safe, use identity theft prevention techniques to stay safe even when reviewing financials online. Do a little digging and get as much info as you can about which services one can purchase and how you can have protection against identity theft. Only take serious advice from trusted sites and avoid scams and fraudulent claims.

What Are The Unfunded Liabilities of Medicare?

By John Harvey

If you turn on the news you will notice that some people start to talk about massive unfunded liabilities of Medicare and that these liabilities show that government programs usually cost a lot more than expected and therefore should be put into the hands of private companies.

According to recent statistics the Medicare system is it's present form unsustainable and that there have to be major changes to fix this government health insurance program. So what are these unfunded liabilities and how will they affect you.

The unfunded liability is basically the gap between what Medicare or Social Security takes in through taxes and the amount they are expecting to payout, It's just a projection, not something that is set in stone.

Many European government health insurance programs, such as Germany's, have struggled for many years and can be thought of as being on the brink of bankruptcy. You know who is paying to keep them alive. The taxpayers.

Medicare and Social Security supposedly have sufficient funds to cover their current expenditures, but I would guess that the government is already printing money to pay Medicare's bills because I don't believe that US Treasury Bonds will sell well in the immediate future. Although we hear that the current administration does not anticipate raising taxes on the middle class, it will be the middle class who will see higher taxes in the form of higher prices and other higher fees and charges.

As who will be the lenders for Medicare. I would say primarily China, maybe Germany (which is funny because Germany is supposedly struggling with it's own health care system), but because of the weakness of the Dollar and the rising disenchantment with Americas spending policies it will probably end up on the shoulders of the American tax payer.

So why is Medicare not sustainable? Some people actually say that Medicare was already bankrupt in'65, when it was introduced under Lyndon Johnson, while others expect to collapse within the next 10 years.

When the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 was signed into law by George W. Bush, it was in the name of "honoring the commitments of Medicare to all our seniors," but he might not have realized the consequences for a society which has more elderly people than young. He also probably did not expect that the economy would collapse the way that it has over the last six or seven years. - 23211

About the Author:

Two Ohio Health Insurance videos from TopSeekInc: Ohio Medicare Insurance RX and Ohio Medicare Supplement Insurance RX

Why You Need Travel Insurance on Your Next Vacation

By Dan Haneveer

The main reason to get travel insurance is to protect ourselves from the massive financial burden if we are unfortunate enough to be injured or become ill while travelling. Medical expenses for injury and illness for foreigners can be astronomical.

A medical emergency overseas can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Most insurers cover these types of emergencies for at least the tune of $500,000, $2 million is even more common. On average a medical claim is around a thousand dollars and medical are the most common types of travel insurance claims.

1. Read the fine print and understand what your insurance covers, buying it is not enough you still need to know what your responsibilities are. You must take due care and attention, pay attention to those words in your policy. Most refusals to pay from insurance companies are because people have not been clear about their responsibility of due care.

2. Even the most basic insurance providers can adequetly cover the most common travel insurance claims. Look for cover for medical, lost and stolen luggage and missed/delayed flights.

3. Make sure you note cameras, laptops and other expensive items as optional extras to your insurance company. Insurers often take depreciation into consideration so if you have to make a claim on these items do it as soon as possible. You also might ask if you can cover these items for an agreed value.

4. Annual insurance plans can mean signifcant savings if you are a regular traveler, they are well worth investigating for frequent travelers. Id you have a rewards credit card you may find they offer free insurance, cover is very specific though so check carefuly, you are usually only covered for flights and items purchased with the card.

5.When you buy travel insurance always provide full disclosure as the fine print will explain you could be squandering your money if you don't divulge pre existing conditions or other circumstances that may effect your insurers ability to cover you.

Travel insurance is not something to ignore to save a little money. The stress it can save you from is worth it. Becuase things like flight delays and lost baggage are so common travel insurance the more often and longer you travel it only becomes a matter of time until you will need or will really wish you had taken out that insurance policy. - 23211

About the Author:

Dan Haneveer is an avid traveler who knows first hand the importance of being insured. Find a review of world nomads travel insurance and get a world nomads code

Life Insurance For Children - How To Give Your Child A Head Start In Life With Whole Life Insurance

By Jay LaGrange

It's so easy for life as a parent to be focused on the present and now. It's hard enough to give your children what they need to survive in the moment. But there comes a time when you have to step back and take steps that impact their future, not just their present. Whole life insurance for children is a great way to give your child some extra success in the future. It's true and you can read on to find out how.

1. Gives Them A Head Start On Important Matters - Having a life insurance policy in place is one of those things that people always think they can live without until something catastrophic happens. But by investing in this for your child when they're young, you'll be taking a step to guarantee they'll have a sense of security when they get older even at times when they may not be able to afford insurance coverage.

2. Give Them At Least One Guarantee - Your child deserves at least one guarantee in life. Insurance companies now understand this and are rewarding parents like you for taking early action to insure your children. They're now guaranteeing that the coverage will grow significantly once your child becomes an adult. Think about the many reasons why people are getting disqualified from getting covered by life insurance - this won't be a worry of your child if you start early to give them the right policy. The benefits of this go beyond your own child. Your grandchildren will benefit as well.

3. Special Programs and Incentives - Since most insurance companies know that providing life insurance for your child may not be your number one priority, they will offer special deals that you will almost never hear about as an adult seeking coverage.

For instance, did you know that your child can benefit from double the coverage once they turn'? It's true. And they won't have to pay extra in premiums to receive this benefit as well. - 23211

About the Author:

Life insurance for children has been shown to be an excellent investment by parents who are concerned with providing the best for their children. Click here to get a FREE no obligation quote on life insurance for your child.

Best Health Insurance Plans For Families

By Markus Cramer

What is the Best Health Insurance Plan?

If you need to purchase health insurance, you can find a lot of different types of plans. It is important to figure out which major medical plan will be the best for you. A plan that works with your own family's needs, budget, desires can provide security. A plan that does not fit in with your own lifestyle can leave your worried.

Major Medical Insurance Plan Types

Preferred Provider Organizations (PPO) are very common today. The insurer has a network of doctors, hospitals, therapists, etc., and you will enjoy the highest level of benefits if you stick to the list. If you decide to ge medical services out of the network, you can still be covered, but at a lower level. A PPO plan allows some choice, and still provides coverage, so it is very popular.

HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) - This is more restrictive than a PPO. You must stick to the insurer's provider list o be covered. However, if you live in an area with a big network, you may be very satisfied as the coverage is usually very strong.

Even though both HMO and PPO plans have networks, the insurer will probably allow for some coverage exceptions in the event of an emergency or urgent care need. If you cannot find a certain type of provider in the network, you may also get permission to use another provider. You just need to understand how the plan works before you need the service.

HSA (Health Savings Account) with a High Deductible Major Medical Plan - This type of coverage is getting more popular with people who want more control over their health expenses. You are allows to make pre-tax contributions, within IRS limits, to a savings account. This account may even pay interest and come with a debit card you can use at the doctor's office!

Any unused HSA funds roll over to the next year. And you can cash out your account at retirement age. So this is a good way to combine health insurance with retirement savings.

However, an HSA is only a good option if you are disciplined enough to make contributions. Some people sign up, never put any money in, and then are not happy when they have medical expenses.

Nobody can make a general statement about medical plans. There is not one right plan for everybody. Your own choice will depend upon many factors, including your needs, budget, and the way you like to plan. - 23211

About the Author:

It can be simple to get the best individual health insurance for your family!