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Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but sometimes it’s illegal. Just ask the people behind First Time Credit Solutions, who promoted their business as “FTC Credit Solutions” until the real Federal Trade Commission shut them down.

Shopping for a car can be fun and exciting. But wading through ads and promotions from car dealers also can be stressful. Some advertise unusually low prices, low or no up-front payments, low- or no-interest loans, or low monthly payments. But the FTC says to use caution: Not all dealers play by the rules.

At Social Security, we provide benefits that are economic lifelines for millions of Americans—including many with severe disabilities—and we work hard to preserve these critical resources for only those who should receive them. We have zero tolerance for fraud. And, we back up this commitment with strong protections, policies, and our dedicated employees whom we encourage to report suspected fraud.

Need a sofa, washer/dryer, TV, or new tires? Don’t have the cash or credit to buy them outright? You may be considering rent-to-own: simply make weekly or monthly payments for a while and you own the goods.

Your email’s been hacked — what do you do? Your computer’s been hijacked by malware — how do you get it back?

1. How can I make it stop? You signed up for the Do Not Call Registry ages ago, but you’re suddenly getting a bunch of unwanted calls. What can you do? Hang up. When you get illegal sales calls or robocalls, don’t interact in any way. Don’t press buttons to be taken off the call list or to talk to a live person. That just leads to more calls. Instead, hang up and file a complaint at donotcall.gov.

I don't know about you, but I’m about ready to say "uncle" to Old Man Winter. This year's record-breaking snowfalls, downed trees, roof collapses, mudslides, flooding and frozen pipes are leaving overwhelming clean-up and recovery in their wake. If you're thinking about hiring someone to help you dig out, keep these tips in mind:

Roughly one in six Savers has selected paying off consumer debts as their wealth-building goal. That does not come as a surprise since, along with modest incomes, large consumer debts are the most important financial reason that people have trouble saving and building wealth.The good news is that there is hope. With planning, discipline, patience, and maybe some outside help, almost anyone can reduce their debts and start to accumulate wealth.

Most of us appreciate a sturdy umbrella on a stormy day. We don’t always know when we’ll encounter rain, but unless we live in the desert, we know that eventually rain will fall. So we buy umbrellas, raincoats and boots to protect ourselves against the inevitable downpour. Rainy day funds, or emergency savings, protect us too. We can’t always predict when we’ll have a money emergency, but we know that eventually a financial crisis will arrive. Setting aside money in a rainy day fund shelters you from a financial storm.

Building an emergency savings fund is one of the top goals of Military Savers. Why Build an Emergency Fund This is a sound choice. Having an emergency savings fund may be the most important difference between those who manage to stay afloat and those who are sinking financially. That’s because maintaining emergency savings of $500 to $1,000 allows you to easily meet unexpected financial challenges such as:• repairing the brakes on your car;• buying your child a new pair of needed shoes;• replacing a broken window in your house;• paying for a parking ticket; or• flying to visit a sick parent.