Blog

Hurricane Maria devastated the island of Puerto Rico, home to almost 3.5 million Americans . Those of us with personal ties to the island are shocked by the catastrophe Hurricane Maria left behind. It has been sobering and emotional. We are struggling daily to help our families and friends recover and just survive – under dire circumstances. And Puerto Rico isn’t the only Caribbean island suffering. Our American neighbors living on the United...

Smartwatches have quickly gone from sci-fi to commonplace, and it’s easy to see why. Users can conveniently manage messages, music, fitness, and more right from their wrists as they go about the day. But enjoying the convenience of a smartwatch means trusting it to keep your data safe. Smartwatches offer a variety of security features, so keep security in mind when you shop for one. Not all security features come set up right out of the box. Be...

Many of the ads you see online are created by marketers who are paid each time you click on their ad. And if that click takes you to a website where you sign up to try a product or you make a purchase, the marketer may get paid even more. These are affiliate marketers. They are hired by the owner of the product to promote it on social media, on websites, and through email. Sometimes networks of affiliate marketers negotiate the rate marketers...

Many people have had very sensitive personal information exposed in the Equifax breach — Social Security numbers, account numbers, even drivers’ license numbers. Equifax is offering free credit freezes until November 21, 2017. The company also will refund fees to anyone who already paid for freezes since September 7, when it announced the breach. If you’re thinking of placing a freeze, read this first. A freeze means that no one (including you)...

Considering a fraud alert or credit freeze? In the aftermath of the Equifax data breach, many people are. You don’t need to be an identity theft victim to use them – but it’s helpful to consider your situation. If you’re not sure which is best for you, here are some things to think about. What do fraud alerts and credit freezes do? With a fraud alert, businesses must try to verify your identity before extending new credit. Usually that means...

Ring, ring. "This is Equifax calling to verify your account information." Stop. Don’t tell them anything. They’re not from Equifax. It’s a scam. Equifax will not call you out of the blue. Equifax’s recent data breach. Other calls might try to trick you into giving your personal information. Here are some tips for recognizing and preventing phone scams and imposter scams: Don’t give personal information. Don’t provide any personal or financial...

Hurricanes Harvey and Irma are wreaking devastation from Texas to Florida to Puerto Rico, and beyond. Generous people across the country are doing what they can to help their neighbors in need. If you’re thinking about donating money to a charity, here’s how to make sure your dollars go to the causes you support. Donate to charities you know and trust and that have a proven track record. Avoid charities that seem to have sprung up overnight in...

Retirement is a big transition in a servicemembers’ life. It will affect you, your family and your finances. Military Consumer and @StopFraudCo will host a Twitter chat to talk about what retirement means for military families on September 14, 2017 at 1 p.m. M.T. / 3 p.m. E.T. We’ll talk about retirement options and features, how to prepare for the transition, and tips for avoiding scams. Join in at #MilChat. Here are the questions we’ll address...

If you have a credit report, there’s a good chance that you’re one of the 143 million American consumers whose sensitive personal information was exposed in a data breach at Equifax, one of the nation’s three major credit reporting agencies. Here are the facts, according to Equifax. The breach lasted from mid-May through July. The hackers accessed people’s names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and, in some instances, driver’s...

David Winfrey was one of the excellent panelists at our recent military financial workshop in San Antonio. David is a financial counselor at Fort Sam Houston. He has a passion to help wounded warriors with the challenges they face. David says his clients were “sailing along and then there was a shipwreck... often they are on a rudderless raft, floating with the current… My immediate goal is to get them into a boat where they are rowing toward a...