THE DOWNLOAD MONEY MATTERS
Fraud alerts will stay on your credit report for 90 days, so make sure to schedule a reminder to refile once the 90 days are up.”
— Theresa Payton, founder of Fortalice Solutions
FRAUD ALERT If your identity has been stolen, Payton says you must file a fraud alert on your credit report by contacting a credit bureau. “Fraud alerts will stay on your
credit report for 90 days, so make sure to schedule a reminder to refile once the 90 days are up,” she says, noting the importance of keeping track of all files and calls made about your fraud alert for easy access if needed.
CREDIT FREEZE Next, request a freeze on your credit accounts by contacting your state’s attorney general’s office — a great additional resource that may be able to assist in the process — or the three credit bureaus. Then, order credit reports for
any potentially hacked accounts, review, and create an identity theft report with the Federal Trade Commission.
CALL THE POLICE Finally, contact your local police department to make a police report and include the identity theft affidavit you’ll receive from the FTC. Payton says to also do the
following on an ongoing basis: Check all bank accounts for any
by logging on to an oficial website or verifying that the sender is who they say they are by reaching out
2 3
Do not reuse passwords for different
accounts.
If you have any doubts, always double-check
fraudulent charges. Set up banking alerts to notify you
of any deposits or withdrawals. Change logins and passwords to
protect your accounts. Review your credit reports for any
discrepancies. Follow up regularly with your
credit reporting company. Report any lost or stolen
government-issued identification. If you suspect your Social Security
number has been compromised, Payton says to contact the Social Security Administration and the IRS after filing your initial identity theft report. Then contact your bank, and close or freeze any accounts as needed.
HELPFUL RESOURCES Credit reporting agencies can assist with monitoring unauthorized activity and freezing your account. “Identity theft protection services,
such as LifeLock and IdentityForce, offer recovery services and credit monitoring,” says Payton. “The FTC has resources to help create recovery plans as well as tools to help monitor your credit. “Legal aid services and identity
theft attorneys will provide legal aid in tricky situations.”
to them separately. you are not familiar with.
4 5
Set up two-step or multifactor
authentication to safeguard your accounts.
Never click on any links in emails and texts that
chances of having it stolen.
When shopping online, check that the website URL has the “https” naming convention. The “s” at the end means there’s a secure layer that encrypts data.
6 7
Collect your mail every day to decrease the
NEW COSTCO PERKS Costco Gold Card members should
consider upgrading to executive membership to receive early VIP shopping privileges, allowing them to enter the store at 9 a.m. — an hour before it opens to other members — to beat the crowds and long checkout lines. In addition, executive members now get a $10 monthly credit toward same-day delivery orders from
Costco.com or Instacart that are over $150.
SKY-HIGH FARES The next time you must fly alone, you might notice that some airlines charge more for single travelers. Thrifty Traveler (
thriftytraveler.com) found that Delta, United, and American all charged a “singles tax” on specific domestic routes for passengers traveling alone. In one case, the site found the fare for singles was double! Adding two, three, or four passengers to a booking slashed the price by about a third per passenger. Airlines try to cater to different market segments: budget travelers, families, and business travelers, and it’s suspected that solo flights are more likely business travelers who will fly regardless of the price.
401(K) FOR TEENS The 401(k) is the most popular type of
retirement plan, with more than 71 million people contributing to one. However, employees younger than 21 aren’t always eligible. A new bill with bipartisan support proposes that the minimum age to open a 401(k) and other retirement accounts, as well as some pensions, should be 18. At present, employers with 401(k)s can offer them to 18- to 20-year-olds, but they aren’t required to, and most don’t. The bill would make it a requirement.
AI IPHONE INNOVATIONS Several new artificial intelligence
(AI) features are coming to iPhones this fall. One will allow users to add a digital passport to their wallets, which can be used for domestic flights. It can’t replace your physical passport, but it will make getting through TSA possible. In addition, boarding passes in your wallet will now display flight status updates. Another feature will automatically identify and summarize order tracking details from merchants or delivery carriers, like UPS.
SEPTEMBER 2025 | NEWSMAX MAXLIFE 79
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100
