Page Six N/Warren Town and County News Thursday, January 10, 2019
Identity Theft Update: Resolve
to Protect Your Privacy in 2019
It's New Year's resolution time again. You may be
planning to lose weight, get in shape, or firm up your
finances. But here's one resolution we should all
follow - to better protect our privacy in 2019!
Resolving to do a better job protecting your privacy
will not show up when you get on the scale, but the
hidden benefits can be enormous. For example, who
wouldn't want to avoid becoming a victim of identity
theft? By following the simple steps below, you'll be
much less likely to fall victim to an identity thief.
Resolve to:
Read every monthly credit card and financial
account statement like a hawk. Make sure every
charge or withdrawal is legitimate. Immediately
contact your credit card issuer or financial institution
if you find any errors.
Get your free annual credit report from each
of the credit reporting agencies: TransUnion,
Equifax, and Experian. Spread them throughout the
year. For example, get your first free report from one
of the companies in January, from another company
in May, and from the third in September. Go to:
AnnualCreditReport com, the only truly free online
source of credit reports.
Hang up on phone calls asking for personal
information such as a Social Security or Medicare
number, or a credit card number. Also, don't fall for
official sounding names. Government agencies, real
businesses, family members and friends will never
call "out of the blue" and ask for your personal
information.
Be on guard against scares that ask you to
wire money somewhere or to buy a gift card or
loadable debit card and share the password. The
caller may claim to be a relative or friend in
immediate need of money. Don't believe it! This is a
very common scam.
Be very cautious if you receive unexpected
e-mails from friends, fellow employees, or even your
boss asking you to open an attachment. Scam artists
use this trick to embed spyware in your computer's
hard drive. They then use the spyware to steal
personal information, such as financial account
passwords.
Use better passwords and change them regularly.
Make your passwords long and complex. Use a
combination of upper and lower-case letters, plus
numbers and symbols. Don't use the same passwords
for multiple accounts. If multi-factor security is
available, use it. Don't choose a parent's name before
marriage as part of the multi-factor security because
scam artists can easily find that information in public
records.
Reduce credit card solicitations by opting out
of prescreened credit offers. Go to: https://
www.optoutprescreen.com/
Finally, if you become a victim of identity theft,
visit our website, IowaIDTheft.org, for advice on
"- what to do to avoid future problems and recover from
the scam.
Troy Ohnemus
515-202-1805
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New Year, No Debt: Tips to
Manage and Pay Down Your
Debt Faster
Millions of Americans are struggling to overcome
personal debts, which can have a ripple effect in many
other facets of their lives. From meeting monthly bills
to dream vacations to homeownership, debt can stall
many life goals.
"Credit card debt and student loans plague people
from all walks of life," said Michael Sullivan, a
personal finance consultant with Take Charge
America, a national nonprofit credit counseling and
debt management agency. "It's easy to find excuses
for tackling the debt, or to simply live in denial.
However, the sooner the debt is dealt with, the better
A structured plan of attack and professional
assistance can potentially save thousands of dollars
in the long run."
If you're among the determined individuals who
aim to overcome their debt in 2018, there are
numerous options and resources you can take
advantage of. Sullivan suggests the following:
Create a Budget & Plan: Budgets are essential
- no matter your debt level. To start, track all of your
income and expenses for one month. Use that
information to categorize all of your expenses,
including debt payments. You'll likely be surprised
to find many areas where you can cut expenses and
shift the funds toward paying down debt faster.
Get a Second Gig: In today's "gig economy," it's
easy to pick up a second gig on your own schedule.
Ride services, food delivery and even errand services
make it easy and convenient to make an extra buck
to put toward debt.
Consider a Balance Transfer: It could be
advantageous to transfer a balance from a high
interest credit card to one with a lower interest rate.
However, first see if any fees could offset the benefit,
and determine whether you can pay off the balance
before any lower promotional rates end.
Negotiate with Your Creditors: A lower interest
rate could help you pay down your debt faster. You
can call your credit card company and ask for a lower
rate if you have a positive credit history. Be prepared
to state your case. Perhaps you have been a loyal
customer, or a competitive creditor is offering lower
rates?
Talk to a Nonprofit Credit Counselor: If you
need help creating a budget and plan to pay off debt,
a nonprofit credit counselor can help - for free.
Confidential credit counseling sessions can be
completed online or over the phone. According to your
budget and individual life circumstances, you will be
presented with the best options for getting out of debt,
and you will gain tools and knowledge to create
financial independence.
Reevaluate Your Student Loan Repayment
Plan: When was the last time you reviewed your
student loan repayment plan? As your life
circumstances shift, your plan may too. Maybe you
need an income-driven plan, or perhaps it's better to
consolidate multiple loans. A student loan counselor
can help you decide what's ideal.
For more information on getting out of debt, call
(888) 822-9193 or visit www.takechargeamerica.org.
New construction
Driveways Sidewalks
Tear out & replacement
Commercial & Residential
(515) 240-3523
marlin@concrete-pg.com
Warren County Sheriff's Report
This information was obtained directly from
the Warren County Sheriff's Office.
Disclaimer: All defendants are innocent
until proven guilty in a court of law.
December 26th
Greenfield Township - harassment. Disorderly
conduct investigation in Warren County. On 12-30-
2018, Katie Mills, Warren County, was arrested on a
State of Iowa arrest warrant.
Martensdale - theft report. Jiffy Express in
Martensdale reported a theft.
December 30th
Greenfield Township - traffic stop. Victor
Emmanuel Trinidad Baltazar, 23, Perry, was
arrested for OWI 1st offense
ACCIDENTS
December 27th
17:48, State 5/Iowa 5: Austin Roberts, Des Moines,
was traveling northbound in the 24000 BLK of Hwy
5. Roberts struck a deer and pulled over to the north
shoulder. Carrie Hoch, Knoxville, saw Roberts pulled
over on the shoulder and went into the left lane. Hoch
hit the deer that Roberts had hit and the vehicle
turned sideways. Hoch's vehicle struck the rear of
Roberts' vehicle at the driver's side door. Roberts was
pushed ahead and Hoch's vehicle came to rest on the
north shoulder.
18:30, S023/Hwy $23. Kent Sorenson, Milo, was
traveling southbound on $23 HWY just north of Lowe
St. Deer enters roadway from west ditch area and
Sorenson strikes deer causing disabling damage to
the front passenger area of his vehicle. Sorenson
spins in roadway and comes to rest on east shoulder
of $23 facing northbound. No injuries reported.
Sorenson arranged for private tow.
January 2nd
15:00, 50th Ave: Casey Bright, Norwalk, was west
on 50th and lost control due to ice on roadway going
into ditch and overturning.
NFPA Encourages Prompt
Removal of Christmas Trees
If you're still having trouble parting with your
Christmas tree, here's a fact to motivate you: One-
third (33 percent) of U.S. home fires that begin with
Christmas trees occur in January. With this potential
fire hazard in mind, the National Fire Protection
Association (NFPA) strongly encourages everyone to
remove Christmas trees from their homes promptly
after the holiday season
"Christmas trees are combustible items that
become increasingly flammable as they continue to
dry out," said Lorraine Carli, NFPA's vice president
of Outreach and Advocacy. "The longer you keep one
in your home, the more of a fire hazard it becomes."
NFPA statistics show that Christmas tree fires are
not common, but when they do occur, they're much
more likely to be serious. On annual average, one of
every 45 reported home fires that began with a
Christmas tree resulted in a death, compared to one
death per 139 total reported home structure fires
All Christmas trees can burn, but a dried out tree
can become engulfed in flames in a matter of seconds,"
said Carli. "In recent years, we've seen tragic
incidents where Christmas tree fires have resulted
in deadly consequences for multiple family members,
including young children."
NFPA recommends using the local community's
recycling program for tree disposal, if possible; trees
should not be put in the garage or left outside. The
association also offers these tips for safely removing
lighting and decorations and storing them properly
to ensure that they're in good condition the following
season:
Use the gripping area on the plug when unplugging
electrical decorations. Never pull the cord to unplug
any device from an electrical outlet, as this can harm
the wire and insulation of the cord, increasing the
risk for shock or electrical fire.
As you pack up light strings, inspect each line for
damage, throwing out any sets that have loose
connections, broken sockets or cracked or bare wires.
Wrap each set of lights and put them in individual
plastic bags, or wrap them around a piece of
cardboard.
Store electrical decorations in a dry place away
from children and pets where they will not be
damaged by water or dampness.
For more information, visit www.nfpa.org.
