And if the statistics I read on www.identity-theft.laws.com today  are correct, victims can expect to lose between $2,000 – $14,000, will spend an additional $900 to $1,400 on items related to the crime, will spend approximately 300 hours fixing the damage done to their credit, and 72% of the victims will have a hard time getting the negative information removed from their personal credit report.

And if that isn’t sobering enough, the website www.identitytheftassistance.org reports “friendly fraud” is on the rise. This is when your identity is stolen from someone you know, a family member, a friend or roommate.

Do yourself and your family a favor and put a few security measures in place to protect yourself from identity theft.  Here are a few ideas…

Shredding – Shredding is one of the easiest things you can do to help reduce / prevent identity theft.

Items to Shred:  (I’m not suggesting you shred these items, but it you have decided to trash them, they NEED to be shredded.)

• Credit Card Information
• Monthly Bills
• Financial Statements
• Medical Forms
• Workplace Documents
• ID.s

When in doubt – shred!

Computer Safety

• Don’t shop online if you are on a public wifi
• Make sure you have a strong password
• Change your passwords regularly
• Don’t have the same password for different companies
• Make sure you have security software and update regularly

Email Scans

Most companies do NOT request sensitive information via email, so be suspicious of any email you receive that is requesting you to send them your vital information.

Personal Safety

Make a copy (front and back) of all credit cards and documents in your wallet.  Should your wallet be stolen you will have a complete list of all cards lost as well as the 1-800 number to call.

Reduce the amount of credit cards and personal information you carry with you.  This will reduce your losses should you have your wallet stolen.

Check your Credit Score at Least once a Year

Go to all 3 Credit agencies and check your credit score.

You can get 3 free reports a year.

www.transunion.com

www.experian.com

www.equifax.com

Keep Safe!

Be sure to visit CultureMap’s website for more information. http://houston.culturemap.com/eventdetail/culturemap-fashion-sale/

Here are just a few of the things you can tackle in advance:

Address Database

Most of us aren’t disciplined enough to keep up with our address database throughout the year.  Last years returned holiday cards are, for most of us, shoved in a Ziploc bag waiting for us to update.  ”Change of Address” cards received throughout the year have been gathering dust in a corner of our desk waiting the same – update in our database.   Updating your database isn’t difficult, it just requires you to find a small amount of time to get it done.   Find that time in October and get this one task knocked out in advance!  You will feel so much better knowing it is done.

Holiday Stamps

Buying your holiday stamps in October is a great idea because you have a far better selection, you don’t have to worry about them being sold out (which happens much earlier than you would think)  and the lines at the post office aren’t nearly as crazy as they are in November and December.

You can also purchase your holiday stamps on-line which can also save you a lot of time and frustration!

Holiday Cards

Start shopping around now for your holiday card.  This isn’t always as easy as it seems as we all want to find that perfect card!  So start the shopping process early and get your selection narrowed down.  Finding these in advance will assure you they will have the stock level you need and you won’t have to use expediting shipping in order to get them to you on time.

ONLY ORDER WHAT YOU NEED!  Every year I see hundreds and hundreds of extra holiday cards getting trashed because people order way more than they need.  Since you have already updated your database (smile) you will know exactly how many you need.  You want to buy a few extras, but not 50 or 100 extra!

If you choose a card that requires a photograph you will definitely want to start working on this early.  It would be great if you already had some great photos that you took during the year that you can use.  If so this will save you a lot of time and money, but if you  need to get a family photo for your card you will want to call your photographer early in the season and get your appointment scheduled.

Personal / Grooming Appointments

If you don’t already have a “standing” appointment with your hair dresser or your manicurist, call and get your appointments lined up for October, November, December and January.  It will be one less thing you have to think about and you won’t have to worry about them being booked when you call at the last minute to schedule.  If you know in advance when you have holiday parties, have those dates in front of you when you schedule your appointments, it might affect how you schedule.

Gifts

It’s always a great idea to have a few “generic” gifts around for that last minute party you are invited to or the neighbor who stops by unexpectedly with a gift for you.   A great bottle of wine, an oil diffuser, holiday cookies are just a few great “generic” gifts that you can have around for the unexpected need.

Get a jump on your holiday list today and look forward to a fabulous holiday season!  Cheers!

You can’t just make the list and forget about it – you have to use it, refer to it, cross things off, put things on. It has to be a working tool!

All items on your list will be need to be scheduled on your planner. You will never do them if you don’t schedule the time.

Sometimes all that we need to better manage our time is a reminder of the things we have determined are important to us. Simply a list outlining our goals and objectives. We are going at such warp speed these days there is no way we can remember every single thing going on. Add a couple of children and a partner to the mix and you might as well throw in the towel!

There is a saying “when you think it, ink it.” And it means just what it says, when you have a great idea or remember something that you are supposed to be working on – make a note, write it down. It’s believed that if we don’t capture a thought and write it down within a matter of seconds, it is likely to be forgotten forever. So as you think of things that need to happen, things that you would like to happen, things that are important to you and your family – put them on your list.

But making the list is just the start! You can’t make it and then never look at it. You have to reference it, you have put things on and take things off, you have to prioritize your list, and sometime you’ll find it best to delegate things on your list to someone else or eliminate them all together. And the most important thing about your list is that you have to schedule time on your calendar to get those things done.

So take some time and make a list of the things in your life that are important to you and your family. A list that coincides with your home, work, family and personal goals. Anything that doesn’t promote your core goals should be eliminated from your list.

When used properly you’d be shocked how much more efficient you are with your time and how reluctant you are to waste valuable time on things that aren’t important to you and your family!