THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES TO BE ASSISTED AS PART OF BOOMIN’ 2010 COMMUNITY EVENT

Hartford –Century21 Classic Homes is honored to participate in Boomin’ 2010 “Healing in the Heart of Hartford for All People of Connecticut” in Hartford’s Bushnell Park, Saturday July 31 from 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM. Boomin’ 2010 is designed to make a permanent impact on the lives of people and help re-channel their energy to help them focus on their unique purpose and destiny. The program is not only geared to promote their talents, but also to encourage higher education and career alternatives. Now is the time for us to meet the needs of the people, as well as showcase the talents of those in our community. Proceeds from the event go to KIEDC, a nonprofit fund which provides college grants and funding for those who would like to further their education but may not have the funds.

Century 21 Classic Homes, with offices in East Hartford and Glastonbury, is the only real estate sponsor. The goal is to provide information and guidance to those individuals looking to buy or sell a home or to find alternatives for home owners facing foreclosure. There will be bankers and mortgage officers available to provide pre-qualifications for home purchases and re-finances as well as a credit repair specialist. There will be real estate attorneys available to help distressed homeowners take advantage of mediation and federal mortgage relief programs. This event is geared to current homeowners as well as buyers hoping to enter the housing market.

Century21 Classic Homes is an independently owned franchise. Classic Homes Realtors will be available to help customers navigate the road to home ownership by providing a variety of real estate services. There will be Accredited Buyer Representatives, Short Sale and Foreclosure Specialists and Listing Agents to answers questions and provide a variety of real estate materials.

The day will be informative and fun for all. Refreshments, live bands, children’s activities, and other entertainment will be a big part of the appeal in this event. To volunteer, make donations, or get more information about the event, please contact Chris Hogan with Century21 Classic Homes – Real Estate Sector Coordinator at 860-558-4337 or email at ChrisJHogan@Yahoo.com.

Common Cents topics include:

• Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention
• Individual Development Accounts (Matched Savings)
• Homebuyer Workshops and Pre-purchase Counseling
• Financial Literacy, including credit repair and budgeting

Click here to Download Event Flyer

Jonathan had everything going for him at an interview with a prestigious insurance company. References, his degree, and a couple of years working for a smaller firm left him feeling confident. Unfortunately, his less-than-perfect credit history would ultimately cost him this job opportunity.
More often than not, credit scores are being used as the new way to measure whether or not you can rent apartments, get preferred car and life insurance rates, have the cell phone you want; more recently, these scores are even determining whether or not you will get the job of your dreams.
Credit scores are simply a three-digit number used to measure someone’s financial responsibility. They range from 300 to 850, where higher is better.
As unfair as it may seem to use credit history to determine someone’s ability to hold a job or do a job properly, this nonetheless seems to be the trend. And who said life was fair anyway?
Undoubtedly, it is now more important than ever to make sure we as consumers check our scores and do all that we can to keep them at a decent range. The average score is 640. A score above 650 is generally a very good score, and consumers with these scores or higher have the best chance of getting preferred interest rates (and that job you want). So, when was the last time you checked your credit score?
To obtain a credit score you will first need to secure a credit report. A credit report is the document used to feed information into the formula that determines your score. There are three ways to get your credit score: over the phone, through the mail, or via the Internet. You will need a credit card or debit card to secure your credit score over the phone or Internet. The website www.annualcreditreport.com is the official website of the three credit bureaus, and it is designed so consumers can get one free copy of their credit report each year from each of the three bureaus.

For more information please contact Andrea Hardy at the CRT H.O.M.E. (Home Ownership Made Easy) Center. She can be reached at (860) 560-4210 or hardya@crtct.org.

1. Mail theft
2. Dumpster diving
3. Unscrupulous employees
4. Stolen or lost wallets
5. Internet fraud
6. Burglary (home, vehicle, documents, computer files, etc.)
7. Friends or relatives
8. Phone scams
9. Unethical use of public documents
10. Shoulder surfing for passwords at ATMs, computers, etc.
Attorney Mari Frank knew something was terribly wrong as soon as her bank called regarding an outstanding $11,000 bill she knew nothing about. “I was really frightened,” she reports. “I didn’t know what to do.”

Frank regained her wits and immediately phoned the three major credit agencies to tell them a fraudulent account had been opened in her name. She learned that an imposter had stolen $50,000 in her name—and purchased a red convertible Mustang to boot. The identity thief had worked as a secretary at a law firm and accessed Frank’s credit report from an online subscription service.

Changed Life Forever
Almost one year after that first phone call—and hours of detective work, letter writing and telephone calls later—Mari Frank had her good name and credit back. But the experience changed her life forever. She continues to practice law, but she now also serves as a privacy consultant.

An Epidemic
“Identity theft is an epidemic,” Frank says, “affecting about 900,000 people a year.” It costs the average victim more than $1,000.00 to cope with the damages from identity theft.* Thieves steal identities to acquire money (and even use your résumé to get a job!), to avoid prosecution, or even to exact revenge. They use your personal information to obtain credit and services in your name. “It’s crucial to control your personal information,” Frank says.

Prevent Identity Theft
Take these five important steps today to protect your name, credit and reputation:

1. REVIEW YOUR CREDIT REPORT from each of the three credit agencies
   (listed at right) twice a year. See if there are accounts or addresses you don’t
   recognize. Is your social security number correct? Have there been more credit
   inquiries than normal? Any of these may be early signs of identity theft. If you
   find something suspicious on your credit report, call the agency’s fraud hotline
   immediately. You also may want to add a consumer fraud alert, which asks
   creditors to telephone you each time a new account is opened in your name.
2. LIMIT THE USE OF YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER since this information can aid a thief the most. Never give it to someone who calls you on the phone, don’t
   carry the card in your wallet, and never print it on your checks.
3. SHRED IMPORTANT PAPERS, especially credit card solicitations, with a
   crosscut shredder. Some identity thieves piece cut papers back together.
4. DON’T USE YOUR MOTHER’S MAIDEN NAME as a password on personal
   accounts; it’s too easy to learn. Change it to another word with the creditors.
5. SAFEGUARD CHECK USE. When writing checks to pay credit card
   accounts, don’t put the complete account number on the “for” line. Put your
   work phone number on your checks instead of your home number.

PRINT OUT THE INFORMATION BELOW TO SAVE WITH YOUR IMPORTANT PAPERS.

If you suspect identity fraud, contact your local police station (laws vary across states), the three credit agencies listed below, and the Federal Trade Commission at www.consumer.gov/idtheft.

EQUIFAX
To report fraud: 888-766-0008
To order your credit report: 800-685-1111
www.equifax.com

TRANSUNION
To report fraud: 800-888-4213
To order your credit report: 800-888-4213
www.transunion.com

EXPERIAN
To report fraud: 888-397-3742
To order your credit report: 888-397-3742
www.experian.com

To learn more about identity theft, visit:
www.identitytheft.org
www.privacyrights.org
www.idtheftcenter.org
www.consumer.gov/idtheft

*Source: The U.S. Federal Trade Commission.

This article was reprinted with permission from Liberty Mutual Group. For more information please call Amy Ortzman at 860-659-4111 ext. 248.