IMPORTANT STUFF

IMPORTANT STUFF! _______________________

Organize your phone book
If you wait until you need it, you probably won’t be able to find it. Get your stuff together, now. What stuff?
YOUR NUMBERS!
Create a file for this and keep it all together. AND get a new address book. You’ll see why.
Make copies, 2 or 3 sets, of all of your important papers: birth certificates, marriage licenses, divorce papers, pension, medical records, insurance papers, and WILL. You need to make several copies of your Medical Power of Attorney and Living Will. It will make life MUCH easier if it should be needed.

Make copies of your drivers’ license, your credit cards, any important ID. It is the best way to make sure you have all of your “numbers” and all of them are correct.

Get a Durable Power of Attorney or at the very least a Medical Power of Attorney so someone can make medical decisions for you if you can’t. Make sure they know what you want, like being a donor, OR NOT. If being a donor turns you off, think of it like this. If it was your child, spouse or parent, would you want someone to be so kind as to give the gift of life to them? Am I a donor? You bet I am.

Also, a living will. If you wait till you need it you might not be in the condition to make one. You can’t do this on pain medication or if you are confused due to any reason. But you can be left in that condition for a very long time if you don’t make your wishes known early. No one should have to
live just because a machine can keep your heart beating and lungs pushing air. There is no quality to that kind of life when there is no hope for recovery.

Get a new address book and fill it out using this as a guide.
The first page should have the names and phone numbers of close relatives and who they are to you. Also that Doctors are all on the “D” page & friends on page “F.”

“B” bills, All of them. Never write Credit Card Account numbers in your book. Or you SS number. “B” is also a good place to write birthdays of the people you like to contact on their special day.

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On the “D” page you should list all of your Doctors by name and phone number as well as what kind of Doctor they are. Don’t forget the Vet!

On the “F” page, list Friends and Family under those headings.

If it is your mechanic, put his name under “C” for car or “A” for Auto. However you refer to vehicles.
Make up your own categories and list names under them.
“I” could be for Insurance, house, car, life, whatever.


“WE IS FRIENDS”

Me and you is friends.
You Smile, I smile.
You Hurt, I hurt.
You Cry, I cry.

You jump offa bridge,
I gonna miss you.
J

There are all kinds of safety that we need to provide for our selves today. These are in no particular order, just suggestions that have come across my path that sound like they are a real good idea to pay attention too.
These regard identity theft: (SEE IDENTITY THEFT section too.)
When you order your checks next time, put just your first initials and full last name on them. The bank will know your signature but a thief probably won’t. Also it won’t identify you as a woman or man.
When paying credit card bills, DO NOT put the complete account number on the check. Just use the last four numbers. Yes this is a good practice and no one will object but those who want the whole number for their uses Put your work phone # on your check or if you have a PO Box, use that. NEVER PUT YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER ON YOUR CHECK. If someone asks for it, just say NO.
Photocopy both sides of the contents of your wallet. Make more than one copy and keep them in a safe place, just in case. Hopefully you will never need them. Do the same with your passport, birth certificate and any other ID.
The key to canceling credit cards fast is to have the 800 numbers, carry a small paper in your car and wallet with those numbers for quick access. Also any other identifying information
you might need if you lose your passport overseas. Leave it with a good friend, that owns a fax machine if possible. While traveling have the toll free numbers where you can get to them fast, or at least within 24 hours. Your photocopies will have the rest of the information you need to replace those items.
Sad as it may seem and be, identity theft by a relative or even parent or adult child has become more common than it ought to be. You just have to be careful of everyone now day’s.

NEVER LET SOMEONE WORKING IN YOUR HOME USE THEIR CELL PHONE. THEY CAN TAKE PICTURES OF YOUR HOME TO SEE IF THEY WANT TO COME BACK LATER ` WHEN YOU AREN’T THERE!!
Call all 3 credit reporting organizations to place a fraud alert on your name and Social Security number. It can stop the thief dead in his/her tracks. Credit reports usually give all three reports and the middle score is the one usually used. Credit reports used for buying a car or house are not counted against you like those used for getting a new credit card which can lower your FICO score.

What is FICO? It stands for Fair Isaac Company. BUT it hardly seems fair how it is used. It determines what interest rate you pay as well as how much your auto insurance costs and a few other things. You score is based on 5 factors: Payment history, Outstanding Credit Balances, Length of Credit History, Type of Credit and how many inquiries you have had requesting a check. Find out more about FICO at www.myfico.com

NEVER PAY FOR ANYONE TO “CLEAN” UP YOUR CREDIT RECORD!!!

IF YOU ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO HAVE HELP CALL THE U.S. DEPT. OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT or on the web go to
____________________________________________
http://www.hud.gov/offices/hsg/sfh/hcc/hccprof14.cfm

The numbers are:
Equifax:1.800.525.6285 On-line www.equifax.com

Experian (TRW) 1.888.397.3742
On-line www.experian.com

Trans Union: 1.800.680.7289 On-line www.tuc.com


Get all 3 reports for $38.95 at www.myfico.com

Phone 1.800.CUFRAUD ( 1.800.283.7283)

On-line www.fraud_hotline@countrywide.com

Additional Information contact the Federal Trade Comm.

1.877.IDTHEFT ( 1.877.438.4338
On-line www.consumer.gov/idtheft

www.idtheftcenter.org
www.consumer.gov/idtheft

AND the Social Security fraud line 1.800.269.0271