Identity Theft - Knowing When You Are Victimized May Be The Least Of Your Problems

I received a letter in the mail from our "great state" of Illinois that they failed to protect the personal information I'm required to provide to be licensed to do business.

I followed their advice and put a fraud alert on my credit report then went to follow their suggestion that we monitor our own credit multiple times throughout this year. Each credit agency (Experian/Equifax/TransUnion)offered monitoring services for a monthly fee. They ranged from $9.95 to $14.95. Another added expense!

While they notify you of any problems it doesn't appear to have any service available to help restore credit and correct the problem. Kinda like a doctor who diagnoses your illness but offers no cure. I'm not paying monthly for that!

According to my research identity theft victims spend on average over $1,000.00 in legal fees & over 100 (business) hours to correct this problem. Once breached you are more likely to be victimized again in the future. That's more time & money I want to spend developing my business!

I found a solution that makes more sense for me and share this with you for consideration. For virtually the same monthly fees it MONITORS & RESTORES your credit if there is any problems. It's offered by one of the nation's largest credit protection companies (Krull). The same one used by the government to assist with Enron & recover of Iranian assets.

Coverage Details:

Credit Report

Evaluate your current credit standing with:

An up-to-date credit report through Experian at no added cost
A personal credit score calculated by an independent scoring service
A detailed analysis of your personal credit score
Identity Theft ShieldSM makes it easy to regularly monitor your credit report.

Continuous Credit Monitoring

Suspicious activation will be brought to your attention, providing you with early detection.

You'll receive prompt notice if the credit repository is notified by Experian that:

New accounts have been opened in your name
Derogatory notations have been added to your credit report
Public records have been added to your report
Inquiries have been made against your report
A change of address has been requested

Identity Restoration

Identity theft can be devastating, and the process of restoring your name can be overwhelming and costly. You need more than "do it yourself" information if it happens to you.

With the Identity Theft ShieldSM a trained expert will take the steps to restore your name and credit for you!

Help reduce your out of pocket expenses and time spent away from work with valuable services from detection to resolution. Fraud alert notifications will be sent on your behalf and applicable follow up will be done with affected agencies and institutions, including: credit card companies, financial institutions, all three credit repositories, Social Security Administration, Federal Trade Commission, Department of Motor Vehicles, law enforcement personnel, and the U.S. Postal Service.

Proactive searches of applicable local and national databases will be made on your behalf to look for information you may not be aware of, including: criminal activity in your name in your county's records and certain federal watch lists, Department of Motor Vehicle records in your state, unknown addresses affiliated with your name, and banking activity in your name reported as fraudulent

Use this web link to view their infomercial and consider whether this is a superior product.

www.prepaidlegal.com/hub/gregzaccagni click on "Identity Theft Shield." Let me know what you think.

Greg Z

Greg's interest in mortgage finance began with his work at Inland Real Estate. He has managed commercial and residential property sales transactions. During the past decade Greg has volunteered his time as an elected member on the Board of Directors for Central Credit Union of Illinois serving as Secretary, Credit & Supervisory Committee Chairman.

In September 2006 Mortgage Specialist Greg Zaccagni was interviewed for Robert Frazen's One on One public affairs talk show. Look for program #557 "Financing Real Estate in Today's Rising Rate Environment" on Comcast, Insight & UPTV. For more information enter "Gregory Zaccagni" into your Google search engine.

"I enjoy everything about helping others qualify for loans that open doors to their personal dreams and promise to dedicate myself to this end in every transaction," says Greg. Visit this webiste for more information: http://www.prepaidlegal.com/hub/gregzaccagni

Hair Loss Cures

Are you in desperate search of a cure for hair loss? A large number of people across the world are going through a regular battle with hair loss. The inevitable affliction sadly becomes a reality for many of us. Although most men would prefer not to have a bald scalp, some are deciding not to fight it and avoiding the struggle altogether. This certainly is the easiest way to go, but it doesn't have to be your only choice. You can find an effective cure for hair loss if you do your homework. In the cosmetically advanced world we currently reside in, there's no reason why you have to give in and take your hair loss like a man.

If you're a TV watcher, then you're likely to have seen a hair loss commercial or two. Those occasionally odd, yet cheesy ads don't offer much solace when we start losing it on top or the forehead starts to expand. Luckily there are good choices at hand. The first thing you should do when considering a cure for hair loss is consulting a family doctor or probably a trichologist. He or she will be able to inform you about some decent choices. Depending on your budget, there is almost certain to be a cure for hair loss which will suit you. I remember when my older brother began losing his hair before he even left school. I felt strange about this I must admit. Why do some guys start losing their hair at such a young age? Much actually depends on genetics and stress. I would guess it was stress in this case since my mother's father continues to enjoy a full head of hair.

It isn't only men who are looking for a cure for hair loss. Some women are also affected. One solution is delving into the Internet for information. Cyberspace will provide you with a number of answers to this confidence-breaking problem. You can even study a variety of reviews posted by people who have tried specific products. This can be helpful in your search for the right and ideal cure for hair loss. You've simply got to love the Internet. If you see an over-the-counter cure for hair loss, you can likely pick it up at any corner drug store. The good news is many of these products are effective, but they tend not to cost so much these days. You can get your hair back. You just have to to make use of your resources in order to winkle out that perfect cure for hair loss.

Edith Reynes is the webmaster and operator of Easy Cure And Remedies This site contains the best collection of information and articles regarding hair loss. http://www.easycuresandremedies.com

An Engagement Ring Won't Bring You Soup When You're Sick

Many women, including me, have been groomed for marriage from the moment we emerged from the womb. After my daughters were born, I can't tell you how many people told my husband, "Hey, that's two weddings you have to pay for, Buddy."

(His response? "I'm really more concerned about paying for their educations.")

I probably don't have to tell you that the pressure intensifies once a girl's friends start getting married. Then, all of a sudden, every well-meaning aunt, brother-in-law, and clerk at the 7-11 want to know when she's going to find a man and follow suit.

What often happens next is that a nice young woman starts feeling the heat. She gets desperate. She focuses less on what she wants out of life and more on the size of the diamond she wants in her engagement ring. Instead of enjoying dates and really getting to know a guy, she only wants to know whether he's the man who'll make all her little girl dreams come true by asking her to marry him.

Eventually, somebody shows up with a ring, and she starts auditioning wedding bands. She obsesses over whether the hunter green tablecloth is superior to the buttercup yellow for the reception. She plans a honeymoon with the strategic precision of a military invasion.

But she's neglected to do the most important thing, which is to ask herself if she really wants to spend the rest of her life with the guy in question.

Lest you think I exaggerate, a very good friend of mine spent Saturday night crying because her husband (the one who came with the 2-carat diamond in a platinum setting, the college degree, the well-paying job, and the 4-bedroom house) would not allow her to go out with the girls, even though he knew she'd had plans to do so for five weeks. Turns out, he didn't feel like watching their four children, even though he regularly leaves her with them to go away for weekends with his pals.

Another friend who fell for the fairy tale and woke up in the dungeon recently got divorced. Her husband also provided a blinding gemstone and an excellent salary. He came from a "good family" and the right religious background. He kept a photo of my friend on his desk at his prestigious firm, where she was not allowed to visit because he feared she would embarrass him (trust me, she wouldn't). He complained that her breasts were distracting and insisted she have them surgically reduced. He informed her that if she gained a single pound over 125, their marriage was over.

If you think these examples are extreme, I'm sorry to say they really aren't. Go to dinner in a family restaurant on a Friday or Saturday night and witness all the married couples who don't even talk to each other.

You don't want to end up like these people.

To make sure you don't, take your time when you're dating someone. After a while, if your relationship seems to be heading somewhere, ask questions that matter: Does the guy want children? More important, what are his beliefs about the raising of children? Who takes care of household chores? What are his feelings about infidelity? Does he believe marriage is for life, or does he think it should last only as long as it's fun?

You don't necessarily want to tie the guy to a chair and torture him with Christina Aguilera records until he coughs up the answers, but you do want to ask him. Casually. One question at a time. Get to know a guy before you start fantasizing about floating up an aisle in a big white dress.

One of the great things about being single is that your world is full of possibilities. You're free to come and go as you please. You never want to find yourself crying your eyes out, trapped with a pack of screaming children because you married some loser who won't let you out of the house.

It's your life. You deserve to spend it with a man who respects that and makes you truly happy. He's out there, so hold out for him.

Please.

Terry Hernon MacDonald is the author of "How to Attract and Marry the Man of Your Dreams." Visit her website at http://www.marrysmart.com . Check out her blog at http://happygirlmusing.blogspot.com . Her radio show, "Romance Talk with Terry," airs at 11PM/Pacific on Friday at http://www.healthylife.net and can be accessed from all over the world.

Pros and Cons of Establishing an In-House Ad Agency

There have been several ads promoting books and reports on this
subject, or included as part of the contents in several mail
order books stating:

"SAVE UP TO 17% ON ALL YOUR ADVERTISING"

It's legitimate, practical and effective, but like so many other
promises, there are pros and cons involved. The pros are fairly
obvious. By setting up your own advertising agency and placing
your advertising under your agency name, most magazines will
allow you the standard 15% agency commission plus and extra 2%
cash discount. If your annual ad budget is $5,000 this amounts to
a saving of $850 a year, which is a considerable piece of change.

The negative side to this operation involves the initial cost of
establishing your new agency, which isn't very difficult, but it
might be considered time-consuming. To initiate an agency you
will have to have a name for it other than your regular business
name. Example: If your company name is Nationwide Electronics and
your name is John Smith, you could call your agency John Smith
Advertising or The J.S. Advertising Agency, The agency address
will have to be different than your company's, but this can be
resolved by renting a post office box for the ad agency and using your
home or office address for the other. Next you will have to open
a separate checking account under the agency name because all
advertising payments will be issued thru your agency, and you
will probably be required to register your agency with your
County Clerk as a new business.

Once these details have been taken care of, you're ready to begin
placing ads. You'll have to have insertion order forms printed
with your agency name and address, and a separate form must be
prepared for each ad in each publication. When your advertising
schedule involves only a few publications, this will not be a
problem, but if you expand into 50 to 100 different magazines, it
can really cut into your time. Of course, if business gets large
enough, you can always hire a secretary to take care of that
chore.

Copyright 2004 by DeAnna Spencer

This article may be reproduced freely on the Internet as long as the resource box remains intact.

DeAnna Spencer is a virtual assistant that helps entrepreneurs run a successful business by providing affordable administrative help. She also publishes a blog for small business owners. Visit this small business resource today.