Seven Step Process for Setting & Achieving Your Goals

Seven Step Process for Setting & Achieving Your Goals

• First, decide exactly what you want in each area of your life. Be specific!
• Second, write it down, clearly and in detail.
• Third, set a specific deadline. If it is a large goal, break it down into sub-deadlines and write them down in order.
• Fourth, make a list of everything you can think of that you are going to have to do to achieve your goal. As you think of new items, add them to your list.
• Fifth, organize the items on your list into a plan by placing them in the proper sequence and priority.
• Sixth, take action immediately on the most important thing you can do on your plan. This is very important!
• Seventh, do something every day that moves you toward the attainment of one or more of your important goals. Maintain the momentum!

Courtesy:   Brian Tracy, Best-Selling Author, Speaker and Success Coach

Tips for Detecting Scams

Tips for Detecting Scams 
New ways to fraudulently part you and your money seem to be springing up every day. The Cincinnati Better Business Bureau (BBB) recently reported that a “Wave of Telemarketing Scams Target Seniors” (Feb. 08, 2013), including pushy telemarketing calls from businesses trying to sell personal emergency alarm systems that guard against a long list of dangers, such as break-ins and medical emergencies. It claims that you can get an alarm system worth several hundred dollars installed for free and you’ll only be charged a monthly fee of about $30. Often these are phishing scams that seek credit card numbers and personal information. The Cincinnati BBB offers tips for detecting scams. Be suspicious if the offer:

• Tries to create a sense of panic. In this case, the call alarms seniors by describing a situation where they are incapacitated at home and cannot call for help. Also watch out for calls that push for immediate action.

• Promises something for free . . . that really isn't. Be wary of "free" offers that ask you to pay a handling fee or other charges.

• Implies an endorsement from a well-known organization. In this case, the call claims the alarm system is endorsed by the American Heart Association and the "American Diabetic Association," which is really the American Diabetes Association. Others claim a good Better Business Bureau rating, but this can be checked on BBB.org.

• Contains errors. Just as scam emails often contain misspellings and grammar errors, fraudulent calls refer to organizations, such as the "Diabetic Association."

• Doesn’t have a legitimate mailing address and website.

Ways to Avoid Being Scammed

Ways to Avoid Being Scammed
To avoid ploys to steal your money through prizes and sweepstakes, here are some tips:

• Ask to receive the offer in writing. Legitimate sweepstakes companies will give you written information about how a contest works, and reading it carefully and at your leisure will make the offer more comprehensible.

• Don’t rush a decision. So-called limited time offers should not require an immediate decision. A caller from a legitimate business will not rush you.

• Never pay to play. It's illegal for a company to require you to buy something or pay a fee in order to win or claim a prize.

• Buying something doesn't improve your chances of winning. It's illegal for a company to suggest that your chances will be better if you make a purchase.

• Never give personal information to someone on the phone unless you initiated the call and have confidence in the person or agency receiving the call. Legitimate business callers will not ask you for this information over the phone.

• Don't give the company money for taxes on your prize. Taxes will be deducted from your winnings or you will pay them directly to the government.

• Don’t pay shipping costs for claiming any prize. If the caller offers a free gift but you first need to pay a handling charge or pay taxes on the prize, that’s a red flag.

• Guard your credit card and bank account numbers. No legitimate sweepstakes company will ask for this information. If you win, your social security number may be required for tax reporting purposes, but you shouldn’t provide that information unless you're absolutely sure that you entered the contest and you know the company operating it.

• Be on guard for imposters. Some con artists use company names that are identical or very similar to well-known, legitimate sweepstakes operators. Tell them that you'll get back to them and contact the real companies to ask if there is any connection.

• Be wary of offers to send you an "advance" on your "winnings." Some scam operators send you a check for part of your winnings, instructing you to deposit it and then wire payment to them for taxes, bonding or some other phony purpose. After you wire the money, your check bounces because it turned out to be an elaborate fake.

• Don't be fooled by official-looking mail. It's not necessarily legitimate just because the envelope is marked "urgent" and the contents look impressive. One clue that you haven't really won is if the letter was sent at bulk mail rates. That means that thousands of other people are also “winners.”

• Be especially cautious about foreign sweepstakes companies. Many fraudulent sweepstakes companies that target U.S. consumers are located in Canada or other countries, which makes it much more difficult for law enforcement agencies to pursue them.

Other Types of Fraud
In addition to telemarketing scams, many other types of fraud are often directed against seniors, such as Medicare fraud, and bank fraud.

According to the FTC, nearly 25 million Americans are victims of consumer fraud each year. According to newspaper reports, senior scam victims in the U.S. hand over at least $2.6 billion to crooks every year, with as many as one in every five seniors losing money. Some of the more recent scams are listed below, courtesy of the Savvy Savings Seniors Scam Toolkit (from the National Council on Aging).

Charity scams: In one case, professional con artists ask the elderly to help the victims of a recent natural disaster by providing credit card information and other personal financial information, including bank account numbers and Social Security numbers. Most states require charities to register with the state, which reports how they use donations.

Counterfeit drug scams: Some online “pharmacies” advertise cheaper yet “more effective” medications than a reputable pharmacy provides, but when the drugs arrive, they are often useless imitations.

Magazine subscription scams: Scam artists offer “free” or “special” deals on particular magazines for “dollars a day,” but these subscriptions last for multiple years.

Jury duty scam: A caller claiming to be a jury coordinator says an arrest warrant has been made against you because you failed to show up for jury duty. If you protest that you never received a summons for jury duty, the scammer asks for your Social Security number and date of birth so he or she can verify the information and cancel the arrest warrant. The fraud has been reported so far in 11 states, including Oklahoma, Illinois and Colorado.

Sources:
National Consumers League
National Crime Prevention Council
Milestones e-news
South Carolina Lieutenant Governor’s Office on Aging
Scambusters

Nine Foods to Help Prevent Dementia

Nine Foods to Help Prevent Dementia
A new report from the Alzheimer’s Association says that one out of three seniors die with Alzheimer’s, although that is not necessarily the cause of death. While research is still ongoing about how to stave off Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, some research suggests that certain foods may help protect against mental decline and even prevent brain-wasting diseases. Alzheimer’s is identified with inflammation, so the thinking is that foods with anti-inflammatory properties may be able to delay age-related cognitive disorders. Nine commonly available foods could help prevent mental deterioration, and they even taste good.

1. Dark chocolate. Studies show that the flavonoids in cocoa increase blood flow to the brain and may help to protect against conditions that reduce cerebral blood flow, such as dementia and stroke.

2. Red wine. Drinking wine in moderation can protect cognitive function and decrease the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. This is due to the high levels of flavonoids and possibly other polyphenolics such as resveratrol in red wine.

3. Clams. It’s thought that when vitamin B12 levels are low, blood levels of homocysteine will raise, significantly increasing the risk for dementia, heart attack and other ailments. Clams contain 98.9 micrograms of vitamin B12 in just a 100-gram serving, or 1,648 percent of the recommended dietary allowance.

4. Asparagus. One study found that individuals who were deficient in folate, a form of vitamin B9, were 3.5 times more likely to develop dementia. One cup of asparagus will take care of nearly 66 percent of your daily folate needs.

5. Wild salmon. According to one study, an average of three servings of oily fish a week adds up to an almost 50 percent lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. The reason is the omega-3 fatty acid and other nutrients such as vitamin D and B12 can help to prevent neurodegenerative disorders.

6. Walnuts. In moderation, walnuts were found to help improve motor and cognitive skills in older rodents, due, it is believed, to a combination of polyphenols, omega-3 fats and other bioactive substances.

7. Cherries. The antioxidant compounds, anthocyanins, which give cherries their bright red color, possess anti-inflammatory properties that could work like pain medications but without the nasty side effects.

8. Turmeric. A study found that curcumin in turmeric, commonly used in curry dishes, removes plaques from the brain. Plaques are thought to contribute to the degradation of brain cells and lead to Alzheimer’s disease.

9. Apples. The skins of apples contain quercetin, found to protect the brain from damages associated with Alzheimer’s disease, in studies conducted by Cornell University.

Adapted from the Conscious Life.

Newlywed or Recently Divorced

Newlywed or Recently Divorced
Newlyweds and the recently divorced should make sure that names on their tax returns match those registered with the Social Security Administration (SSA). A mismatch between a name on the tax return and a Social Security number (SSN) could cause your tax return to be rejected by the IRS.

For newlyweds, the tax scenario can begin when the bride says “I do” and takes her husband’s surname, but doesn’t tell the SSA about the name change. If the couple files a joint tax return with her new name, the IRS computers will not be able to match the new name with the SSN.

Similarly, after a divorce, a woman who had taken her husband?s name and had made that change known to the SSA should contact the SSA if she reassumes a previous name.

It’s easy to inform the SSA of a name change by filing Form SS-5 at a local SSA office. It usually takes two weeks to have the change verified. The form is available on the agency’s Web site, Change a name on a Social Security card by calling toll free 1-800-772-1213 and at local offices. The SSA Web site provides the addresses of local offices.