4 The Hampton Roads Messenger Editorial


Turn off the Television and Watch Your Investment in Family, Friends and Finances Grow


It does not have to be anything


extravagant or costly. It can be a potluck meal, allowing everyone share in the preparation. Most people have a special dish that they enjoy sharing with others.


If you have difficulty finding


friends of family members who want to hang out with you this summer, concentrate on your finances and they will flock to you. During the summer we can use our hobbies to make extra money.


Hobbies like photography, BY ANGELA JONES The longer days of the summer


provide us with more of an opportunity to spend time with our family and catch up with friends. There is even extra time in the day to pay more attention to our finances. The extra hours of sunlight during the summer can be just what we need to inspire and energize us enough to invest in the things that mean the most to us.


We were stuck indoors during most of the winter; spring was a time to shake the dust off and get our house back in order. Now that summer is here, we can go to work every day and still have extra daylight to spend time outdoors with our family. Even if we do not have much vacation time, we can catch a baseball game in the evenings or play basketball or tennis with our family members. The sunshine and fresh air is good for our health but the happy expression on the face of our family members is priceless.


Friends are important and I was


once told that “You have to be a fiend to have a friend.” There are many ways that we can rekindle friendships that may have fizzled a little during the winter. We can invite a friend to go for walk in the park. This walk can include our four legged friends too. Our pets probably felt a little neglected during the winter as well.


A cookout is also a great way to show our friends that we appreciate them.


lawn maintenance and baking can all generate extra income. We can also use the extra daylight to plant a garden that we can use to generate income by selling the harvest. Or we can give some of the bounty away to family members and friends.


Summer is a great time to learn


something new. The internet contains a wealth of videos that make learning fun and


easy.


There are also free classes online that teach everything from “How to Invest in the Stock Market" to “How to Build a Website.” Mastering either of these subjects can offer unlimited financial rewards.


Whether you


take an online class or take a friend to the park this summer, you will be investing in yourself and your future.


Sitting in


front of a television for hours will rob you, your family and your friends of valuable time that can never be reclaimed. It is easy to stay inside on the couch watching television on a long hot summer day but if we turn off the television, we can turn up the rewards.


Support local businesses.


Sustain our communities.


Established 2006 Angela Jones, Publisher Chris Parks, Editor


Rae Willis, Graphic Designer Ida Davis, Contributing Writer


PO Box 10414 ● Norfolk, VA 23513


Sales and Information 757-575-1863 info@hamptonroadsmessenger.com


Copyright pertaining to contents of this edition. All rights reserved.


Let’s do it together.


We are the grassroots newspaper, producing real economic results in the communities we serve, as well as for the companies we market. Learn more at www.hamptonroadsmessenger.com.


Volume 9 Number 10 Pay by Smartphone FROM PAGE 1


through an app store or other online marketplace.


You have to load your credit


or debit card information onto the phone. The setup procedure can be as easy as taking a picture of the front and back of the card with the mobile wallet application. The app will then send it to your bank for approval and to confirm that it’s really you. Some mobile wallets may allow consumers to load “loyalty” cards from favorite retailers. You may also receive store or restaurant coupons or other offers through your phone, based in part on your recent purchase history with the company.


LogoMost merchants that accept


mobile payments are large national chains, but smaller stores are beginning to sign up. A merchant must first install card terminals that accept contactless payments; they look different than the swipe terminals you are used to and display the symbol shown on the left.


As with any electronic


transaction, pay attention to security issues. According to Jeff Kopchik, a Senior Policy Analyst at the FDIC,


payments are


June 2015


“Many security experts believe that mobile


more secure


than swiping your magnetic stripe credit card because the mobile service keeps your credit number in encrypted form and does not transmit it to the merchant. But you still should make sure your phone is


protected, such


as with a password, so it cannot be accessed by a thief. Some of the newest smartphones use fingerprint readers to control access, which can be secure and convenient.”


Also make sure your phone “times out” and re-locks itself after it isn’t used for a short period of time. If you lose your smartphone, notify the bank or other issuer of any credit or debit cards that may be loaded on the phone.


“Remember that if there is a


problem with a transaction, you will receive the same federal protections that otherwise apply to the underlying payment source,” noted FDIC Senior Policy Analyst Elizabeth Khalil. “For example, if the transaction drew on a credit card for payment, you will be protected by the same laws and regulations that cover credit cards.”


To learn more, start by contacting


your smartphone service provider or credit card issuer.


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