It seems the older I get the more paranoid I get about my privacy. It is with good reasoning. Have you looked at the world today? Credit fraud, identity theft, stalkers, home invasions. This does not even factor in the amount of privacy we are handing over to the government all in the name of security. Our credit is one of the most important things we have in the achieving financial independence. I have listed below some things you can do to protect yourself and your privacy. Some are a little extreme but are worth it in the end. You may also think I am being paranoid. I can give a few examples where people wished they had done these things because now they have individuals stalking them or have had their identities stolen.
Mailing address: This is the most important one. If you are going to one of these items it would be this one. Repeat after me, never associate your name with your personal residence. Have all your mail forwarded to a mailbox facility close to your home like a Mailbox Etc. or a UPS store. Do not use a PO Box because most places do not accept a PO Box as a mailing address nor do they accept UPS or FEDEX packages. A person can easily find where you live by getting one of your personal records. You need to change all records, utilities, credit cards, banks, doctors, mailing lists, relatives, brokerages, insurance companies. All of them!!!
Social websites: Do not put yourself on these websites. I am talking about Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, Linkedin period. If you must keep up with Aunt Sally set yourself up and set very strong privacy settings. Also, do not play games like Farmville or Mafia Wars. If you want to do this , set up a false account not under your name. This is your chance to be the person you always wanted to be!!!
Photos: There is a little known fact than some cameras and mostly all mobile phones record a small bit of information of each photo. This bit of information can tell anyone where the photo was taken. You can imagine all those photos you upload to all your social web sites can be traced back to where they were taken. Those photos can lead back to your exact location.
Credit: If you have a credit card and use it with any regularity odds are you have had it comprised. In addition, identity theft is running rampant. The best way to stop it is by taking away what the thieves want. YOUR CREDIT. The easiest way is go to each of the three credit reporting agencies, Experian, Equifax, Transunion. Each of them offers the service of freezing your credit where no one can apply for credit without you unfreezing your credit. Freezing and unfreezing your credit is very easy. You can do it online or by phone. An easier method you can sign up with a company that does it for you, e.g. LifeLock.
Mobile Phones: Here comes the paranoid part.With the proliferation of apps, also comes the giving away of your privacy. Phones can not only give away your location and your personal information but everyone’s information in your contact list. One way to stop this in its track is not to use a prepaid mobile that is paid for in cash. This means the actual purchase and the monthly charge. Also, store nothing on the phone and take the battery out of it when you are not using it.
These are just a few methods you can use to protect your privacy in today’s environment.
forex tax privacy
Mailing address: This is the most important one. If you are going to one of these items it would be this one. Repeat after me, never associate your name with your personal residence. Have all your mail forwarded to a mailbox facility close to your home like a Mailbox Etc. or a UPS store. Do not use a PO Box because most places do not accept a PO Box as a mailing address nor do they accept UPS or FEDEX packages. A person can easily find where you live by getting one of your personal records. You need to change all records, utilities, credit cards, banks, doctors, mailing lists, relatives, brokerages, insurance companies. All of them!!!
Social websites: Do not put yourself on these websites. I am talking about Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, Linkedin period. If you must keep up with Aunt Sally set yourself up and set very strong privacy settings. Also, do not play games like Farmville or Mafia Wars. If you want to do this , set up a false account not under your name. This is your chance to be the person you always wanted to be!!!
Photos: There is a little known fact than some cameras and mostly all mobile phones record a small bit of information of each photo. This bit of information can tell anyone where the photo was taken. You can imagine all those photos you upload to all your social web sites can be traced back to where they were taken. Those photos can lead back to your exact location.
Credit: If you have a credit card and use it with any regularity odds are you have had it comprised. In addition, identity theft is running rampant. The best way to stop it is by taking away what the thieves want. YOUR CREDIT. The easiest way is go to each of the three credit reporting agencies, Experian, Equifax, Transunion. Each of them offers the service of freezing your credit where no one can apply for credit without you unfreezing your credit. Freezing and unfreezing your credit is very easy. You can do it online or by phone. An easier method you can sign up with a company that does it for you, e.g. LifeLock.
Mobile Phones: Here comes the paranoid part.With the proliferation of apps, also comes the giving away of your privacy. Phones can not only give away your location and your personal information but everyone’s information in your contact list. One way to stop this in its track is not to use a prepaid mobile that is paid for in cash. This means the actual purchase and the monthly charge. Also, store nothing on the phone and take the battery out of it when you are not using it.
These are just a few methods you can use to protect your privacy in today’s environment.
forex tax privacy
Great article
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