Passwords

Too many people still have such passwords as "Password" or "12345" or names readily available on your Facebook.

There is a new theory about a safe password you can remember.

Take the first line from your favorite hymn, a Bible verse, a favorite song, a play you enjoy, or a book you treasure.

So if you like Amazing Grace:

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound becomes "Aghsts2018"

The 23rd Psalm becomes  Tlimsisnw2018.

Change the year annually, and change the password to another favorite at least annually.

It will be more difficult for hackers to guess these passwords, but the passwords can still be hacked from the web sourced.

Use Caution on Social Media

Why worry about your information on social media?

Facebook sold information on more than 250,000 accounts to a "researcher."

The "researcher" relayed the information to Cambridge Analytica (CA), a data analytic firm with a less than glorious reputation.

By linking friends from the original batch CA may have obtained data from as many as 50 million accounts, the data being used for unauthorized purposes for the Trump campaign.

So do not feel obligated or compelled to put everything about you on social media. Unless you want everyone on the planet to have that information.

Also.....

Do not announce your vacation on social media. It is an invitation to burglars. Same for hospitalizations. Do not post vacation pictures until you have returned home.

Do not make announcements about family or friends IF they may not want the information to be made public.

1-800-CHEAP-INSURANCE

The Trump administration is working to enable insurers to sell non-ACA compliant health insurance policies.

 So?

Cheap insurance is usually lousy insurance. People pay a lot for not very much coverage.

Buyer beware.

No, make that BUYER BEWARE!

Spoof Phone Calls

Many of us tend to answer local calls more quickly than we do 800 numbers and unknown area codes.

So now the scammers have something new - number spoofing.

A call will come in with a local area code and a familiar exchange (first three numbers). Problem is, it is telemarketing or worse.

Standard advice - let unknwn numbers go to voicemail, listen to the voicemail, and then return the call if you want to.

About that tax cut......

In February many in the middle class will receive slightly larger paychecks due to the tax cut bill passed in December.

Good news, right?

Maybe not.

The tax charts are based on "average taxpayers" and your situation will be different than many other taxpayers. Your employer cannot factor this into the calculation, not having detailed information. In truth, some taxpayers will get a tax cut and others will not.

You could end up owing money in April 2019. Best let your tax preparer make a "guesstimate" of your real tax liability and compare that against your withholding.

There is no privacy; There is very little security

The Equifax hacking scandal clearly illustrates three important issues for U.S. consumers.

First, what we used to call credit bureaus are now data miners and data sweepers. These firms sweep the entire electronic world for your data, collect it, collate it and sell it.

Those long, almost unreadable “terms of service” statements we routinely click – we surrender most of our rights to privacy and often our rights to due process (via mandatory arbitration clauses).

So unless you live in a log cabin in the wilderness and live by barter you are in the system and you are vulnerable.

Second, cybersecurity is not really effective when lots of people receive large paychecks for being incompetent. Even well run organizations are subjects to hacks. There is no escape.

Third, once the breach happens it is difficult to “unscramble the eggs.” No one really knows how to fix the problem?

 Equifax failed to disclose the breach in a timely manner, set up a useless website to suck you in, and then wanted to sell you data protection services. No ethics in that company.

You are on your own – be very careful.

The NEVER List

Excerpted from our e-book: 

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NEVER flyer for seniors