I recently read an informative article in the AARP Bulletin Jan/Feb 2024 about Cyber thieves which prompted me to take steps to protect myself from these dastardly villains. 

 

One key way is to  “Freeze your Credit,” an action you can take with relative ease. This ‘Credit Freeze’ is controlled by yourself, requires No Fee, is temporary, and keeps those scoundrels from getting credit in your good name, which has become a common occurrence.

 

The process may seem a bit overwhelming, however, I just completed the task and would like to share my experience. It will take a little time and patience to set up accounts and create passwords, but you will be adding a deep layer of security, and today is the day to do it.

 

First, you do Not need to go through a third party; in fact, beware of those offers.  Instead, locate each of the three main credit scoring companies online:  Experian.com,  Equifax.com, and Transunion.com.  Create your account for each one separately. 

You do NOT have to pay a fee, nor sign up for a monthly charge for any of these.  The first Equifax page I saw wanted me to sign up for $29 monthly subscription, but I searched further and discovered the correct page by searching:  Equifax/freeze. 

 

Always look for two signs telling you you are on a Secure Site!     The top search bar should have accurate spelling and begin with https://  showing the lock icon.

     

Once you are on the secure page, they will ask you for your social security number, phone number, address, ALL those things that we NEVER EVER give out.  It's Okay.  They must be certain we are who we say WE are. There may also be security questions, such as “Have you ever lived at one of these addresses”  or “Have you ever owned a  Ford Mustang”… things like that.   Credit companies require your personal, sensitive information to give you a credit card and keep check on your credit score;  they see everything we do, whether we like it or not. Admittedly, typing in all that information made me pause; it went against all I’d ever been warned about, But… I checked with many trusted sources, and they reassured me that it was necessary as long as I took care to sign myself in on a secure site. If you are unsure, never be afraid to ask a trusted relative or friend for help.

 

Yep, more usernames, and more passwords to remember.  Create a unique Password for each of the three companies. Write them down. When you get signed up and logged in, it should be easy to see the option to Freeze Your Credit.  Click on that option, then - confirm YES.

 

You have just made it extremely hard for those cyber thieves to steal your identity!  This Freeze keeps an unknown person from using YOUR good credit, but it is flexible, so when the day comes that you want to buy that new chariot or open a new credit card, you will need to go online, log in with your ‘remembered’ password, and click on Unfreeze.  If, by chance, you should forget, “they” will tell you that you have a freeze in place; you simply go to your account to unfreeze until your business is complete.  

 

 

       “Someone cracked my password. Now I need to rename my puppy.” -unknown

 

Update: An interesting article published in the New York Times recently not only recommends freezing your credit but adds a few tips on securing your social security numbers and personal information. Click here to see the tips from the Social Security Administration

1.  First and foremost, let’s never have a fire!

2.  Have in-depth knowledge as to how your unit was originally built (specifically, which options were taken).                 These are necessary to ensure the unit is built back to its original design. Some examples:

a.     Was there a walk-up attic?

b.     Did the unit have a fireplace, and if so, what type?

c.      Was there a patio, and if so, how big, and what amenities (fence)?

d.     What additional options were taken pertaining to the actual building (additional electrical outlets,                fireplace hearth, modifications to walls, etc.?

 

3.  We were fortunate to have several extremely knowledgeable craftsmen and industry professionals here in Arbor Grove who were instrumental in assuring the building was rebuilt according to prevailing regulations and codes.  Those who provided technical oversight were Rich Allers, Rick Balthazar, Barry Gadbois, and Mike Magruder.  We owe them a debt of gratitude for their efforts and expertise. In the future, we will need to have someone closely monitor the General Contractor and subs to ensure the building is rebuilt according to Arbor Grove requirements.  Experience is a great teacher. Arbor Grove HOA is responsible for a rebuild.  General Contractor questions must be directed only to whomever the Board decides will oversee the project.

 

4.  We (Arbor Grove HOA) will need to be more proactive on issues resulting from the fire. For example, we made arrangements with Logan (our snow removal contractor) to clear debris from the driveways ourselves and charged it directly to the insurance company.  If the General Contractor had handled this transaction, there would have been an additional 20% mark-up to the cost!

 

5. When the electrical wiring for the unit was completed, the wires were not connected to anything, and there was no way to test them to ensure that they were correctly installed.  The General Contractor said that they didn’t put the circuit breakers in and connect the wires as that would have left “live” wires that were not terminated at the user end (no appliances or electrical devices were installed, as that is the unit owner's responsibility).  In this instance, we should have required them to terminate the wires to the circuit breakers and not connect the live feeds.  This would have meant the circuit panel could have been labeled, and the wiring could have been tested. Again, experience is a great teacher.  

 

1.    Fire Safety is Critical! Our common goal is to never, ever have a fire!

 

2.     Our requirement that each resident have at least $500 thousand dollars in liability insurance is probably not enough!  In this example, the fire started in one unit, but all four units were damaged.  If the insurance companies, when finalizing the claim, assess the cost of damages to one unit only, a claim will most likely exceed $500,000.  Then, you are potentially looking at personal responsibility above and beyond your insurance coverage. The board is well aware of what has been spent thus far, and $500,000 will most likely not be adequate. Residents should consider reviewing the amount of liability insurance they have to ensure they are covered for such catastrophic events.

 

3.     “Loss of Use” on residential insurance policies should be reviewed with your insurance agent to determine whether you have sufficient funding to afford accommodations while out of your unit.  In this case, one unit was not occupied for at least three months.  It was a bit of a shock to see how long it took for smoke mitigation on the adjoining units.  One unit had minimal exposure as it was furthest from the fire.  One unit had considerable smoke exposure that required a lengthy time to mitigate.  The third unit had additional issues as the fire spread to the roof of this unit.  There was significant water damage to the master bedroom, resulting in what essentially is a complete remodel of the room as well as all the smoke mitigation issues.

 

4.     “Loss Assessment”.  The amount you have on your insurance policy for Loss Assessment essentially applies only to insured instances.  An example would be if we were hit with a tornado and had to replace the roofs on all or most of the buildings; if our insurance coverage were not sufficient to cover it all, we would have to apply an assessment to all residents and your loss assessment would come into play.  It would also apply when you have a fire, and we had to rebuild your unit.  While we have sufficient insurance to cover the event, we have a deductible of $2500.00, which we would assess to you (not everyone).  Again, you could recover this from your loss assessment if you have enough.  To clarify, if the HOA decided that we wanted a larger swimming pool and decided to go ahead and build it by assessing each unit (this would require a vote of all residents, with 67% being in favor), your loss assessment would not cover such an event.

 

5.     Fire extinguisher.  Each unit should consider acquiring at least one fire extinguisher and keep it where it can be easily accessed.  Should a fire break out in your unit, a proper fire extinguisher is essential, and using just water to extinguish a fire where electric devices are located can result in disastrous issues.  Check out online what happens if you throw water on a candle fire. It’s crazy. Our most recent fire may have been an instance of electricity and water.

 

6.     If you have a fire, call 911 and let them know you’ve had a fire. Ask them to come and check things out. The firefighters are happy to come to your home and make a safety determination. They would much rather do that than come back to fight an active fire.

 

7.     Open windows will create drafts that feed a fire if you have a fire in your unit and can safely take time to close doors and windows – again, stressing if it is safe only.  If you have an active fire and need to escape, your life is most important! When you are away and travel, close your interior doors; again, it helps as far as containing a fire.

 

8.     Knox boxes.  While this was not an issue in this fire, everyone should consider having a Knox box installed by the Bourbonnais Fire Protection District.  This applies especially if you live alone or are away from your unit for any time.  Unfortunately, we have had a recent experience where Bourbonnais Police and Fire had to break into a unit with no Knox box for a well check. Installing a Knox box is a safe means of ensuring the fire department can access your unit in an emergency.  If you are interested in obtaining a Knox Box, you can contact the Bourbonnais Fire Department at 815/935-9670.

 

In summary, every resident is encouraged to speak with their insurance agent to determine if their insurance is sufficient.  Be aware that if your unit has any catastrophe, whether a fire, water pipe bursts or even an infestation of rodents or other critters, you can be held liable if it spreads to the other units.