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.
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:
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.
Whether you are an early bird or a last-minute filer, there is no denying we are firmly into Tax Season. As we reconcile another year of earnings and income, the Federal Trade Commission and the Internal Revenue Service would like to draw attention to an ever-present concern – Tax Identity Theft.
Perhaps you’ve been on the receiving end of financial advice to invest your savings. That is sage advice, but a bit vague. There are many options available out there with varying degrees of risk. It all depends on your financial goals and how much risk you can tolerate. If you prefer low risk to earn reward, a fixed term CD might be the right investment opportunity for you.
As we celebrate the spring season by cleaning, sorting and tidying up around the house, why not add financial organization to your spring cleaning to-do list?
Financial exploitation is one of the most common forms of abuse committed against older Americans. According to a Metlife study, an estimated $2.9 billion is lost annually to scams explicitly targeting seniors.
More than 70 percent of college graduates began their career owing more than $37,000 in student loans in 2016.
