New Technologies Keeping You Organized With Your Finances

Finance (Photo credit: Tax Credits)

It is very important to make use of accurate systems in financial management since this is the only way you can achieve financial freedom. A proper system can in its most basic sense, be compared to a car engine; a car may look sleek and have the perfect color, but it cannot take you anywhere if the engine is malfunctioning. Likewise, you may be making millions, but if you do not employ the right system of finance management, what you earn will be just about meaningless --it will not help you get where you want. Keep in mind that when it comes to finances, it can never be too early or too late to get things in good standing. 

Five applications that can help you take effective control of your finance 

Credit Karma 

This is very useful software that helps you gain access to your credit scores and also facilitates credit monitoring. Credit scores essentially represent how well or not you utilize your credit, and a high score always works to your advantage. It's thus important to continuously work toward achieving and maintaining those high numbers and credit karma can help you make your way there. However accessibility of this application is limited to an iPhone. 

Mint.com 

Sometimes you may just need to get a visual representation of how your finances are adding up, and mint.com can help facilitate that. With this application, you can compare your credit card debts with the cash you have in hand, so that you can subsequently determine how to settle the debt. It also helps you see how much you spend based on the budget you have set. 

Expensify 

If you need a reliable way through which to keep all your receipts, this application makes a good alternative. You can use it to get your credit cards and receipts linked so that they are easily reachable from one spot. This will make you stay on top of your expenses so that you make your payments on time. 

Financisto 

Financisto is an android application that enables for a user to control multiple accounts. If you are an international business person, it can be a very helpful application since it enables you to manage numerous currencies. In addition it makes possible for you to move money into different accounts, so that you have the cash exactly where it's needed. You can also create back-up data which you can then save in Google drive or drop box. 

Nickel Tracker 

If you experience difficulty in sticking to the amount you have put down on your monthly or weekly budget, nickel tracker can enable you to take charge of the matter. The application sends you an alert when you are almost reaching your budget limits, and this helps ensure that you do not overspend. 

The availability of advanced technology has contributed to the easy access of such applications; it's certainly a good way to keep track of every coin and doing it the right way can greatly help you take control of your financial life. 

With a good system in place, you can figure out where to direct more of your resources, and also determine what you have achieved so you get to establish the amount of extra effort to put in. The advantage of these applications is that they can be easily accessed no matter your location, and they are also easy to use, as long as you make use of a compatible gadget. The fact that they are free is just a bonus since you do not have to worry about incurring extra running costs. Technology is undoubtedly one really efficient process in the management of finance. 

Author Bio 

Joshua Turner is a writer who creates informative articles in relation to business. In this article, he describes a few organizational technologies for finances and aims to encourage further study with a UAB online bachelors in MIS.

Assessing the Damage After Your Identity Has Been Stolen

The Traveler’s Guide to Preventing Identity Theft offered by Guest Door is a wonderful resource with many hints that can help you prevent identity theft. If you travel frequently, or you’re concerned about protecting your identity while you’re out and about, you should read over this info. But what do you do if your identity is stolen?

You get that dreaded phone call: there’s been suspicious activity on your credit card and your bank wants to know if you've been engaging in a spending spree. You’re shocked and appalled. Your identity has been stolen and you've got to act quickly if you want to protect yourself from additional theft and damage.

You’re understandably overwhelmed. What do you do? You want to figure out how this has happened. There are a few steps you’re going to have to take to protect your wallet and your credit:

Contact Equifax, Experian, or Transunion Immediately

You’re going to have to place a fraud alert on your credit report. You won’t have to call all three. Once you contact one agency, they’ll inform the others. They’ll also be sending you a copy of your credit report for you to review. Fraud alerts are extremely important because it requires companies to verify your identity before issuing a line of credit in your name. This will prevent thieves from opening any more new accounts in your name.

Contact Creditors Right Away

If the perpetrators have opened new accounts, contact those creditors and notify them of fraudulent activity. The accounts will be closed and you’ll have to fill out a fraud affidavit. If accounts that you opened have been compromised contact those creditors and let them know your identity has been stolen. The accounts will be closed and you’ll be able to review any charges to determine what activity has been taking place.

Contact Local Authorities

The next step is to contact local authorities and alert them to fraud. A detective will be assigned to your case and you can ask for any details about the charges. You’ll want to let them know what was spent and how your identity was stolen. When you finish providing information to the police, be sure to write down the case number and detective’s name. You’ll have to include this information on any fraud affidavits.

File a Complaint with the FTC

You’ll also need to notify the Federal Trade Commission by calling 1877-IDTHEFT.
Change all Online Passwords

You’ll want to change all your online passwords. The thieves may have acquired information from one of your accounts. Additionally, this may be inconvenient, but you should never store passwords online or on your computer.

Always Keep Records

You’ll want to keep updated records throughout the process. You should keep up with details of your dealings with any creditors, companies, and detectives. You should always write down the name of anyone you speak with, their title, the company they work for, the date, and time as well as a short summary of the discussion you had.

You’ll need to keep all this information in one location that is safe. It’s evidence that you will need later. You might find yourself being diligent initially, but important information may surface later. You need to track everything until all of your disputes are resolved.

Identity theft shouldn't ruin your life or your credit if you can manage to stay calm, be organized and take those first crucial steps involved in resolving any issues. You can bounce back from this stressful situation and you can stop those identity thieves right in their tracks. It might be tough initially, but it’s not an impossible situation.

Author Bio:

If you are still curious on what more steps to take in preventing identity theft, you can visit GuestDoor. You can also visit Traveler's Guide to Preventing Identity Theft.