| Mom's credit score hurt over son's car loan
I have a huge problem and I am livid. Two years ago, my son (who had recently graduated from college) couldn't qualify for a car loan because he had no credit history to speak of. So I signed the papers, too, but made sure the car was only in his name. After discovering my credit score had dropped from 735 to below 600, I just found out my son is four months behind on his car payments and that it's on my credit report. This isn't right. It's his car in his name, and the bank didn't tell me he was behind. What can I do? K.E., University Heights A: Besides yell at your son, not much. You should have realized the importance of co-signing the loan payments: You're agreeing to be held liable if he doesn't make the payments. It's your responsibility to ensure the payments are made.
Dell enlists star power to fill virtual piggy banks
DALLAS — Hoping to boost holiday sales, Dell has enlisted Burt Reynolds, right, Ice-T and other celebrities to help customers raise money to buy products for themselves or others. Through a new website launching today, visitors to www.YoursIsHere.com will be able to create a virtual piggy bank where friends and relatives can donate money for gifts. There are tools to create e-mail distribution lists, and gift-seekers can embed their fundraising requests on their Facebook and MySpace pages. Actress Estelle Harris, who played George Costanza's nagging mom in the sitcom "Seinfeld," solicits funds through the "guilt sell": "Not that it's any of my business, but you usually get them a thoughtless gift every year anyway," she groans. "Would it kill you to get them something nice this holiday season?" Consumers must be 18 or older to enlist in the virtual fund and have a PayPal account to receive money.
Yemen, Drugs and the Water Table
As Yemen attempts to reinvent itself as a pro-Western ally in the so-called war on terrorism, it faces a number of difficulties. As Jonathon Walz explains, prominent among them is the prevalence of the drug qat — the consumption of which has surprisingly widespread economic, environmental and political ramifications. .
Security firm urges caution when donating online
Internet users are being urged to exercise caution when making online donations to charitable causes, such as today's Children in Need appeal. Security firm Webroot Software warned that users must be extra vigilant to avoid exposing personal information to cyber-criminals.Webroot stressed that it does not want to discourage people from donating to worthy causes, but to make sure that the donation reaches the intended recipient."We are seeing increases in spoofing and typo-squatting around events driving traffic on the web," said Nick Banks, managing director in EMEA for Webroot. "Internet users need to think about protection and good habits when surfing online for information or donating."Cyber-criminals are targeting heavily trafficked websites, and donors seeking to contribute to worthy causes must use caution when visiting these sites."Children in Need fundraising activities have been taking place throughout the year, but the televised events today will prompt many people to visit related websites with the intention of donating.Webroot said that a potential spike in system monitors and key-loggers allows hackers to obtain personal information such as credit card or bank account numbers.The company also recommends that users ensure that security software is up to date, look for the padlock symbol on the browser when entering private information, and check bank accounts regularly for unexpected transactions.
RDS SPECIAL: Jack Henry & Associates Announces Mobile Banking Solution
RDS SPECIAL: Jack Henry & Associates Announces Mobile Banking Solution
JHA’s goDough introduced as firm’s new m-banking solution.
By Maria Bruno-Britz
Bank Systems & Technology
November 15, 2007
Jack Henry's new goDough is a browser-based m-banking solution that is device and carrier independent, making it compatible with any web-enabled mobile phone, regardless of make or model, and with all mobile phone carriers, claims the company. With goDough, users can conduct traditional in-branch and online transactions such as balance inquiries, funds transfers between accounts, and transaction viewing. goDough is designed to support all account types, including checking, certificates-of-deposit, money markets, loans, and lines-of-credit.
The ‘name game’ has taken a bad turn
Law enforcement officials want residents to be extra diligent about protecting personal information when throwing away items, because thieves are out scrounging for new identities and old checks.
Keeping financial information private has become a critical issue. Understanding how the information is compromised and taking a few steps to make it more difficult for others to obtain this information is essential in protections from identity thieves.
Destroying old financial records and information is important to safeguarding the details.
�When people close a checking
account, they need to make sure to destroy the old checks,� said Sheriff Oddie Shoupe, when asked of ways for residents to keep from falling victim to theft.
Shoupe also suggested shredding all statements and credit card offers before throwing them away so thieves cannot use the information.
Will Your Money-Market Fund 'Break the Buck'?
NEW YORK -- One of the safest and, lately, most attractive places for people to park some of their savings -- the money-market account -- is suddenly looking a little less secure thanks to fallout out from the mortgage mess. Bank of America became the latest financial company to announce plans to shore up a group of money-market funds, in its case with a $600 million reserve. Its move last week raises questions about whether this category of savings might suffer hits that are serious enough to cause losses for investors. .
|
