In today's London Free Press, there is an article on a situation happening in Stratford, Ontario where over sixty people to date have been impacted by a scam targeting their bank accounts in the amount of $30,000. How can this happen to them and to you and I? They were probably redrawing money from what they thought was a reputable ATM machine and low and behold, there was either a device inserted into the ATM machine to read the debit card information or a camera was located close to the ATM machine to read the PIN as it was keyed in.
First of all, in this situation, the Canadian Bankers Association says no one will be out of pocket because the banks will refund their accounts.
Debit card scams are becoming increasingly prevalent and there are some tips you can do to protect your own information.
When you withdraw money from a ATM machine, make sure it is reputable. Best Scenario is a bank.
Next is shield your hand when you are entering your PIN.
Don't give your PIN out to anyone. Let alone put it on a sticky note to remind yourself what it is!
Figure out a PIN that can not be easily guessed if your card is lost or stolen.
Change your PIN regularly.
Credit card scams are more prevalent than debit card scams at this point in time.
Never let your credit card out of your sight.
Have two credit cards. One for your regular purchases and one for occassional purchases. The occassional purchases should have a low limit and can be used for ordering on line or over the phone. Purchases where you do not have the same opportunity to keep your card always in your sight.
Change your credit card numbers after a reasonable length of time. Cancel old numbers and set up new ones. This can be a pain when you have autowithdrawals and need to contact each of these accounts with the change, however it is well worth it.
Don't give your number out to anyone unless you know the source or it is a protected and secure website.
Think about all of your credit cards and personal information like your SIN, drivers license, passport, birth certificate, etc and what would happen if lost or stolen. How do you start the replacement process?
When you get a minute, take scanned copies of all of your personal information just in case. You never know when you may need it.
visit our website at www.dovetailorganizer.com
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
How I used my dovetail organizer today
I have been getting ready for a few presentations this month and needed to update my material. I decided rather than use my own dovetail organizer info, I would make up a persons' life and the information they would store in dovetail. Sitting at my computer I was steps away from a file that held alot of my mother and father's estate information. Why not, I thought. This is a real person and real information.
I started going through the file that quite frankly had sat in a desk drawer after I completed both my Mom and Dad's estates. What I found was alot of information I didn't know or didn't remember. Their Marriage Certificate with a list of the guests that attended my parents wedding. A wedding invitation that is 60 years old. Two separate letters of achievement my Dad received from employers. One from Prudential Insurance recognizing him as the top sales person 7 years in a row. One from the Ministry of Consumer Relations for his role in Chairing the United Way Campaign. I found pictures. I found my Dad's Record of Service with the Canadian Armed Forces.I found his certificate he received from his training after the war.
I found my mother's list of prescriptions she took every day. I found my mother's school diary that had little poems from friends with lots of love attached to them.
I called one of my brothers to tell him what I had found. And what I had found out. I took each of these precious documents, letters and more and scanned them into one of the six sections they belonged in. I now have a historical record of alot of the information of my parents I can pass on to my brothers and also to my children. I'll create a few of these secure files on memory sticks and stick it to ever wants one. And when they, or I want to do another memory lane, we will know where to start.
Plus I have a great presentation now!
I started going through the file that quite frankly had sat in a desk drawer after I completed both my Mom and Dad's estates. What I found was alot of information I didn't know or didn't remember. Their Marriage Certificate with a list of the guests that attended my parents wedding. A wedding invitation that is 60 years old. Two separate letters of achievement my Dad received from employers. One from Prudential Insurance recognizing him as the top sales person 7 years in a row. One from the Ministry of Consumer Relations for his role in Chairing the United Way Campaign. I found pictures. I found my Dad's Record of Service with the Canadian Armed Forces.I found his certificate he received from his training after the war.
I found my mother's list of prescriptions she took every day. I found my mother's school diary that had little poems from friends with lots of love attached to them.
I called one of my brothers to tell him what I had found. And what I had found out. I took each of these precious documents, letters and more and scanned them into one of the six sections they belonged in. I now have a historical record of alot of the information of my parents I can pass on to my brothers and also to my children. I'll create a few of these secure files on memory sticks and stick it to ever wants one. And when they, or I want to do another memory lane, we will know where to start.
Plus I have a great presentation now!
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Who will be your Health Care Advocate?
As you may know, one of the sections of the dovetail organizer is Medical. With our latest version we focused on adding additional information about your health care team, prescriptions and dosages, health history present and past, family medical history, health cards, prescription insurance, and more.
We recognized that in today's environment, knowing how busy we are and how busy our health care providers are, it is up to us to manage our health care and our health care information. There is no central spot that holds the information about us that we need for communication purposes other than what we create. Plus,let's face it. We need to manage our own health care and not assume our Doctor is or will. It is up to us to put ourselves at the top of the list.
Watching Oprah's show on Tuesday with Dr. Oz, some of the main points I took away were: organize your health records, get updated copies of your medical records yearly, decide who will be your health advocate (someone who will be with you at every stage of your health journey), and at the beginning of each year particularly this one, focus on your health. You are the beginning of the circle.
In the dovetail organizer, you can input your medical history, scan or attach all of your medical informaton/cards/prescriptions into the program. You can save your information with digital images to a secure read only file on a memory stick and take it with you to share with others. It can open up on any pc computer with your password and username. Your life on a secure stick for sharing your health care story. Give a copy to your health care advocate.
Think about who will be your health care advocate. Someone you trust and can depend on. Someone who will attend appointments with you and be your ears and logical adviser.
Add that to your New Years Resolutions.
We recognized that in today's environment, knowing how busy we are and how busy our health care providers are, it is up to us to manage our health care and our health care information. There is no central spot that holds the information about us that we need for communication purposes other than what we create. Plus,let's face it. We need to manage our own health care and not assume our Doctor is or will. It is up to us to put ourselves at the top of the list.
Watching Oprah's show on Tuesday with Dr. Oz, some of the main points I took away were: organize your health records, get updated copies of your medical records yearly, decide who will be your health advocate (someone who will be with you at every stage of your health journey), and at the beginning of each year particularly this one, focus on your health. You are the beginning of the circle.
In the dovetail organizer, you can input your medical history, scan or attach all of your medical informaton/cards/prescriptions into the program. You can save your information with digital images to a secure read only file on a memory stick and take it with you to share with others. It can open up on any pc computer with your password and username. Your life on a secure stick for sharing your health care story. Give a copy to your health care advocate.
Think about who will be your health care advocate. Someone you trust and can depend on. Someone who will attend appointments with you and be your ears and logical adviser.
Add that to your New Years Resolutions.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Seeing the Glass Half Full- Resolutions for 2009
New Years Day is my absolute favourite day of the year. It is a day of reflection and also of hope. Knowing that this is the first day of a whole year ahead that is yet to be charted is exciting. I have control for the most part of how this year unfolds. Like a new beginning. So how do I choose to fill this year?
I have two lists. One for business and one for personal.
My business list includes getting more organized(and I sell organizational products), growing the business, focusing on sales,developing strategic business partnerships, and to create a buzz about who we are in North America.
My personal list includes simplifying my life, saying no more often so I can do the things I want to do, maintaining emotional and physical health, keeping in touch with people I care about, having fun, learning something new each day and being with people I love. Whew that is alot to balance.
Yesterday I heard our minister Ken Anderson deliver his sermon called "So Far, So Good". The essence of the sermon was about how we choose to respond to what is going on around us and to us. Do we see the glass as half empty or half full? Are we an optimist or a pessimist?
Ken suggests that while there are life events that happen that we do not have control over, we do though however have control over our spirit, our soul and our determination.
I choose this year to see it as half full and I will spend the year 2009 working on filling the other half. And work on balancing my two lists.
Happy and fullfilling New Year to each one of you.
I have two lists. One for business and one for personal.
My business list includes getting more organized(and I sell organizational products), growing the business, focusing on sales,developing strategic business partnerships, and to create a buzz about who we are in North America.
My personal list includes simplifying my life, saying no more often so I can do the things I want to do, maintaining emotional and physical health, keeping in touch with people I care about, having fun, learning something new each day and being with people I love. Whew that is alot to balance.
Yesterday I heard our minister Ken Anderson deliver his sermon called "So Far, So Good". The essence of the sermon was about how we choose to respond to what is going on around us and to us. Do we see the glass as half empty or half full? Are we an optimist or a pessimist?
Ken suggests that while there are life events that happen that we do not have control over, we do though however have control over our spirit, our soul and our determination.
I choose this year to see it as half full and I will spend the year 2009 working on filling the other half. And work on balancing my two lists.
Happy and fullfilling New Year to each one of you.
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