Don’t be fooled by websites that offer free credit reports only one is approved by the FTC!

Your credit report has information that affects whether you can get a loan — and how much you will have to pay to borrow money. It is situations like this you will want a copy of your credit report to:

  • make sure the information is accurate, complete, and up-to-date before you apply for a loan for a major purchase like a house or car, buy insurance, or apply for a job.
  • help guard against identity theft. That’s when someone uses your personal information — like your name, your Social Security number, or your credit card number — to commit fraud. Identity thieves may use your information to open a new credit card account in your name. Then, when they don’t pay the bills, the delinquent account is reported on your credit report. Inaccurate information like that could affect your ability to get credit, insurance, or even a job.
Your Free Credit Report

Only one website is authorized to fill orders for the free annual credit report you are entitled to under law! Other websites that claim to offer “free credit reports,” “free credit scores,” or “free credit monitoring” are not part of the legally mandated free annual credit report program. In some cases, the “free” product comes with strings attached. For example, some sites sign you up for a supposedly “free” service that converts to one you have to pay for after a trial period. If you don’t cancel during the trial period, you may be unwittingly agreeing to let the company start charging fees to your credit card.

Some “imposter” sites use terms like “free report” in their names; others have URLs that purposely misspell annualcreditreport.com in the hope that you will mistype the name of the official site. Some of these “imposter” sites direct you to other sites that try to sell you something or collect your personal information.

How To Avoid a Scam:

Annualcreditreport.com is the only website authorized to fill orders for the free annual credit report you are entitled to under law!

As a nationwide credit reporting company, they will not send you an email asking for your personal information. If you get an email, see a pop-up ad, or get a phone call from someone claiming to be from annualcreditreport.com or any of the three nationwide credit reporting companies, do not reply or click on any link in the message. It’s probably a scam. 

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the nationwide credit reporting companies — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. The FCRA promotes the accuracy and privacy of information in the files of the nation’s credit reporting companies. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, enforces the FCRA with respect to credit reporting companies.

A credit report includes information on where you live, how you pay your bills, and whether you’ve been sued or have filed for bankruptcy. Nationwide credit reporting companies sell the information in your report to creditors, insurers, employers, and other businesses that use it to evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment, or renting a home.

How To Get Your Free Credit Report:

The three nationwide credit reporting companies have set up a central website, a toll-free telephone number, and a mailing address through which you can order your free annual report.

To order, visit annualcreditreport.com, call 1-877-322-8228. Or complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mail it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. Do not contact the three nationwide credit reporting companies individually. They are providing free annual credit reports only through annualcreditreport.com, 1-877-322-8228 or mailing to Annual Credit Report Request Service.

In the past, you could order your reports from each of the three nationwide credit reporting companies at the same time, or you could order your report from each of the companies one at a time. The law allowed you to order one free copy of your report from each of the nationwide credit reporting companies every 12 months.

As of 2020, everyone in the U.S. can get 6 free credit reports per year through 2026 by visiting the Equifax website or by calling 1-866-349-5191. That’s in addition to the one free Equifax report (plus your Experian and TransUnion reports) you can get at AnnualCreditReport.com.

The Type Of Information You Will Need To Provide:

You need to provide your name, address, Social Security number, and date of birth. If you have moved in the last two years, you may have to provide your previous address. To maintain the security of your file, each nationwide credit reporting company may ask you for some information that only you would know, like the amount of your monthly mortgage payment. Each company may ask you for different information because the information each has in your file may come from different sources

How Soon Will I Get a Free Report ?

 If you request your report online at annualcreditreport.com, you should be able to access it immediately. If you order your report by calling toll-free 1-877-322-8228, your report will be processed and mailed to you within 15 days. If you order your report by mail using the Annual Credit Report Request Form, your request will be processed and mailed to you within 15 days of receipt.

Whether you order your report online, by phone, or by mail, it may take longer to receive your report if the nationwide credit reporting company needs more information to verify your identity.

Free Resources To Teach you How to Manage and Invest Your Money Wisely!

 Financial Literacy equips us with the knowledge and skills we need to manage money effectively. The most successful entrepreneurs know how to manage their money both on a business and personal side. Knowing how to manage your money can make a big difference in your financial assets. Financial literacy helps individuals to make informed and effective decisions with all of their financial resources including but not limited to managing personal finance, money and investing.

Money Smart

 Money Smart Computer-Based Instruction provides financial education for Adults and Young Adults. The training covers topics such as the basics of borrowing money wisely, using a spending plan to achieve financial goals, and how to use banking products effectively.  The Money Smart Computer-Based Instruction consists of interactive modules that offer instruction to help people make informed financial decisions and take charge of their finances.

Beginners Guide to Investing

A great investor can money beyond their expectations! Investor.gov offers a beginner’s guide to investing. The site is filled with helpful resources. If you want to pay for retirement, college, or a home, investing may be the way to go. Before you invest, educate yourself so that you don’t fall victim to fraud or lose a substantial amount of money. Investor.gov is your online resource to help you make sound investment decisions and avoid fraud. … The Office handles investment-related complaints and questions from tens of thousands of individual investors and others every year.

Unclaimed Money Is Not a Scam and Your Name May Be On The List

Unclaimed money is not a scam or promotional gimmick! Unclaimed money could actually be owed to you for a variety of reasons. Before you say oh no, not me! I have spoken to many people about unclaimed money and some have actually found their names on the list, including some of my close relatives and friends. Before I told them about it they were unaware of the different types of unclaimed money lists there are.

Long before the Internet, unclaimed property lists were published in the local newspapers. If you were lucky enough to find your name on the list among the many other unclaimed property owners. In those days you would simply contact the Government office which was holding your unclaimed property and apply for it. For those who were unaware of the list, business services popped up all over the place asking for finders fees. They would give you information about the fact that you have unclaimed property being held somewhere. Then they would charge a finders fee to assist you in recovering your unclaimed property.

Government Warning

Beware of people who pretend to be the government and offer to send you unclaimed money for a fee. These scammers use a variety of tricks to get your attention, but their goal is the same: to get you to send them money. Government agencies will not call you about unclaimed money or assets

What is Unclaimed Money?

Unclaimed money can come from banks, credit unions, pensions, and other sources which have been turned over to the government as unclaimed.  The government’s job is to find the owner of the unclaimed money, by making this information public knowledge. If the government owes you money and you do not collect it, then it’s unclaimed.

I have shared information on unclaimed money with many different people, leading them to find unclaimed money they were unaware of. I have not been so fortunate, but have seen my father, 2 sisters, and a few cousins names on the list.

Where Do I Look for Unclaimed Money?

State Search

You should search in every state where you have lived. Start with your state’s listing of unclaimed funds and property. You can conduct a free multi-state search by going directly to Missing Money, the NAUPA-sponsored search engine, or search state-by-state on individual unclaimed property programs by clicking the appropriate jurisdiction on the map or dropbox below.

Visit Website

Unclaimed Back Wages

Unpaid Wages – If you think you may be owed back wages from your employer, search the Wage and Hour Division’s (WHD’s) database of workers for whom it has money waiting to be claimed. WHD (Wage and Hour Division ) is a part of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). You search by the employer’s name.

Visit Website

Life Insurance

Search the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for unclaimed insurance funds that are owed to certain current or former policyholders or their beneficiaries. 

Note: This does not include funds from Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI) or Veterans’ Group Life Insurance (VGLI) policies from 1965 to the present.  

Visit Website

Unclaimed Retirement Money

The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC)a US Government agency, protects the retirement incomes of more than 37 million American workers in private-sector defined benefit pension plans. A defined benefit plan provides a specified monthly benefit at retirement, often based on a combination of salary and years of service.

You can use their online database to search for unclaimed pension money from former Employers companies that went out, of business or ended a defined plan.

Visit Website

Bank Failures

Bank Failures – Search the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) for unclaimed funds from failed financial institutions.

Visit Website

Credit Union Failures

Credit Union Failures – Find unclaimed deposits from credit unions. When a credit union with federal insurance is liquidated, the NCUA’s Asset Management and Assistance Center is responsible for paying the share accounts to the members.

On rare occasions, the liquidation of a credit union may result in surplus funds. If a surplus remains, a distribution to the shareholders is required. This may occur several years after the credit union is liquidated and it is sometimes difficult to locate these members. The claim list is in pdf format.

Visit Website

Mortgages

FHA-Insurance Refunds – If you had an FHA-insured mortgage, you may be eligible for a refund from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

To search the HUD database, you will need your FHA case number (three digits, a dash, and the next six digits—for example, 051-456789).

Visit Website

Tax Refund

The Internal Revenue Service(IRS) may owe you money if your refund was unclaimed or undelivered.

Visit Website

Money Owed Investors

SEC Claims Funds – The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) lists enforcement cases where a company or person owes investors money.

Visit Website

Damaged Money

Damaged Money – The Treasury Department will exchange mutilated or damaged U.S. currency.

Visit Website

DISCLAIMER

This content is for information purposes only and information provided should not be considered legal, accounting or tax advice or a substitute for obtaining such advice specific to your business. Additional information and exceptions may apply. Applicable laws may vary by state or locality. No assurance is given that the information is comprehensive in its coverage or that it is suitable in dealing with a customer’s particular situation. Intuit Inc. does it have any responsibility for updating or revising any information presented herein. Accordingly, the information provided should not be relied upon as a substitute for independent research. Lees Business Supplies cannot warrant that the material contained herein will continue to be accurate, nor that it is completely free of errors when published. Readers should verify statements before relying on them.

LEE BUSINESS SUPPLIES AND SERVICES IS NOT A FINANCIAL PLANNER, BROKER OR TAX ADVISOR. NEITHER CONTENT AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD ARE INTENDED TO PROVIDE LEGAL, TAX OR FINANCIAL ADVICE. The content and materials are intended only to assist you in your general organization and decision-making for your business or practice. Nor LEE BUSINESS SUPPLIES AND SERVICES or thebusybeepost.com shall have no liability for errors, omissions or inadequacies in the information contained herein or for interpretations thereof.

If unsure about tax law requirements, get professional advice.

Internet Job Sites

Career One Stop 

About: CareerOneStop is the flagship career, training, and job search website for the U.S. Department of Labor. The website serves job seekers, businesses, students, and career advisors with a variety of free online tools, information, and resources.

Website: Visit Website

State Job Banks

About: State Job Banks. In-state employers can post jobs free to their respective state’s Workforce Agency web site. Registration, validation process and job posting time frames may vary by state. Search your state to locate job openings in your area. 

Website: Visit Website

Indeed

About: This is a comprehensive job search website that contains hundreds of jobs. Indeed includes all the job listings from major job boards, newspapers, associations, and company career pages,

Website: Visit Website

Legitimate Companies Hiring Remote Workers

Concentrix

According to Concentrix, their Customer Service Representative team member can be an exciting, fast-paced career where you can go as far as your ambitions will take you.  Concentrix is looking for people who LOVE making customers happy.  They are looking for people filled with high energy a willingness to put the customer’s needs first. 

In this position, you’ll be fielding questions from customers of a large leading-edge, nationally recognized technology company.    As a Customer Service team member, you get to hear the satisfaction from your customer after you help them. Starting salary $10.00 per hour.

American Express

They hire travel virtual agents and also customer care reps, as well as other positions. Sign up for their Talent Community to learn about new openings and keep up with the latest happenings at American Express.

Amazon

Sometimes, Amazon has virtual (or “work-from-home”) positions available to qualified individuals who live in some areas. So if you aren’t near a physical Amazon location, or just want to see if there are virtual opportunities in your area, you’re in the right place.

Virtual opportunities are not available in all areas–specific questions about virtual positions can be discussed during the interview process with your recruiter.

Apple

If you love exploring the ways technology helps you do all your favorite things, you’ll probably be great at sharing your knowledge with others. That’s what you’ll do every day as an Apple At Home Advisor. And with each customer conversation you have, it becomes clear: You’re not just supporting technology. You’re supporting people. Apple also provides training.

Foundever

No commute, all the convenience – that’s the value of working for Foundever from Home while earning income and building skills. As part of the Work At Home team, you will connect with people from around the world and help them through customer service.

CenturyLink

Commitment. Professionalism. Positivity. If you’ve got these qualities, you’re going to love it here. Our call center team members provide world-class customer service and expert sales advice. They answer billing questions and resolve back-office tasks. We consider them our superstars on the front line of the business.

Hilton

Your Hilton journey begins with an online orientation offered at a variety of times on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The base pay for this position is $11.00 per hour. Upon successful completion of training, you will also be eligible for our incentive programs. Incentives are paid monthly and, once you are fully up to speed after training, can expect an average incentive payout of $250 per month in the first year.

Transcom

You’ll be the friendly voice of our Telecommunications clients to support their customers with smartphones, tablets, and computers. You’ll listen to the caller and use your technical expertise, and passion for outstanding customer service, to answer questions about products and services, or troubleshoot technical issues to find solutions.  

Disclaimer Statement

The information contained herein is provided as a public service with the understanding that eperdazzlepress.com makes no warranties, either expressed or implied, concerning the accuracy, completeness, reliability, or suitability of the information. Nor do we warrant that the use of this information is free of any claims of copyright infringement.

Peppermint Oil

Common Names: peppermint, peppermint oil

Latin Names: Mentha x piperita

Background
  • The herb peppermint, a natural cross between two types of mint (water mint and spearmint), grows throughout Europe and North America. Both peppermint leaves and the essential oil from peppermint have been used for health purposes. (Essential oils are very concentrated oils containing substances that give a plant its characteristic odor or flavor.) Peppermint is a common flavoring agent in foods, and peppermint oil is used to create a pleasant fragrance in soaps and cosmetics.
  • Mint has been used for health purposes for several thousand years. It is mentioned in records from ancient Greece, Rome, and Egypt. However, peppermint was not recognized as a distinct kind of mint until the 1700s.
  • Today, peppermint is used as a dietary supplement for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), other digestive problems, the common cold, headaches, and other conditions. Peppermint oil is also used topically (applied to the skin) for headache, muscle aches, itching, and other problems. Peppermint leaf is available in teas, capsules, and as a liquid extract. Peppermint oil is available as liquid solutions and in capsules, including enteric-coated capsules.
How Much Do We Know?
  • A small amount of research has been conducted on peppermint oil, primarily focusing on IBS.
  • Very little research has been done on peppermint leaf.
What Have We Learned?
  • Peppermint oil has been studied most extensively for IBS. Results from several studies indicate that peppermint oil in enteric-coated capsules may improve IBS symptoms.
  • A few studies have indicated that peppermint oil, in combination with caraway oil, may help relieve indigestion, but this evidence is preliminary and the product that was tested is not available in the United States.
  • Peppermint oil has been used topically for tension headaches and a limited amount of evidence suggests that it might be helpful for this purpose.
  • There’s not enough evidence to allow any conclusions to be reached about whether peppermint oil is helpful for nausea, the common cold, or other conditions.
  • There’s not enough evidence to show whether peppermint leaf is helpful for any condition.
What Do We Know About Safety?
  • Peppermint oil appears to be safe when taken orally (by mouth) in the doses commonly used. Excessive doses of peppermint oil can be toxic.
  • Possible side effects of peppermint oil include allergic reactions and heartburn. Capsules containing peppermint oil are often enteric-coated to reduce the likelihood of heartburn. If enteric-coated peppermint oil capsules are taken at the same time as antacids, the coating can break down too quickly.
  • Like other essential oils, peppermint oil is highly concentrated. When the undiluted essential oil is used for health purposes, only a few drops are used.
  • Side effects of applying peppermint oil to the skin can include skin rashes and irritation. Peppermint oil should not be applied to the face or chest of infants or young children because serious side effects may occur if they inhale the menthol in the oil.
  • No harmful effects of peppermint leaf tea have been reported. However, the long-term safety of consuming large amounts of peppermint leaf is unknown.
Keep in Mind
  • Tell all your health care providers about any complementary or integrative health approaches you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care.

Disclaimer/ Disclosure

This information contained in this article is for information purposes only and. and it is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your health care provider(s). We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with your health care provider. According to the NCCIH the mention of any product, service, or therapy is not an endorsement by NCCIH nor do I endorse any products or methods used.

Flaxseed and Flaxseed Oil

Flaxseed and Flaxseed Oil

Common Names: flaxseed, flax, linseed

Latin Names: Linum usitatissimum

Background
  • Over the thousands of years it’s been cultivated, flaxseed has had a variety of health and industrial uses. Around 500 B.C., Hippocrates wrote about flaxseed being a laxative, and pioneers in North America made flaxseed dressings for cuts and burns. Fiber from the plant is made into linen, and oil from the seed is used in paints, among other products.
  • Today, flaxseed and flaxseed oil are used as dietary supplements for constipation, diabetes, cholesterol, cancer, and other conditions.
  • Flaxseed is made into tablets, extracts, powder, and flour. The oil is also put in capsules.
How Much Do We Know?
  • There have been a number of studies in people of flaxseed and flaxseed oil, including their effect on hot flashes.
What Have We Learned?
  • Flaxseed contains fiber, which generally helps with constipation. However, there’s little research on the effectiveness of flaxseed for constipation.
  • Studies of flaxseed and flaxseed oil to lower cholesterol levels have had mixed results. A 2009 research review found that flaxseed lowered cholesterol only in people with relatively high initial cholesterol levels.
  • Flaxseed doesn’t decrease hot flashes, studies from 2010 and 2012 suggest.
  • NCCIH is funding preliminary research on the potential role of substances in flaxseed for ovarian cancer, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, asthma, and inflammation.
What Do We Know About Safety?
  • Don’t eat raw or unripe flaxseeds, which may contain potentially toxic compounds.
  • Flaxseed and flaxseed oil supplements seem to be well tolerated in limited amounts. Few side effects have been reported.
  • Avoid flaxseed and flaxseed oil during pregnancy as they may have mild hormonal effects. There’s little reliable information on whether it’s safe to use flaxseed when nursing.
  • Flaxseed, like any fiber supplement, should be taken with plenty of water, as it could worsen constipation or, in rare cases, cause an intestinal blockage. Both flaxseed and flaxseed oil can cause diarrhea.
Keep in Mind
  • Tell all your health care providers about any complementary or integrative health approaches you use. Give them a full picture of what you do to manage your health. This will help ensure coordinated and safe care.

Disclaimer/ Disclosure

This information contained in this article is for information purposes only and. and it is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your health care provider(s). We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with your health care provider. According to the NCCIH the mention of any product, service, or therapy is not an endorsement by NCCIH nor do I endorse any products or methods used.