Page 41 - November 2015

Protect yourself online
FINANCE
Chances are that a friend or family member has been a victim of identity theft, or perhaps you've encountered it yourself. This crime is becoming more common for a variety of reasons, but the one overwhelming perpetrator is the amount of information we share online.
Steps to enhance your credit
We all know that a high credit score can help streamline life events like buying a house or landing a new job. But do you know how to boost your score? Try these four moves to give it a quick lift:
Fix credit errors: Don't wait for a lender to check your credit before reviewing it yourself. Request a credit report from each of the three major bureaus every year to review the accuracy of your per- sonal info, credit limits and the open or closed status of each account. Dispute any errors immediately.
Ask for forgiveness: If you have blemishes on your credit, try clearing them up. Negotiate paying an old debt if the creditor will mark your account “paid as agreed.” For a late payment on a long- held account, write the creditor, acknowledge your otherwise good history and ask for a goodwill adjustment that will wipe it from your credit report.
Make strategic repayments: You may not be able to pay off your credit cards quickly, but you can strategically pay them down. Start by dividing each card balance by its limit. Demonstrate restraint to lenders by keeping each card balance below 30 percent. If your card debts are higher, make a plan to pay balances down to reach a more desirable ratio.
Increase your credit: Another way to reduce your debt-to- income ratio is to ask for an increased limit. It's a bit of a numbers game, but if you keep future spending in check, you can end up with a lower ratio. (Experts say this ratio accounts for up to one- third of your credit score.)
To protect yourself online, practice these simple steps to help keep your info from those who are actively trying to get it:
MIKE COYNE
Beware of public Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi is tempting when you have a little downtime at an airport or coffee shop, but there's always a risk of your information being inter- cepted. Make sure the network is secure before you hop on, and
avoid shopping or using apps that require your personal information (like the one for your bank) when you're online.
Secure your devices: Change your settings so your devices don't auto- matically connect to nearby Wi-Fi net-
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