Ways to Save Your Family from Disaster
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Fire, floods, tornadoes and hurricanes are unavoidable disasters, but you can avoid the family legal disasters that they often cause.

1.Be sure your family is cared for if the worst happens to you – have an estate plan. Every adult needs an up-to-date estate plan and will. A will insures that your assets go to who you intend them to go to and may determine guardianship of your children.

2.Be sure your family and physicians know how you want to be cared for if you are critically and permanently injured – have an advance medical directive (AMD). Also known as a “Living Will”, your AMD names the person you want to make the life or death healthcare decisions for you if you are incapacitated.

3.Do not lose the value of your home and other assets if they are destroyed – have proper insurance. Review your assets now and make sure you have the best insurance coverage that you can afford. If you rent your home or apartment, make sure you have renter’s insurance.

4.Do not make your family fumble and search for people that must be contacted in an emergency – have a thorough emergency contact list. Create a list of your most important contact information and tell your family where it is. Your list must include family doctors, utility companies, insurance carriers and your LegalShield provider law firm.

5.Do not make your family fumble and search for critical documents they must have in an emergency – have a secure document depository to keep critical documents. Keep your most critical documents, including your will, insurance policies, military discharge and other important papers in a safe deposit box or secure place where they can be found in the event they are needed. Tell trusted members of your family where they are deposited.

Call your LegalShield provider law firm today to help you with each of these critical actions.
 http://denisecprice.legalshield.com/


 
The Five Big Scams and How to Avoid Them
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Well disguised scams come at you from all directions – the internet, mail, even face-to-face contact. Scammers change tactics constantly in order to lure victims into their schemes. Understanding the biggest scams will help you avoid them.

•Easy money is the oldest and still the best hook scammers use to lure victims. “International Lottery Winner”, “Money Escrow”, “Check Cashing”, “Nigerian Scams” are all classic “easy money” scams that claim thousands of victims each year. The promise of quick and easy money is hard to pass up, especially in these economic times, but remember, there is no such thing as easy money. In the end only the scammer makes the money. Run, do not walk, away from plans that promise you much money for little work.

•Fear is the most effective means scammers use to force victims to make fast and disastrous decisions. Fear has proved especially effective against senior citizens insecure about their financial future. Claims that your bank account has been “hacked” and demanding account information quickly in order to “save” it are common. Most of these come under the guise of your bank’s letterhead or service mark. If you receive a regular mail, email or a phone call claiming your account has been hacked, immediately contact your bank independently and inquire about your account. Do not use a provided reply envelope, reply email website or telephone patch through to contact your bank. These are part of the scam.

•Confusion goes hand in hand with fear as an effective way to make victims act quickly. Again, these scammers often target the elderly who may be easily confused and manipulated. When contacted by a stranger or in an unusual way with a demand that you act promptly, protect yourself by immediately breaking contact or by calling a trusted friend to discuss the matter before taking any action.

•Faith and charity are the best human traits, but ones that scammers often rely on to bilk their victims. Do not make donations or offer assistance to “churches” or “charities” unknown to you who email, call or show up at your home uninvited. Never make a donation to a church or charity that you are not familiar with, no matter how compelling their “story”.

•Jobs are difficult to find in a slow economy. Scammers use the promise of work to bilk individuals desperate for employment. Do not pay money to apply for a job! Do not give personal information to a “prospective employer” over the phone, mail or online. This is a major source of information for identity thieves. When you are contacted about an employment opportunity, meet with the prospective employer in person at their place of business and do some research on the employer before providing any personal information.

If you have any questions about a potential scam, call your LegalShield provider law firm today.
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Don't Let a New Credit Card Destroy You
You probably get weekly credit card offers online, in the mail or at the checkout of major retailers. Careless acceptance of a credit card can destroy you financially. Knowing a few critical facts before accepting a credit card can save your financial life!
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•Closely examine “Introductory Interest Rates.” A “Low Introductory Interest Rate” is a great come-on for credit card companies. These rates are temporary and may increase drastically in a short period of time, locking you into exorbitant payments that you can bury you financially. Before accepting any credit card, make sure you fully understand the potential interest rates both during and after the introductory period.

•Know all interest rates that may apply to your account. Your credit card company will charge a higher interest rate for cash advances and may increase your interest rate if you are past due on payments or over your credit limit. These increased interest rates are in addition to fees that may also be charged for these activities.

•Know when your payments are due and the penalty for late payment. Make sure you understand the due date for your payments and the penalties and interest imposed for late payments. They may be large, cumulative and disastrous for you.

•Know your payment options. You may be able to pay online, by phone or by mail. Some options may carry fees, while others do not. Understand the options and only use the ones that do not impose a separate fee

•Know your credit limit and stay below it at all times. Your credit limit is the maximum debt you are authorized to carry on your credit card account. Most credit card companies will let you exceed your credit limit, but many impose substantial fees for doing so. These fees can accumulate quickly and can result in fee debt larger than your credit debt. Additionally, exceeding your limit may be reported to credit agencies and substantially damage your credit score.

•Know ALL of the fees that can be imposed on your account. In addition to late fees and over limit fees, your credit card company may also charge annual fees, fees for balance transfers, use of ATMs and other actions. Know all of the potential fees and avoid them whenever possible.

•Understand the fine print in your cardholder agreement. Credit card companies know that virtually no cardholder reads the cardholder agreement. It is always very long and printed in nearly unreadable small print. When you accept the credit card you are bound by the cardholder agreement regardless of its length, print size or whether you read it. For the sake of your financial health, take the time to read the cardholder agreement and understand all the obligations and penalties you are subject to BEFORE you accept the credit card. Your financial life may depend on it.

If you need assistance reviewing a credit card agreement or have any questions, call your LegalShield provider law firm today.
 http://denisecprice.legalshield.com/