The winter holiday season is fast approaching. For many, the coming months mean travel to visit family and friends, gift-giving, and preparation of traditional foods. All of these special occasions can be a challenge on monthly budgets. “Some people set aside a little money out of every paycheck or shop sales all year to get […]
If you believe you are the victim of identity theft, visit the Federal Trade Commission’s identity theft website, which lists the steps you need to take. The FTC has a second website, “Immediate Steps to Repair Identity Theft,” with similar information. For individuals who believe they have been or will be the victims of identity theft, […]
The latest data breach in the news comes from Equifax, one of the three major credit bureaus in the U.S. This breach involves computer hackers accessing personal data – social security numbers, birth dates, addresses, and potentially more information – of 143 million U.S. consumers. Equifax advises all consumers to determine if their personal information […]
Further information and resources: The Equifax Data Breach: What to Do Equifax Announces Cybersecurity Incident Involving Consumer Information Check Your Free Credit Report Campaign Annual Credit Report
The University of Wisconsin-Extension “Check Your Free Credit Report: 2/2, 6/6, 10/10” campaign seeks to make the process of remembering to order a free credit report as easy as possible. Anyone can sign up to receive an email reminder from UW-Extension three times a year—on 2/2, 6/6, and 10/10—on the campaign’s website: fyi.extension.wisc.edu/creditreport. While you […]
Student Loans? Preparing for retirement? Repairing your credit? Small Business info? Want to land your dream Job? Just wish you were better at managing your money? Sign up today for one of many financial education programs during Money Smart Week® April 22-29, coordinated by The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and hundreds of local partner […]
Are you one of the nearly 120 million American consumers using a computer-chip debit or credit card this holiday season? If you haven’t received your card yet, odds are you will soon. Smart Card Alliance estimates that nearly 600 million people will have the cards by the end of 2015. Chip cards—also known as smart […]
UW-Extension campaign highlights simple way to check your free credit reports Complaints about credit reports are up 45 percent nationally in the past year, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). In Wisconsin, credit reporting complaints have more than doubled in the past three months. What’s behind all of these complaints? The most common […]
Are you Money Smart? Fact is, we all could use a little help when it comes to managing our finances. Money doesn’t come with instructions, and that’s why banks, businesses, schools, libraries and lots of others are joining together to help support financial education during Money Smart Week. Fond du Lac County Money Smart Week’s […]
UW-Extension campaign highlights simple way to check your free credit reports UW-Extension’s ongoing “Check Your Free Credit Report Campaign: 2/2, 6/6, 10/10” points out that it is much more important to check your credit report regularly than to know your credit score. Your credit score is calculated using information in your credit report, and it […]
