Are you tired of reading the same things in the same way?
Do you want to be entertained as well as informed?
Do you want your information presented from a fresh perspective?

If that's you, just type your email address in the box below and get ready...

Identity Theft Prevention Just Takes A Little Effort

How many of you keep your social security card in your wallets?

How many keep your passport or birth certificate lying around the house?

If you do, you run the risk of having more than a few items stolen or a few fraudulent charges on a credit/debit card if you lose your wallet or are the victim of a burglary. You are protected in case your cards fall into the wrong hands, and your insurance will help replace items taken from your home. What you are not covered for, however, is what happens after someone gets their hands on your passport, social security card or any other document that can be used to steal your identity.

And know this: identity theft isn’t only about accessing your financial information either–anything from signing up for a membership or cell phone to actually taking over you identity can occur so it’s not always an easy event to recover from, or even detect.

Wallet full of important documents

Don’t carry anything with you that isn’t necessary for your everyday needs. There is no need for your social security card or birth certificate to be kept anywhere but a secure location.

The best way to protect yourself is to be diligent about how you handle your identifying information. Limiting the documents that are available to be lost or stolen, and not allowing them to fall into the wrong hands is the best way to protect yourself against identity thieves. But, it’s not just about hiding the major things. There are many ways in which prospective identity thieves can get a hold of the things they would to make your life a living hell.

These tips and ideas will go a long way in helping you to keep your identity (and money) your own:

Keep going…

Don’t Forget The Legal Aspects of Running A Business

Plenty of people think that starting a business is easy and immediately profitable. In reality, running your own business can be challenging as well as stressful. As you prepare to enter the world of the entrepreneur and try to carve a niche for yourself, you need to recognize that there are several legal aspects you need to be aware of. Underestimating these costs can lead to a decline in revenue and even business failure. Here are just a few of the legal costs that business owners need to be aware of.

 

group of lawyers

You don’t need a team of lawyers behind you, but you simply can’t ignore the legal aspects of running a business.

 

Cost of settling criminal disputes

Offices, directors and employees can face criminal disputes. Criminal defense attorney information gives an idea of the costs businesses have to face in these situations. This is important as an investigation can destroy the image of a business in the eyes of its customers that was built over several years of hard work. Some of the disputes that can take place include commercial fraud, economic espionage, banking fraud and security violations.

Keep going…

TurboTax Reviewed From an Accountant’s View

When it comes time to file a tax return, many people turn to do-it-yourself services. The most popular of these services is Intuit’s TurboTax. And it’s not just regular people who use the service to prepare their tax return, but many of my fellow bloggers swear by it when it comes to doing their own taxes. A lot of the TurboTax reviews you may find online are glowing endorsements. I don’t exactly see it that way. It’s not that I have an issue with people opting to use this service as opposed to hiring a tax professional such as myself, because that’s not the case. While I do feel it’s way off base to think that anyone can learn to prepare any kind of tax return because they have a piece of software. I don’t feel that some people need to pay the fees some preparers will charge for simple returns. 

 

There are reasons why I feel that a service like TurboTax isn’t for everyone, but at the same time is great for some. Heck, I even use it to file some returns for friends and family when they qualify for free filing so I don’t have to charge them anything (and I also use their ProSeries product line for my real returns that I charge for).

 

Where TurboTax Falls Short

For starters, it’s an after-the-fact service. There are no calls during the year to check in and see if estimates are being made, or how things are progressing, particularly in the case of those who have business income from a Schedule C or a K-1. It only works as an aggregator of existing data, unable to assist in any kind of mid-year or year-end tax planning. There’s no one to call throughout the year to ask for advice before making an investment or purchase decision. It can’t sit with you at any time during the year and tell you that you should be adjusting your tax withholding in order avoid owing underpayment penalties or prevent you from leaving too much paid in until you file and claim your refund (especially with the rise in tax fraud).

Keep going…

«Older Posts
Newer Posts»