Protect Your Good Credit

Newsday.com recently reported that 600,000 current and former Times Warner employees, their dependents and beneficiaries, may have their identity compromised as a result of the loss of Time Warner’s computer tapes by a data-storage company. Among those records compromised is a former employee’s 7-year-old daughter. If that’s not bad enough, a student of City University [...]

So far this year we have learned that millions of consumer personal data records have been compromised by numerous large creditors and processing companies. This information has been made available as a result of innovative legislation from several states. So far, however, it hasn’t dampened the increasing numbers of Americans who are victims of identity [...]

As a result of recent laws passed by several states, initially California, creditors and processors of consumer data must notify individuals if their data is compromised due to theft, loss or other means. Prior to these laws being passed, consumers were not made aware they may be at risk for identity theft due to their [...]

Identity thieves have found a new way to get information from unsuspecting consumers. Thieves call posing as a court official and claim that the individual has missed jury duty or there is a warrant out for their arrest. The thief then asks the victim to verify various pieces of personal data such as a social [...]

Get yourself prepared, folks, because credit card companies are raising their minimum payments. In 2003 banking regulators passed some new guidelines requiring most companies issuing credit cards to raise their minimum payment. The guidance indicates lenders must establish “minimum payments that will amortize the current balance over a reasonable period of time.” This means your [...]

The response of some businesses trying to curb identity theft is to put in biometric identification systems to handle purchase transactions. Instead of carrying a credit or debit card, you simply press your thumb to a touch pad. It does, at first, seem convenient and appealing. After all, you never leave home without it. You [...]

Is it really necessary to be able to buy numerous high dollar items on a moment’s notice? With new legislation before the Senate designed to protect Americans from identity theft, arguments between consumer advocacy groups versus creditors and lenders are numerous. One major point of contention is whether or not Americans should have the ability [...]

One man’s junk is another man’s treasure. The same thought process has applied to those who create or hate “spyware”. At first glance, those cute little toolbars that give you the ability to dress-up your email, “block” pop-up ads, download free screen-savers are just fun, interactive pieces of software. On the other hand, those same [...]

A bipartisan group of Senators has recently introduced a proposal for new legislation which is designed to protect Americans from identity theft. At first glance, it appears to be similar to the legislation passed by California and Texas. However, it does require that businesses collecting and sharing individuals personal data begin bearing more of the [...]

In order to help citizens protect themselves from identity theft, California and Texas have passed legislation that allows individuals to freeze their credit history with each of the three credit bureaus. There are mixed reviews from various camps on whether or not this will actually benefit consumers, however, many other states are proposing similar legislation. [...]