Can Hackers Use Bluetooth to Boost Your Ride?

By Catherine Powell

Image courtesy Pixabay

Modern automobiles are more like computers with four wheels and an engine than motor vehicles these days.  Everything from the way we operate them to the way they're serviced seems more like mission control than old fashioned auto mechanics.  While all this technology has given vehicles the ability to do things we could only dream about in decades gone by, it has also opened the door to hackers and car thieves like never before.  While I pointed out in previous blogs how hackers can crack keyless entry systems and use trackers to steal your vehicle, recent advances in black hat hacking technology has made boosting your ride as simple as point and click.  Before you head out to the office or the store only to discover your vehicle is missing, I want to share some of the latest examples of high tech auto theft that can prove to be a menace to you.

What to Do When the Water Rises

 By Catherine Powell

Image by Nick Youngson CC BY-SA 3.0 Pix4free

I don't know if you noticed, but lately the evening news has looked more like the Weather Channel due to all the storms and floods that have been inundating areas around the globe.  Just last night I witnessed the devastation that occurred in Syria after 16 inches of rain caused two dams to fail.  Last month they aired footage of historic floods in places like Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and Vermont.  Whether these floods are caused by climate change or not, it just goes to show how quickly rising water can upend people's lives.  Being that I live in Hurricane Alley, it doesn't take that much foresight to imagine the damage that rising water can do to the place where I live.  Even if you don't live in areas that are prone to flooding, as the news coverage proves, this doesn't mean that your town or your home can't be subjected to a flood.  To help you deal with such a possibility, I have come up with ten things you can do when the water rises.

Fraud-as-a-Service + AI = Bad News

 By Catherine Powell

Cyber crime by Nick Youngson CC BY-SA 3.0 Pix4free

As scary as the wild weather has been this summer, there's another storm brewing on the horizon that's even more terrifying: Fraud-as-a-Service.  This kind of crime ran rampant during the pandemic.  International cyber gangs made billions at taxpayer expense by submitting fraudulent unemployment applications using stolen identities.  Just like drug cartels, these gangs would use local affiliates to cash in before paying them a percentage of the take.  Even if caught, the local mule wouldn't be able to implicate those higher up on the food chain, since all their instructions were delivered electronically.  The FBI determined that the hierarchy of the biggest cyber gangs originated in places they had no jurisdiction, like Russia, China, and Nigeria. What's worse is that these illegal enterprises proved so lucrative that the organized criminals running them decided to up the ante by using artificial intelligence to amp up both the scope and range of their shenanigans.  If you don't want to get roped into these cyber frauds, there are a few things you need to know.

How Smart is College Tuition Insurance?

 By Catherine Powell

Image courtesy Pixabay

As they say, education doesn't come cheap.  In fact, the average cost of a year in college in the US including room and board is $26,027.  For that amount of money, you can get a pretty nice car.  If you did, you'd no doubt insure it to protect your investment.  Believe it or not, you can do the same with higher education.  That's right, there's an insurance product called tuition reimbursement insurance that can help recover some of the funds lost should a college student be forced to withdraw from classes due to extenuating circumstances.  Below I'll reveal what you need to know in order to make an informed decision as to whether this product is right for you and your college student.

Can Gap Insurance Close the Gap to Keep You on the Road?

 By Catherine Powell

Image courtesy Pixabay

If you're in the market for a new car that you plan on financing, you'd be well advised to touch base with your insurance agent before you sign on the dotted line.  That's because you may want to look into adding gap insurance onto your existing auto  policy before you drive any new car off the lot.  Whether you realize it or not, the moment you drive a new vehicle away from the showroom it depreciates significantly. Should your shiny new ride get totaled in an accident, catch fire, or get stolen in the first couple years of ownership, you may be in for a rude awakening when it comes to the check your insurance agency will issue for a total loss.  Instead of providing you with the amount to buy a new car of the same make or model, you'll wind up receiving the current value of the vehicle minus depreciation and your deductible.  

Will Climate Change Break Your Business?

By Catherine Powell

Image courtesy Pxfuel

As I stand here looking out my window at the thermometer in my garden, the temperature reads 100 degrees.  While temperatures in the mid-90's aren't unusual in Florida during the summer, having them reach triple digits is.  And it isn't only here that record temperatures have been occurring this summer.  The World Meteorological Organization recently proclaimed July 2023 as being the hottest month ever recorded in human history.   The unrelenting heat wave has been spawning wildfires galore, as well as unusually powerful storms that are causing hail and flood damage in many parts of the globe.  This recently caused UN chief Antonio Guterrez to state, "The end of global warming has ended; the era of global boiling has begun."  While climate change can disrupt lives, it can also throw a monkey wrench into most businesses.  If you own a business and you want to know how to defend your enterprise against the ravages of climate change, see my top-10 list below.

Can Renter's Insurance Protect You from Weather Gone Wild?

By Catherine Powell

Image courtesy Pixabay

As I write this, I'm streaming a video showing the devastation that Typhoon Doksuri unleashed on China recently.  Not only was the devastation brought on by torrential rain and winds that topped 135 MPH horrific, but the flooding that ensued on its heels washed away cars, houses, roads, and several bridges.  Since I've weathered my share of hurricanes over the years in Florida, I'm grateful that I'm covered by insurance should a named storm unleash its fury on my home or business.  This way I'll be able to quickly recover should the worst come to worst.  However, weather gone wild made me think about those who choose to rent as opposed to owning their home.  Sure, the landlord will get compensated for any storm damage that occurs, but as a renter you'd be out of luck if any of your possessions were damaged or destroyed by the wrath of Mother Nature.  Since you can't bill the landlord for damage or loss of your property, here's why you really should consider looking into renter's insurance.