Planning a Winter Getaway? Insurance Is Available in the Event of a Disaster

Planning a Winter Getaway? Insurance Is Available in the Event of a Disaster: "Before sailing off on a cruise or hitting the slopes, make sure that you have adequate insurance to protect your financial investment in a pre-paid vacation, said the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.). “Vacations can sometimes cost thousands of dollars, so it is important to have travel insurance to provide financial protection in case you have to cancel your trip due to illness or some type of disaster listed in policy,” said Jeanne M. Salvatore, senior vice president and consumer spokesperson for the I.I.I. “Some insurers also offer the option of adding a ‘cancel-for-work reasons’ endorsement to a travel insurance plan.”"

Tony Hawk Foundation Grants for Public Skateparks: Deadline March 1

Tony Hawk Foundation Grants for Public Skateparks: Deadline March 1: "The Tony Hawk Foundation is accepting applications for its grants to support building high-quality, free, public skateparks in low-income areas or areas with a high population of ‘at-risk’ youth in the United States."

Internet Thieves and Electronic Scams: Don't Be an On-line Victim: How to Guard Against Internet Thieves and Electronic Scams

Internet Thieves and Electronic Scams: Don't Be an On-line Victim: How to Guard Against Internet Thieves and Electronic Scams: "Identity theft continues to be one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States, and has ranked as one of the top consumer concerns for the past several years. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) has produced a multimedia presentation to help consumers protect themselves from identity theft. The presentation provides information on steps consumers should take to secure their computer and protect themselves from identity theft, as well as actions consumers should take if they become a victim of identity theft. Financial institutions are encouraged to make the link available to their customers from their websites. This presentation is hosted by Vodium."

Mortgage Foreclosure: FTC Testifies on Efforts to Stop Mortgage Foreclosure Rescue Fraud

Mortgage Foreclosure: FTC Testifies on Efforts to Stop Mortgage Foreclosure Rescue Fraud: "Noting an estimated 75 percent increase in foreclosure filings from 2006 to 2007, Peggy Twohig, Associate Director of the FTC’s Division of Financial Practices, told the committee about the Commission’s enforcement efforts and its work to educate consumers about scams in which borrowers typically pay thousands of dollars but end up losing their homes and the money."

Consumer Fraud: FTC Releases List of Top Consumer Fraud Complaints in 2007

Consumer Fraud: FTC Releases List of Top Consumer Fraud Complaints in 2007: "The FTC today released the list of top consumer fraud complaints received by the agency in 2007. The list, contained in the publication “Consumer Fraud and Identity Theft Complaint Data January-December 2007,” showed that for the seventh year in a row, identity theft is the number one consumer complaint category. Of 813,899 total complaints received in 2007, 258,427, or 32 percent, were related to identity theft."