2012 March — MomRN

Protecting Your Identity During Tax Season

April is almost here and along with the flowers, rain, and Easter, April also brings with it that dreaded of all seasons – tax season. This year the filing deadline is Tuesday, April 17, 2012 so many of us will be busy for the next couple of weeks working on our taxes. While you are going through all the necessary paperwork associated with your taxes, have you given any thought as to how to protect all of that private information and how to keep it out of the hands of identity thieves?

I’ve talked about identity theft here on MomRN and also on the Ask MomRN Show a few times in the past. Last month I shared tips with you to protect your child from identity theft. In honor of tax season, when identity theft usually increases, here are some tips for protecting your tax documents and identity.

Fake IRS emails and phone calls

During the past several years, especially during tax season, I’ve received emails and even phone calls claiming to be from the IRS that were really phishing scams. Most of these emails and calls claim that there is a problem with my tax return or that they’ve discovered I’m owed a bigger refund (wouldn’t that be nice!) and all of them claim to need more information, such as my Social Security number or bank account number so they can process my return or refund properly. Some emails contain an attachment or a link to open. The fake phone calls are usually automated, but not all. In any case, something I learned a long time ago is never to trust these emails or phone calls. According to an article about tax-time identity theft, the Internal Revenue Service will never email you, will rarely call, and will always notify you by mail first if they need to talk with you.

Guard your tax documents and mail

Having all of your tax documents and information in one secure place and shredding any unnecessary paperwork or mail containing identifying information can help protect your identity. Check your mail daily and if you mail your taxes or any documents containing your Social Security number or financial information, go to the post office instead of putting them in your home or business’s mailbox.

Protect your SSN (Social Security number)

When I was 12 or 13, I got my first Social Security card. I didn’t really know what it was for, but I signed it and gave it back to my mom for safe keeping until I was older. My mom gave it back to me when I went to college and it stayed in my wallet. Then as a newlywed with a new card showing my married name, the old card was filed and the new card went into my wallet. I was never told back then that you shouldn’t do that and I assumed that it was something you had to have with you for ID, just in case it was needed. A few years later I finally learned that I was putting my identity at risk by carrying the card. By then I had the number memorized anyway so I filed the card in a safe place and have not carried it with me since.

Don’t carry your card with you. And do not give it out to anyone unless it is critical, such as when you start a new job or you are filing your taxes. Visit Identity Guard for more information on SSN protection.

Choose your tax preparer carefully

Whether you use a CPA or tax preparation service or do your taxes yourself, do your research and choose carefully. Ask for references and ask how they will ensure your information will be secure and protected while they have it and how long they will keep your documents and information after the tax deadline. Check with the Better Business Bureau for any complaints against the company or tax preparer.

If you are using software or online services, use only reputable companies with adequate security and be extra careful not to misspell the url or you could accidentally end up on a fraudulent site designed to look like the real deal.

Monitor your identity

Another way to protect your identity at tax time and throughout the year is to keep an eye on your credit report. You can get a free credit report from all 3 reporting agencies once a year. I have found using an identity protection service helps me keep on top of my credit report, alerts me to any problems, and gives me more peace of mind than when I was trying to do it all myself. As a kIDSure Ambassador for Identity Guard, I have been using their services for a couple of months now and have been impressed with the level of protection, the amount of information they provide, and their customer support.

Identity Guard offers identity protection for the whole family through credit report monitoring and reporting, SSN and address monitoring, ID monitoring with alerts, lost wallet protection, and more. They also offer child identity protection through kIDSure.

Disclosure: This service was provided to me for review at no charge. In addition I received monetary compensation. All opinions are my own.

MyDirectives Offers Peace of Mind for Medical and End of Life Decisions

Let’s face it, thinking about our own mortality is not pleasant. Unfortunately, it is something that must be faced and should be thought about carefully before the need arises. There are many difficult decisions to be made regarding your wishes for medical intervention and treatment; your choice of a healthcare proxy if you become incapable of deciding for yourself; a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) order or other end-of-life care; and funeral arrangements. Too often these decisions get thrust upon loved ones unexpectedly and at the very worse time when decisions of life and death must be made quickly and if you have not shared your wishes with them, they may not know what you want them to decide.

As a pediatric nurse, I saw parents struggle with decisions for their sick or injured children every day. Children are completely dependent upon their parents to choose what is best for them. Adults, however, must make their own decisions and then make those decisions clear by discussing them with their loved ones and by putting them into writing so there is no doubt what is desired. This can save a great deal of heartache for your loved ones.

I know firsthand what that heartache is like and learned how important it is to put your decisions in writing when my beloved Nona, my mom’s mother, was hospitalized after being knocked off her front porch by her screen door when a sudden gust of wind blew it into her. She was injured and unconscious and having trouble breathing on her own when she was admitted to the intensive care unit. The doctors asked us for permission to put her on a ventilator. My grandmother had told me and a few other relatives that she did not want extraordinary measures used to save her, such as a ventilator or CPR. However, she never put her wishes into writing and did not specify under what type of circumstances did she want these interventions or not want them. Because she did not have a written advanced medical directive, and because she had not chosen one person to speak for her as her healthcare proxy or agent, there was some disagreement and doubt as to what the right decisions for her care should be. My mom and my aunts chose what they felt was in her best interest but they did so wondering if they were making the decisions she would have made for herself. If only she had an advanced medical directive, they may have been comforted knowing they were carrying out her wishes.

My beautiful Nona as a young woman (with my Papa)

Making advanced medical directives, a living will, and choosing a healthcare agent or proxy just got easier than ever before with the launch of a new system designed to make your wishes known and easily accessible if or when they are ever needed. The MyDirectives System is “the very first HIPAA compliant web-based system for creating & storing advance medical directives and is endorsed by Baylor, the 5th largest health care system in the US. Individuals can create and update their documents at any time. Without an advance medical directive family members and health care providers are left with difficult choices, but storing medical wishes and emergency info online means you’ll get to have the final say.”

At MyDirectives.com, you are guided through filling out your information and choices for treatment in case of an unexpected illness or accident or a terminal illness. You can also choose someone to make choices for you in case you become incapacitated (healthcare proxy) and you can share your wishes for funeral arrangements in the event of your death. This removes a heavy burden from your loved ones who won’t have to guess at what you would want during that difficult time.

MyDirectives is also completely free for you to use. There is no charge to create your directives and no fee to change them anytime you wish. Gone is the excuse of, “I can’t afford to hire an attorney to draw up these documents for me.” Now you can create these legally-binding documents yourself for free.

Do yourself and your loved ones a huge favor and take some time to visit MyDirectives and talk with your family about your decisions for your advanced medical directives. This will give all of you some peace of mind if/when the day comes that they are needed.

Disclosure: This promotional sponsored post was made possible by Mom Spark Media. Thoughts are my own.