STOP IDENTITY THEFT: 5 Things To Never Carry In Your Wallet (or Purse)

Do you even know all the things that are in your wallet or purse
right now? Here are five items to look for and remove to limit your risk
of identity theft if your wallet is lost or stolen:

♦ Multiple credit cards. Carry just one card or possibly a debit card.
Don’t carry specific credit cards (like a department store) or gift cards unless you’re going on a shopping trip. Thieves often use them without having to show identification.
Good idea: Do a wallet inventory and photocopy all the cards you
own so you can report their loss and replace them if necessary.

♦ Your social security number. With this most important key to
your identity and your name, thieves can do everything from
opening new accounts to filing false tax returns.
Good idea: Memorize your number. If you have a Medicare card,
copy your card and black out the numbers except for the final four.

♦ Your passport. If you’re going overseas you must travel with it,
but that doesn’t mean you have to keep carrying it around.
Good idea: Carry a photocopy and leave the original in your hotel
lockbox.

♦ Checks. Your checks show your bank routing and account
numbers, and thieves often sign them and get away with it.
Good idea: If you must carry checks, take just what you might need
for that day. Also try online banking to pay your bills.

♦ Password list. No one can remember all of them, I know.
Good idea: Use an encrypted tool to store your password like the
SplashID mobile app or LastPass.com for your computer.

-Chuck Michael -- www.ChucktheRealtor.org

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Was Your Mom Right?

Here are three “myths” your Mom might have told you growing
up. Was she right or wrong?

“Turn down the music or you’ll lose your hearing.”
She was right! Prolonged loud music and noise can lead to ringing in
the ears or some hearing loss. Tip: If you can hear the music from
your headphones when you’re not wearing them, it’s too loud.

“Going out in the cold with a wet head will make you sick.”
No! You do lose heat from the top of your head but covering it
won’t protect you from catching a cold. A cold is a virus you catch
from someone else who is infected.

“Spicy foods will give you ulcers.”
Close! Spicy foods can aggravate ulcers you may already have but
they don’t cause them. Ulcers are a bacterial infection you can get
from contaminated food or water, or frequent use of pain medication.

-Chuck Michael -- www.ChucktheRealtor.org

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Heart Attack Symptoms For Women

As we age it becomes far more important to listen to our bodies to avoid serious health risks. Heart attack symptoms are commonly misdiagnosed and ignored by people and knowing these symptoms can be the difference between life and death.

Common heart attack symptoms for both men and women are chest pain,

shortness of breath, dizziness, and cold sweats. But studies show women are

more likely to experience these additional symptoms:

• Pain in the arm, back, neck, abdomen, or shoulder blades. The pain radiates to many places, feeling like a tightness or ache.
• Jaw and throat pain. It may feel like someone’s choking you.
• Nausea and vomiting. Women are more likely to think they have a stomach flu.
• Unusual fatigue. Beyond feeling tired, this is an overwhelming feeling of fatigue and exhaustion.

If you have chest pain or any of these other symptoms of a heart attack

that last longer than five minutes, call 911 and ask for an ambulance. You’re

more likely to get faster treatment at a hospital if you arrive by ambulance than by private car.

-Chuck Michael -- www.ChucktheRealtor.org

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"Is My Donation Used Well?" -- Here's How To Find Out

At this time of year you may be approached by charities to make an “end of

year” contribution. Here’s what to look for to evaluate charities, along with a

few creative ways to make your contribution go further:

Spend time on these websites: www.charitynavigator.org,

www.bbb.org/charity, www.greatnonprofits.org. Search for a charity

and look at complaints, reviews, and ratings (5-star, etc.).

• Check for IRS 501(c) 3 status, which makes your contribution tax deductible and holds the charity to a non-profit standard.
• Look at the overhead ratio (the percentage of expenses that goes to administrative and fundraising costs) to see if it raises any “red flags.” The majority of charities evaluated by Charity Navigator spend 10 percent or less on fundraising fees and 15 percent or less on administrative costs.
• Check the charity’s financial health by visiting its website and looking at its annual report. For the charity’s results, look for its
• Charting Impact report at www.chartingimpact.org. The report gives the charity’s answers to five basic questions, such as “What have and haven’t you accomplished so far?”
• Beware of charities that won’t share information. These might be scams (usually by phone or email).
• Look for other ways to give. Ask your tax advisor for any financial implications but consider the following:
• Create a scholarship at your high school or college. They may require $100 to $1,000 a year or more, and larger institutions have higher minimums.
• Give a designated contribution to a hospital. Work with the hospital’s development office to donate money for new equipment or a specific project like breast cancer research.
• Give to your child’s school. Ask them to designate your donation for a specific department, such as the music program.

-Chuck Michael -- www.ChucktheRealtor.org

For more money saving tips and everyday ‘useful’ information please forward to a friend and sign up for my Free personal newsletter titled the “Main Street Post!” by clicking here.

Healthy (Looking) Foods? Not Really

When it seems like it is almost impossible to meet our health and fitness goals, it is extremely important to understand what we are putting into our bodies to help us be more successful. 

With a ton of options to indulge in daily, it is important to be mindful of trap foods that appear to be healthy. Some foods sound healthy, but they really aren't. Here are few that might fool you:

• Bran muffins. Most commercially-made ones contain 800 calories of sugar and fat. Read the label before you make your choice.
• Premade smoothies. They may have as much as 650 to 1000 calories from added fruit, sugars, and syrups. Make your own at home with soy milk or rice milk as the liquid instead of fruit juice.
• Frozen diet meals. It may look like a “lean” option, but they're also low in nutrients and loaded with sodium.
• Frozen yogurt. It contains less saturated fat than ice cream, but it makes up for it with calories, sugar, and toppings.
• Fat-free cookies and cakes. That doesn't mean “calorie-free.” Guess what? The fat is replaced by sugar!

In short, it is important to pay close attention to the nutritional facts/information on every single package of food that you and your family consume. Using this as a tool, it will be much easier to accomplish your annual fitness and health goals for you and your family.

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How To Save $1000 Off Of Your Annual Energy Bill

Is this you every month when you open your utility bill? If so please keep reading as I am sharing here with you a few techniques that will save you big money over the year.

Rising electricity costs can be hard on your bank account, but by combining several cost-savings strategies you can save $1,000* on your home energy bill each year. For the biggest savings consider these ways to reduce heating and cooling costs without sacrificing comfort:

• Add new insulation to your attic. It's especially smart if your house is more than 25 years old. Sometimes the state will subsidize professionally installed insulation and other energy-efficiency improvements. Check with your gas and electric companies to see what subsidies are available and how to qualify. 

          COST: About $750 for an 800 square-foot attic to do it yourself, or $1,500 if you hire a professional.

          SAVINGS: $600 per year

• Seal air leaks around the house. Weather strip your windows and doors by filling gaps and cracks with caulking, and use plastic window insulation kits on older windows. Also, seal gaps from plumbing lines, recessed lighting, and crawl spaces.

          COST: Tube of caulk is $3 to $6 (save by buying multi-packs), and a window-insulation kit is $10 to $20.

          SAVINGS: $350 per year

• Upgrade to a programmable thermostat, which automatically adjusts your home's temperature settings. You can buy a Wi-Fi model ($100 to $200) with more features that lets you remotely control it by using an app.

          COST: $25 to $50 (Check for rebates with your utility provider)
          SAVINGS: $180 per year

• Wash clothes in cold water. Heating water is the single largest expense to run a load of laundry. Also, hot water shrinks and fades your clothes and should be used only when there are major stains.

          COST: Free

            SAVINGS: $130 to $300 per year on water heating costs, depending on the size of your family. 

• Unplug electronics when not in use. Energy “vampires” include TVs, computers, video game consoles, phone chargers (basically anything that “glows”) and account for 5 to 10 percent of household electricity costs even when they're turned off. Save money by unplugging them, shutting them down, or attaching them to a single power strip than can be turned off.

          COST: Free or $10 to $40 for a power strip/surge protector

          SAVINGS: $100 per year

• Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs). While they cost a bit more, CFLs use 75 percent less energy and last at least 6 times longer than standard incandescent light bulbs.

          COST: $5 to $15 each (save by buying multi-packs)

          SAVINGS: $75 per year in electricity by replacing your five most frequently used bulbs. Savings potential increases since the average home has 30 light fixtures.

* All products are available at a home improvement store or online. Savings vary depending on home size, climate, electricity rates, etc. and are based on an average annual energy bill of $2,200.

-Chuck Michael -- www.ChucktheRealtor.org

For more money saving tips and everyday ‘useful’ information please forward to a friend and sign up for my Free personal newsletter titled the “Main Street Post!” by clicking here.