SYI: Save your Identity

Written by Roger Sorensen


The warning signs can start innocently enough that you don't even recognize them as being warning signs of impending doom. Perhaps it's a letter from your credit card company about a credit application. It might be a call from your bank inquiring about your application for a line of credit. Do not be fooled into thinking these are innocent mistakes. Large financial companies do not make innocent mistakes anymore when it comes to your credit. As soon as these things start occurring, recognize them for what they might very well be telling you. You have beenrepparttar victim of identity theft andrepparttar 112167 thief is attempting to purchase goods and services, running up large bills and debts only to leave you to payrepparttar 112168 cost ofrepparttar 112169 party. Identity theft is unfortunately all too common, being listed asrepparttar 112170 # 1 consumer complaint withrepparttar 112171 Federal Trade Commission. Nearly seven million people were victimized in 2003, representing an 80% increase overrepparttar 112172 previous year. Even worse, only a small portion ofrepparttar 112173 thieves are ever prosecuted, even whenrepparttar 112174 police are certain they know whorepparttar 112175 thief is. The reason for that is because most cases require that a witness seerepparttar 112176 suspect filling out a credit application or signing to receive goods inrepparttar 112177 victims' name. What can you do whenrepparttar 112178 first signs of identity theft start trickling into your mail box or answering machine? Here are 5 actions you can do in an attempt to minimizerepparttar 112179 impactrepparttar 112180 theft will leave on your own good name. Step 1: Damage Control. You have to start doing Damage Control atrepparttar 112181 very first sign that you might have beenrepparttar 112182 victim of identity theft. As soon as you receive notice about credit applications you know you have not inquired about, notifyrepparttar 112183 local police and file a report that you believe your identity has been stolen. If your purse was lost or stolen, you should have done this immediately. Get that report on file because it is important to have documentation if there is to be even a small chance your impersonator will be prosecuted. Afterrepparttar 112184 police report, you need to contactrepparttar 112185 three major credit reporting agencies (CRAs) andrepparttar 112186 Federal Trade Commission. The box below gives yourepparttar 112187 necessary information.

Federal Trade Commission (877) ID-THEFT

TransUnion - Fraud Victim Assistance POB 6970 Fullerton, CA 92834 (800)-680-7289 www.transunion.com

Equifax - Consumer Fraud Division POB 740256 Atlanta, GA 30374 (800) 525-6285 www.equifax.com

Experian - Consumer Assistance POB 2002 Allen, TX 75013 (888) 397-3742 www.experian.com

By contacting them aboutrepparttar 112188 false credit applications being made in your name, you will activate fraud alerts on your credit file. This is supposed to prompt lenders to inform you of any new requests for credit, giving you a chance to explain it was an identity thief, not you. Sometimes this works. Sometimes it does not andrepparttar 112189 credit company goes ahead and givesrepparttar 112190 thief credit in your name. You should check your credit reports from each ofrepparttar 112191 three bureaus to look for items that are not of your doing. Even if there is no fraud evident, you will want to be watching your report at least every other month forrepparttar 112192 next six months. If you see signs of unusual activity, orrepparttar 112193 fraud alerts work and you begin to receive calls from lenders, contactrepparttar 112194 lenders and credit extenders and explain it wasn't you. Ifrepparttar 112195 impersonator visited them in person, ask them for a description. Then move onto:

Step 2: Understand that Reality Bites. After you receiverepparttar 112196 second notice of someone seeking credit in your name, or see any unusual activity on your report you need to: A.Re-contactrepparttar 112197 police about this theft B.Callrepparttar 112198 CRAs again to renew your fraud alerts which can expire in 90 days. C.Request copies of your report from each ofrepparttar 112199 CRAs. A fraud alert is supposed to notify all three to send you a report without cost, but make three separate requests to make sure you quickly receive each CRA report. If need be, hound them until they hand over what by law they are required to provide you because of your fraud alert. Step 3: Get Busy. Statistically, recovering from identity theft can take more than 600 hours of effort on your part to clear your name. Much of that time will likely be spent in that never-never land of a company's telephone-hold pattern listening to their music selection. Another big chunk of time will be spent explaining and correcting, re-explaining and re-correcting and maybe needing to go over for a third time matters you had though corrected or already explained. For every action you take, you must keep a precise log of action,repparttar 112200 details are highly important. Just as it was important for you to notifyrepparttar 112201 police immediately upon recognizing you were facing identity theft, you must deal with allrepparttar 112202 companies that think you owe them money as soon as you are aware of them. Using a spreadsheet chart with headings like "Company", "Date", "Representative", "Time Spent", and "Response" will help you keep track of whom you talk to, about what and when you spoke. Good record keeping is vital. Whenever you write, sendrepparttar 112203 letter certified mail, and staplerepparttar 112204 confirmation receipt with your other records. Another advantage ofrepparttar 112205 certified letter isrepparttar 112206 time stamp. Credit reporting agencies are required to respond within 30 days - it'srepparttar 112207 law. That time stamp onrepparttar 112208 envelope, andrepparttar 112209 factrepparttar 112210 CRA signed forrepparttar 112211 letter improves your chance of a quick response. You need to take as much control ofrepparttar 112212 situation as possible. One important part of this step is to take care of yourself, do a weekend getaway once in a while if you want. The thing is to recognize that a sense of helplessness and loss of control is common when going through an identity theft situation. Deal withrepparttar 112213 feelings when they occur, take a break fromrepparttar 112214 ordinary routine as needed, try to relax on occasion and not letrepparttar 112215 situation run away with you. Creditors are likely to start hounding you, demanding payment for goods you never bought. Your assertive actions, such as placingrepparttar 112216 fraud alerts withrepparttar 112217 CRAs, reporting torepparttar 112218 police, and keeping track of all contacts with creditors will help you clear your name. It will also help you prove torepparttar 112219 creditors that you do not owe themrepparttar 112220 money your impersonator stole from them.

The Future is Now

Written by Christina Nikolov


You are free to republish this article as long arepparttar author's resource box and a live link to ChartWatchCentral is included.

The Future Is Now by Christina Nikolov Founder ChartWatchCentral, Inc.

One ofrepparttar 112166 missions of ChartWatchCentral is to inform our readers of opportunity before it mainstreams. There is tremendous opportunity inrepparttar 112167 futuristic field of Nanotechnology.

Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines nanotechnology thusly: “the art of manipulating materials on an atomic or molecular scale especially to build microscopic devices.” A more proper working definition is:repparttar 112168 creation of an entirely new species and world.

Nanotechnology is also very fertile ground forrepparttar 112169 investor who does his homework. As always,repparttar 112170 ground floor isrepparttar 112171 preferred position for a new era. Quite simply, Nanotechnology will make every technological advance that has preceded it insignificant by comparison. The time frame for this sweeping worldwide change is short, investors who want to be atrepparttar 112172 forefront of profit in this change should begin serious investigation of this subject now because this is one future that will not wait – it is, in fact happening now.

A Brief Overview ofrepparttar 112173 Changes Forthcoming

Computer processing power continues to increase at an astounding pace, and that will continue. These extremely powerful processors have fueledrepparttar 112174 technological explosion we have all experienced and continue to experience. We are now atrepparttar 112175 tipping point. Processor speed will soon take a quantum leap in speed and flexibility because newer, faster processors are being designed withrepparttar 112176 help ofrepparttar 112177 current generation of fast processors. This sets up a chain reaction as each generation of faster processors is used to design its replacement. Human DNA is being looked at asrepparttar 112178 basis of near-term ultra fast ultra small processors. In fact, initial experiments have shown that DNA can indeed perform simple, although extremely brief, input/output operations. As faster upon faster generations of silicon-based processors, allowing for more sophisticated software, come into use, not only willrepparttar 112179 DNA-based processor hurdle be overcome,repparttar 112180 prototype DNA-based processors will thus acceleraterepparttar 112181 processor speed curve.

The human genome has been mapped – blazing processor speed will ‘crack’repparttar 112182 code, which will, in turn, allow for processors with calculation speeds unheard of today to be constructed atrepparttar 112183 molecular and atomic level.

This is currently inrepparttar 112184 works; research is going full speed on a highly accelerated track. Molecular level computing utilizing DNA based processors will result in what now may be viewed as Science Fiction, but will become fact withinrepparttar 112185 next ten years. I state again that current research is moving rapidly and breakthroughs are occurring at an astounding pace. I cannot over emphasizerepparttar 112186 importance of this issue because this molecular computing revolution will create a world that, just a few short years ago, would have been considered impossible. All of humanity will be affected and all ofrepparttar 112187 world’s economies will experience a corresponding explosion in activity and worth.

Just Imagine

What are some ofrepparttar 112188 things in store? Just imagine! In fact, let your imagination run rampant,repparttar 112189 researchers and creators of emerging Nanotechnology, and its sibling Genomics, are doing just that. Products and services will become available that today, would be viewed as miraculous. These advanced products and services will, however, become commonplace inrepparttar 112190 early 21st Century and will be replaced by a dizzying and constant stream of even more amazing products and services.

This technology, of course, will first be utilized in military, medical and scientific applications. In factrepparttar 112191 DOD research arm DARPA, is currently researching ‘super-human’ soldier applications utilizing Nanotechnology. Molecule and atomic sized computerized applications will enhancerepparttar 112192 strength, speed, agility, vision and survivability ofrepparttar 112193 soldier onrepparttar 112194 battlefield. Once perfected and implemented,repparttar 112195 ‘cyborg’ soldier applications will be able to communicate via satellite directly to commanders atrepparttar 112196 Pentagon, or inrepparttar 112197 field. What he sees with his nanite eyes, can be delivered in real-time to command centers,repparttar 112198 same will hold true for what he hears, what he thinks and his biological signs. Instructions from command and control centers will be delivered directly to his brain almost instantaneously.

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