How to Prevent Identity Theft

By Catherine Powell

Image courtesy Pixabay

If you're like most people, you value your privacy.  The problem is in this wired world of ours, privacy is hard to come by.  Cameras using facial recognition monitor your movements. Corporations mine the data you produce when you surf the web or send a text.  Government agencies monitor your phone calls.  Even your boss might be snooping on you when you use a company computer.  As bad as all that sounds, there's one invasion of privacy that trumps all of these by far.  That's when a cybercriminal steals your identity for financial gain.  Not only can this kind of crime result in a financial loss, it can also come to haunt you for years to come.  Below are ten ways you can help prevent identity theft.

All About Business Insurance

 By Catherine Powell

Image courtesy Pixabay

Owning a successful business is nothing to take lightly.  It takes the vision to see a need that begs to be fulfilled.  Then it takes the guts to risk your hard-earned money to enter a competitive marketplace to acquire a piece of the pie.  It also takes a long-term commitment of personal time to make sure your ship of commerce stays afloat.  Even if all of the above are accomplished to perfection, a successful business still needs to avoid many obstacles that can derail or destroy it without warning.  That's why business insurance was created.  If you own a business, or are thinking of starting one, you need to understand the perils that potentially lay ahead of you as well as the products that can protect your venture from calamities large and small.  Below are ten ways business insurance can help you protect your enterprise.

10 Ways to Build a Home-Based Business

 By Catherine Powell

Courtesy of Pixabay.com

While much of the news surrounding COVID-19 has been bad, there was at least one positive note.  More people got to work from home.  If you were one of them and are looking to build your profit base, or you were sucked back into the corporate world and want to build a home-based business of your own, there are a few things you need to keep in mind.  Like any business venture, there's a right way and a wrong way to go about creating, marketing, and growing what's known as a SOHO business. (Small Office, Home Office) Get it right and you'll be able to create a second income or even a primary income that will allow you to break those corporate shackles.  Get it wrong and you could wind up deep in debt, or even in violation of the law.  To help you steer through the minefield of running a profitable business from home, I've come up with a list of ten do's and don'ts that will make sure your ship of commerce doesn't wind up on the rocks.

Interested in Owning an Electric Vehicle?

 By Catherine Powell

Image courtesy Pixabay

While gas prices may have fallen a bit as of late, who can forget paying $5.00 a gallon or more at the pump?  I know I won't and this isn't something that most people will forget for quite some time.  As a result, many motorists have expressed an interest in owning an electric vehicle.  A few years ago, EVs were something of a rarity.  But today, every major car manufacturer has an e-car or two in their inventory.  While many consumers were put off by the high sticker prices of many EVs, not only have the prices dropped on some models, but the federal government offers up to $7,500 in tax credits on many EVs.  So, if you're looking to trade that gas guzzler for a vehicle that you can plug-in instead of paying through the nose at the pump, here's what you need to know.

The Terrible Truth About Traffic Tickets

 By Catherine Powell

Image courtesy Pixabay

If you're a licensed driver in Florida like I am, then it should come as no surprise that there are lots of drivers who don't follow the rules of the road.  In fact, on average a traffic accident occurs every 90-seconds in the Sunshine State.  (401,170 in 2021) That doesn't count for all the traffic tickets written to drivers who committed infractions. (2,479,904 statewide and 155,424 in Duval County alone in 2021)  While getting a traffic citation can mean paying a heavy fine, it can also cause your auto insurance rates to rise.  To keep you from having to find out the hard way just what a traffic ticket can cost you in the long run, I thought I'd take a few minutes to share some thoughts on that subject.

How to Rid Your Residence of Rodents

 By Catherine Powell

Image courtesy Pixabay

The pitter-patter of little feet is usually something that makes most folks smile, unless the sound is the result of rodents running overhead as they scamper through your attic.  Living in the city means that rodents are everywhere.  The reason most people don't see rats and mice all that often is because they're nocturnal by nature.  That means when we go to bed they clock in for the night shift.  Cagey by nature, they know how to avoid our pets while pursuing the three things that make life worthwhile: food, shelter, and mates.  While wild creatures, they are not averse to setting up housekeeping in our homes or yards.  Once entrenched, these furry little rascals can be extremely hard to evict.  Worse still is the fact that any damage to your property caused by rodents is NOT covered by homeowner's insurance.  The best way to deal with a rodent infestation is to avoid one.  In today's blog I'll teach you ten ways to convince Mickey and Minnie to try someplace else other than your home to live in.

Is Your Insurance Ready to Face the Wrath of Mother Nature?

 By Catherine Powell

Image courtesy of Pixabay

Everywhere you look these days it seems you can't help but find stories of natural disasters.  Record flooding in Kentucky, tornadoes tearing up the heartland, and western wildfires of epic proportions are featured every day on the news.  So frequent are reports of mayhem brought about by Mother Nature that a lot of folks simply tune them out.  At least they do until they're staring down the barrel of a natural disaster of their own.  Then it's a matter of wondering whether they're prepared for the worst that Mother Nature can dish out.  Living in Florida means that all of the above mentioned calamities have occurred in the past and will occur again in the future.  The last thing you want to find out after a natural disaster has damaged or destroyed your home is that your insurance isn't going to help make you whole again.  Below are ten tips to help you make sure this never happens to you.