When you consider the number of online accounts the average user accesses each day, the amount of personal information vulnerable to exposure can be staggering. Do you know how to protect your accounts and prevent cybercriminals from stealing your information?

Imposter scams occur when criminals pretend to be someone you know and trust, such as a government agency, a financial institution or even a friend or family member. According to the Federal Trade Commission, imposter scams are on the rise. There is an increased likelihood that you will be contacted by an imposter, however, with a little education and prevention, you can keep from becoming a victim.

The holiday season is a prime time for hackers, scammers, and online thieves. Due to the popularity of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, we all need to be aware of the potential dangers online shopping can bring and the ways we can protect ourselves.

Today’s technology allows us to connect around the world, to bank and shop online, and to control our televisions, homes, and cars from our smartphones. These activities require you to provide personally identifiable information (PII) such as your name, date of birth, account numbers, passwords, and location information. With the added convenience of these digital tools comes an increased risk of identity theft and Internet scams. #BeCyberSmart when sharing personal information online to reduce the risk of becoming a cybercrime victim.

Times of crisis can bring out the best in people.  Communities step up to take care of one another’s needs, resources are pooled, and good things get done.  Unfortunately, times of crisis can also bring out the worst in some people.  Criminals and unscrupulous people use situations like the current Coronavirus crisis to take advantage of their victims.

Identifying Your Advantage

A competitive advantage is something you are better at than anyone else. The smarter you can be about developing and promoting your competitive advantage, the better positioned your business will be to succeed. Think about a few ways you could differentiate yourself:

Whether you’re running a retail or a service-based business, your customers expect to be able to use a range of payment options. So when you’re setting up your bank accounts, take some time to become familiar with all the payment solutions your bank has to offer.

The only way to truly find out if your business idea will work is to actually start your business, but there are a number of things you can do to research your start-up idea before you take the leap.

Although the housing market in our country has a relatively steady rhythm throughout the year, Spring is typically the time referred to as Home Buying Season. Winter months, the holidays and inclement winter weather make homeowners reticent to open their homes to prospective buyers. Better weather signals opportunities for home improvements, home inspections and home repairs. School age children are wrapping up the school year leaving the summer months an ideal time to move in and out of housing.

Social Media platforms have revolutionized the ways in which people, organizations and businesses are connected. Keeping a personal or business social media presence is the equivalent of having an electronic front porch and inviting others to visit. In general, we look forward to friends and customers stopping by and sharing interactions with us. There is a sense of connectedness even when we are miles apart.