It seems like everyday there is a story in the news that yet another database of personal information has been stolen.  If it was your bank or place with whom you have done business it’s likely that you scrambled to find out whether or not your information was grabbed as well.

Here are a few tips to help keep your information as safe as possible AND clean up the mess if it does.

1. Put a marketing block on your credit report.  This typically has to be done by sending a letter to all three credit bureaus.
2. If you believe your social security number has been used to fraudulently open credit lines that you didn’t authorize, then you need to immediately put a fraud victim alert on your report.  If your state allows a credit freeze, then put a credit freeze on your report.  Apparently a credit freeze is the strongest prevention measure available.
3. Purchase an identity theft prevention package.  Not sure which one to pick?  I’ve heard excellent reviews for this particular program and am looking to purchase it for my family in the next few months. http://www.zanderins.com/idtheft/idtheft.aspx
4. What else can you do to help protect yourself.  Get out of debt.  Eliminate and close all debt accounts.  The fewer accounts you have lessens your exposure.  It doesn’t eliminate it, but reduces your risk.
5. Shred any personally identifying information that you throw into the garbage or recycling.  Typically a good crosscut shredder should handle this just fine.  Shred credit cards, addresses, receipts with any piece of card numbers… etc.

Unfortunately these things may not prevent the worst from happening.  Item three, however, will make the pain of managing the clean up much more manageable.  What are you doing to protect yourself today?  Are you taking the steps necessary to protect your identity?

Take action today and make it happen!

Several months ago my family paid off the last of our consumer debt.  We only owe money on the house and have a decent fixed rate.  I love it.  I love being able to buy things with cash.  I love not having any concerns around making credit card payments…. I love not having student loan payments. No car payments.  Nothing.  In a few years we won’t have a mortgage payment either.

Freaking awesome.

If I want to change jobs, no big deal.  If I want to change careers, it will take time but I can pay for it all.  With cash.

I look forward to buying things because I don’t any pangs of guilt when it’s paid for.

So, you think this sounds good and you want in on it.  GOOD!  Here’s what you need to do:

1. Learn how to budget and stick with it.
2. Pay off all of your debt except the mortgage…. this will take you some time… It took us 3.5 years.
3. Build an emergency fund
4. Save for retirement and kids college.
5. Pay off the house and become incredibly wealthy.

What’s holding you back?  For us, a combination of stupidity, not having a workable, realistic budget and deciding it was time finally got us on our feet and on a program.  Take the time to decide what your financial goals are and how you will achieve those.  You can do it.  It’s worth the time, the effort and even the sacrifice to be able to say “We’re DEBT FREE!”

I’m tired.  Worn out and frankly am about ready to go to bed.  What I planned for this evening and what I did were two different things.  What I ended up doing was fulfilling and what I planned would have been exciting in another way.  The first left me physically worn out and the latter would have fried my brain… not certain that one is better than the other…

So, here’s what I’ve been up to.  For all of my writing and thinking, I’ve finally taken some steps to follow my own advice about pursuing dreams…  Here is what’s in the works:

1. Working on my first official business plan.  I’m supposed to meet with a business consultant tomorrow but may need to re-schedule due to my full-time job and not quite having the plan where I want it to be.  I have another unrelated idea that’s still in the thinking stage, once I have this business plan wrapped then I may tackle that one as well.
2. Creativity.  Music.  Performing arts.  Trying to push them out of my mind as a career choice.  I’ve tried for 11 years.  I don’t think I can do it anymore soooo… In college I felt alive when performing on stage.  So, I’ve decided to take some classes in a couple of the performing arts, theatre, vocal and dance are what I’m looking at.  Not certain how long the trip will last nor what it will look like.  Doesn’t really matter, except that I’m going to start preparing for that possibility and developing a plan to make it happen.  That means that I may not be posting more than 1 a week or so on this blog.  However, I will be launching a second blog shortly that will follow my journey.  Should be a fun ride regardless!
3. I will respond to any emails that I’ve received by the end of the weekend.

I attended my first networking event last night and met some really cool and interesting people.  If you’re looking for a medical supply vendor check out http://www.equatorservices.com/. 

That’s all I have for tonight.  Success is a choice to take a journey into the unknown, and I’m choosing to head down the path.  It should be a heck of a ride.  How about you?  What are you doing with your life?

Last weekend my wife and I went to see wanted and left it wanting something more.  I don’t know what was missing, however, I wasn’t feeling it when I left.

The rating scale is 0-5 with 0 being bad, and 5 being excellent.

Family Friendly Rating : 0
It was R so I wasn’t expecting it to be family friendly.  No shock there.  Two unnecessary sex scenes which seemed more intrusive to the story line than actually adding any value.  Follow that with over the top swearing that generally added little value and you can see why this is 0.

So, what did I like. 
Special effects: 3 
Some of the bullet effects were overdone but overall I enjoyed the effects.

Action sequences: 3
A little more gore than some movies but again, it’s R, not unexpected and not over the top.

However, that’s not the complete story.  There were one or two quotes which literally jumped off the screen at me because they highlight the average person…

Sloan:  It’s a choice, Wesley, that each of us must face: to remain ordinary, pathetic, beat-down, coasting through a miserable existence, like sheep herded by fate, or you can take control of your own destiny…

Two more quotes from Wesley near the end of the movie.
Wesley: Six weeks ago I was ordinary and pathetic, just like you.  Who am I now? Account manager? Assassin? Just another tool who was mind f*** into killing his father.  I am all of these.  I am none of these.  Who am I now?  This is not me fulfilling my destiny.  This is not me following in my father’s footsteps.  This is definitely not me saving the world.
…
Wesley: What the f*** have you done lately?

I wanted to highlight these quotes for two simple reasons.  Wesley was bored out of his mind, never achieving, never accomplishing.  He punched the clock, day in, day out… never changing.  Mind numbing. Stuck in one place. 
And then.  It all changed.  He learned that he fell into an elite few with special abilities.  All of a sudden he snapped into a new world.  A world in which he could make an impact.  A difference.

What about you?  Do you feel stuck in a routine?  A mind-numbing routine?  Nothing changes, your life never making an impact.  It’s time for a Change.  You probably already know what you would or should be doing with your life.  It’s something that you could be passionate about.  Something you would get excited about.  Something that would energize you.  What is it?  What is holding you back?

Assess your situation.  Make a plan that will take you to where you want to go.  Act on it.  You don’t need to run out and quit your job today, but you do need to begin to act.  DO IT!

Resources:

QBQ
Dan Miller - 48 Days to the Work You Love
Dan Miller - http://www.212connection.com/212/holdingyouback/index.html

How would you like to win with money?  Did you know that winning with money is simply a matter of having a financial plan?  Have you always said that “I’ll get around to it someday”?  Where are you now financially?  Are you where you want to be?

If you answer no to the last question and yes to some of the others then this article and other past posts have the information you need to put together a financial plan that will help you win… IF YOU follow the plan!

So, where does budgeting fit in.  Budgeting is the cornerstone or foundation of a solid financial plan.  You may be one of the few who are able to completely win with money and not have a budget.  However, that’s very unlikely.  In fact, I am confident that I can say Everyone needs a budget.  Everyone and every business needs a budget.  You will NOT win or achieve on the same level that you will achieve when you have a budget and a plan.

So, what is budgeting.  Simply put… it’s you deciding where your money is going to go.  It’s sitting down at the table before the month begins and writing down every single expenditure from rent to gas for your car along with your income.  The difference between the two has to be zero.  You can’t have a negative budget for long before your world will fall apart.

The formula is straight forward:

Income - expense = zero.

That’s it.  Not too hard, of course there is a little bit more to it than that, but realistically you don’t need a fancy computer or even a calculator.  To budget you need three things, first, a piece of paper.  Second, a pencil or mechanical pencil.  Finally, the ability to add and subtract. 

So how about it?  Are you ready to win with money?  I want you to win, I want you to succeed! You can do it… but YOU need to take the first step.  Start today, commit to trying it for three months.  You can always quit after three months.  What’s holding you back?  Do it!  Start today and take the first step and begin winning with money… today!