This week you should find the 2010 census survey in your mailbox. The U.S. census is conducted every 10 years as required by the Constitution. The Constitution mandates that a census be taken every decade to apportion the number of members of the House of Representatives among the states. But the census is also used to apportion federal funding among the states, so completing the census survey is extremely important.
And that's where scam artists enter the picture. Taking advantage of online tools, con artists are busy devising fake census survey forms and other schemes to obtain confidential information that can be used to steal identities or even clean out bank accounts. These ploys vary in form, but one key scam involves phishing e-mail.
A phishing scam is an attempt to obtain confidential information by posing as a trustworthy entity in an online communication. Typically, a phishing scam takes the form of an official-looking e-mail asking the recipient to click a link or download a file. In the case of a census scam, the e-mail may ask you to download a census form or click a link to fill out an online census survey.
The U.S. Census Bureau will never initiate contact via e-mail. According to the Census Bureau's website:
- The Census Bureau does NOT conduct the 2010 Census via the Internet
- The Census Bureau does not send emails about participating in the 2010 Census
- The Census Bureau never:
- Asks for your full social security number
- Asks for money or a donation
- Sends requests on behalf of a political party
- Requests PIN codes, passwords or similar access information for credit cards, banks or other financial accounts.
If you receive an e-mail purporting to be from the U.S. Census Bureau, do not open it. Instead, the Census Bureau recommends that you take the following steps:
- If you think it is a bogus email, do not reply or click on any links within the email.
- Do not open any attachments. Attachments may contain code that could infect your computer
- Forward the email or web site URL to the Census Bureau at ITSO.Fraud.Reporting@census.gov.
- After you forward the email to us, delete the message. You will not receive a confirmation email after forwarding the information to us. However, the Census Bureau will investigate the information and notify you of its findings.
Think you can't be fooled? Which one of the following questions is actually on the official U.S. census survey:
A. What is your household's total annual income?
B. What is your social security number?
C. What is the account number for your primary checking account?
D. Which presidential candidate did you vote for in 2008?
There correct answer is that none of the above questions is on the census survey. Yes, it was a trick question, but it was designed to underscore the importance of taking caution when somebody asks you for personal information. In fact, the 2010 U.S. Census Survey includes just 10 questions. While the survey cannot be completed online, you can see what the questions are on the U.S. Census Bureau website. Here's a screen shot of what you'll find when you visit the site:
2010 U.S. Census Survey Questions
Finally, if you are looking for work, the U.S. Census Bureau is hiring. You can check out job information by clicking here.
If you've ever attended a big time sporting event, like the Superbowl or NCAA Men's Final Four, then you've probably spent a good amount of money over face value for the tickets. Every year in the sporting world, there are 10-12 events that scalpers and ticket brokers can't greedily anticipate. And when fans are desperate to attend the big game, they can end up spending more than five times the face value of the ticket.
For major sporting events that are played on the home team's turf, like the NFL, NHL, NBA or MLB, then there are two ways to acquire tickets to playoff and championship games without spending more than a penny over face value.
Purchase A Season Ticket Plan for the Next Season: Nearly all professional sports teams will allow you to buy playoff and championship tickets at face value, if you also purchase a season ticket plan for the following season. This means that to save a few hundred dollars you might have to spend a few thousand. You might say that doesn't make any sense, but you should think of your purchase for next year's games as an investment. Chances are the team you want to see is in the playoffs because they had a great season, so next year, the fan base will increase. Your season tickets become more valuable when the demand for those tickets rises, and you should be able to sell your tickets without a hitch on places like eBay, StubHub, or other ticket engines. Plus, by having season tickets the following season, you have the right to purchase playoff tickets again next year, at face value.
Wake Up Bright and Early: After tickets have been deployed to the season ticket holders that want them and all of the corporate sponsors, then the public gets their chance. Usually, there are two ways to gobble up the remaining tickets. You can line up at the box office outside the stadium at least 24 hours before tickets go on sale OR grab some friends, go to the local library, and wait for tickets to go on sale online. You're going to want a well connected location with a lot of computers because limiting yourself to one computer will also limit your chances of success. If you play the online game, know that high demand events usually are sold out within 5 minutes, so act fast.
For events that are played at neutral sites, such as the Superbowl, NCAA Men's Basketball Championship and BCS Football Championship, your chances of getting face value tickets are far worse. There's only one way to wrangle tickets to these events:
Win The Lottery: After top notch season ticket holders, boosters, team members and corporate sponsors get their share of game tickets, only about 5% of tickets remain for the big game. The only way to gain access for a reasonable price is to win the lottery for these events, which is held over a year in advance. For most, this is not a solution because you have no idea if you want to attend the Superbowl next year. What if your beloved Pittsburgh Steelers don't even make the playoffs that year? Well again, consider the purchase of these tickets as an investment because you should have little trouble unloading tickets for these events, and you do stand to gain a healthy 200-500% profit. To find how to enter the lottery for these events, simply visit the FAQ section of the leagues website, such as the NFL or NCAA.
But if you still can't find the tickets you are looking for, then not to worry, there are still a few ways to find them, albeit for a few dollars more.
- eBay is your best remaining option as the price that tickets are sold is determined by the public demand. If no one cares about the event than tickets should go pretty cheap. If everyone wants to attend the game, however, then bidding wars can ensue. Make sure to only purchase from reputable buyers as many-a-scam can occur with event tickets
- Ticket brokers like StubHub, RazorGator, Ticket Network and TickCo should be your last option as those sites charge an arm, a leg, and a couple of toes on your other foot for tickets. Prices are set by the seller and a hefty fee is charged to both the buyer and seller. Depending on the event, tickets can be sold for 1000% over face value, making the decision to use these brokers an unwise one.
Last week I helped a family member get a copy of their credit report and credit score. One thing they found confusing was just what the difference was between the two. Contrary to what many believe, a credit report and a credit score are not one and the same. While they are variations on your overall financial health, they are distinctly separate instruments. A credit report is just that, a detailed "report" of your credit history. And a credit score is an actual number. And how you get your credit scores and credit reports (and how much they cost) are also different. Here's an up-close look at both and how they relate.
Credit Reports vs. Credit Scores
| Credit Reports | FICO Credit Scores |
|---|
| What are they? | Summary of your credit history as maintained by the three major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion | A number ranging from 300 to 850 based on the information in your credit reports. |
| Why three? | Each credit bureau likely has slightly different information about your credit history. For example, not all creditors report to all three credit bureaus. | Because each credit bureau has slightly different information, they typically produce slightly different FICO scores. |
| Are they free? | Yes, you can get a free copy of your credit report from each credit bureau once a year. | No, although you can get your score for free from myFICO by signing up for a free 30-day trial of Score Watch |
| How do you get them? | www.annualcreditreport.com | www.myfico.com |
Credit Reports
A credit report is a detailed view of how you have historically used credit. It is used by anyone who is thinking of loaning you money and is used to assess how responsible you are with things like credit cards, mortgages, car loans, and so on.
You credit report contains information such as the following:
- Identifying Information: Your name, address, Social Security number, date of birth and employment information are part of your credit report and are used to identify you. While this information is not used to calculate your FICO score, it's still important. When you review your credit report, you want to make sure this information is correct, as errors can occur when your identity has been stolen.
- Credit Accounts: From credit cards to mortgages, car loans to school loans, lenders report on each account you have established with them. Information reported includes the type of account (credit card, auto loan, mortgage, etc), the date you opened the account, your credit limit or loan amount, the account balance and your payment history.
- Credit Inquiries: When you apply for a loan, you give the lender permission to get a copy of your credit report. The result is that an inquiry appears on your credit report. The inquiries section contains a list of everyone who accessed your credit report within the last two years. The report you see lists both "voluntary" inquiries (also called hard pulls) resulting from your own requests for credit, and "involuntary" inquires (or soft puuls), which occur, for example, when a lender pulls your credit history to offer a pre-approved credit card.
- Public Record and Collection Items: Credit reporting agencies also collect public record information from state and county courts, and information on overdue debt from collection agencies. Public record information includes bankruptcies, foreclosures, suits, wage attachments, liens and judgments.
In short, your credit report contains a history of how you have handled credit, and generally represents most of the information a creditor needs to determine whether you are a good risk or a bad risk.
Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion are the big three credit reporting companies. You can request a free credit report every 12 months from any of these national credit reporting agencies, and annualcreditreport.com makes it extremely easy to do so. This way, you can to make sure all the information on file is correct and that there are no accounts listed that you did not initiate.
FICO Credit Scores
Credit scores assign a numerical value to the above information. This number ranges from 300-850. You want a higher score. This tells lenders that if they lend you money, you're "good for it." The rates you receive on mortgages and such will also be lower the higher your credit score. Your credit score can also impact the cost of insurance.
The most commonly used credit score is one created by Fair Isaac Corporation, called a FICO score. Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion have their own version of a credit score, but FICO is the industry standard.
Your FICO score is determined based on the following data:
Payment History = 35%
Amounts Owed = 30%
Length of Credit History = 15%
New Credit = 10%
Types of Credit Used = 10%
It's important to note that for some people, certain factors are weighted more than others. If you've had trouble in the past with paying on time, for example, payment history counts more going forward.
Copies of your FICO score are not free, but are a good buy at $15.95 from myFico. You can also get your credit score for free if you try out their Score Watch service (30-Day free trial). You can get more information in our myFICO review.
