History tells us that disaster strikes quickly and without warning. That is our reality, but being the optimists that we are – we tend not to be prepared for any kind of disaster. As a society, we aren’t prepared to evacuate our neighborhoods or be confined to our homes. The question is not asked about what would happen if suddenly our basic services, such as water, gas, electricity, or telephones were cut off? Do we place too much comfort in the fact that local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster? Do we need to be more proactive and being responsible for our families? At the end of the day, knowing what to do is your best protection and your responsibility. Learn more about being prepared on my website, Vital Enterprises, LLC. Taking a position of responsibility need not be overwhelming; however, it gets easier once you deal with four basic steps to being prepared for safety and developing a specific plan for your family. BE Prepared Learn what the greatest potential risk to your family may be, given your geographic location and the associated demographics. You can simply contact your local emergency management office or your local American Red Cross chapter. A list of those emergency management offices is provided on my website. By learning what your risks may be, you can prepare for the disaster most likely to occur in your area. Learn more by contacting your local emergency management office or American Red Cross chapter. Be prepared to take notes. BE informed – ask the following: What kind of natural disasters and/or human-caused or technological disasters can affect your area. What is recommended to prepare for each kind of possible disaster? What warning signals are provided, and what are the standards of response to each? Where do you take pets if you have to move to a public shelter where they are not permitted? What special provisions are provided for special needs, elderly or disabled persons? What are the local plans for schools, hospitals and other large industries located in your area? BE Proactive – Create a Family Disaster Plan. Knowing what disasters are possible in your area makes it easier to talk with your family and create your own personal plan. Use the following as a sample guideline Share the information you learned from your local disaster management resource relative to the dangers of fire, severe weather, chemical spills… whatever the issue. Keep the explanations simple but remember the important details. A disaster is an extremely stressful situation that can create confusion. The best emergency plans are those with a few, easy to follow and simple to understand steps. If the treats in your area include a variety of disasters, make sure your plan includes steps specific to each type of disaster. Pick two places everyone is to meet: (1) Right outside the front door in case of a fire emergency and (2) another restaurant or well know establishment close to the home in case you cannot get to your residence. Determine how you will communicate if family members are separated , which can easily occur – remember, you don’t get to choose what time of day a disaster will happen! Designate an out-of-town relative or friend to be a central contact and make sure everyone has that person’s name, address and phone number. Make arrangements in advance for shelter if authorities require you to evacuate. Do you have local shelters? Do you have friends and family? Know what access routes are available for evacuation situations. What roads may be more likely to be blocked or closed? Plan in advance the care of your pets. BE Cautious – Create easy to maintain checklists and contact information sheets. Include all emergency contact information – during a disaster, there is normally not time to waste in looking up fire, police, ambulance, etc. Have a set place where this information is readily available to every family member. A laminated copy placed in childrens’ backpacks is a prudent choice. Teach family members how to turn off water, gas, and electricity at the main switches and valves and create a checklist to make sure none are missed. Painting shut-off valves with fluorescent paint is a good idea, as is attaching the necessary removal wrenches in close proximity to each of these areas. Have an annual review of your insurance policies to make sure you have adequate coverage – it is not unusual for standard policies to include any kind of “natural disaster” coverage. Have a scheduled maintenance of smoke alarms. Make sure you have a fire extinguisher on location and train everyone in the household in its use. In the best case scenario, only adults should handle and use the extinguishers. Many normal household items can become hazards themselves during certain types of disasters. Assess your home to minimize damage from flying objects, in the case of earthquakes or tornados; electrical, chemical and fire hazards are also easy to identify early on and require inspections periodically to manage potential hazards. Maintain emergency supplies and assemble a “disaster supply kit.” Every home should have enough supplies to last at least three days, storing them in sturdy, easy to carry containers – most of which will fit in backpacks or duffel bags left in the trunk of your car. Maintaining communications can mean the difference between life and death – make sure know where you keep a portable, battery-operated radio or television, and keep a healthy supply of extra batteries Consider taking first aid and CPR classes – not only are they the basics of safety, they can be fun shared activities for you and your children. Make two photocopies of all your vital documents. Keep the originals in a safe-deposit box. Keep one copy in a designated place in your home and the second copy should be given to your “contact” friend or relative. You may want to consider the PortaVault product found on my website for easy storage of these vital documents. Maintain a current inventory of your home, garage and property. Whether written or video taped, include the serial numbers, make and model, physical description and price of purchase, if possible. Store a copy of the inventory away from the home, such as in a safe-deposit box. BE Responsible – Monitor and Practice Your Plan Practicing your plan will help you instinctively make the appropriate response during an actual emergency. Life changes, and with that change, it is necessary to review periodically and adjust as may be appropriate Other modifications include: Replacing stored food and water every six months to ensure freshness. Test your smoke alarm once a month. Replace batteries on all emergency items at least once a year. Replace smoke alarms ever ten years. Monitor fire extinguishers to test proper pressure, following manufacturer’s instructions for replacement or recharging. These few tips are just a beginning to understanding and being proactive in responding to disasters. The caveat… be prepared! While this is a broad overview to get you thinking, you will probably want to read future articles will provide a more in depth coverage of specific topics Jan Vitale, your Investment Protector

We live in an information-oriented society. Technology allows us to do business – making transactions literally in a matter of seconds. Unfortunately, this abundance of information has given rise to identity theft.

Did you know that…

• 28 million Americans have been victims of this crime in the last five years.
• According to CBS News, “Every 79 seconds, someone’s identity is stolen.”
• The direct cost to us, the consumer, is over five billion dollars.

According to the FTC almost 60% of identity theft issues don’t pertain to existing credit card accounts. Are you aware of medical identity theft? Do you know there are approximately 250,000 cases per year? It is estimated by one of the largest health insurance companies that $600 million per year in expenses is attributed to medical identity theft. We the consumers pick up the tab for this in higher medical costs and higher health insurance costs. Medical identity theft occurs when someone uses a person’s name and other parts of their identity (such as insurance information) without the person’s knowledge or consent – to obtain medical services or goods or to make false medical claims.

Medical identity theft frequently results in erroneous entries being put into existing medical records, and can involve the creation of fictitious medical records in the victim’s name. Medical identity theft is a crime that can cause great harm to its victims. Yet despite the profound risk it carries, it is the least studied and most poorly documented of the cluster of identity theft crimes. It is also the most difficult to fix after the fact, because victims have limited rights and recourse. Medical identity theft typically leaves a trail of falsified information in medical records that can plague victims’ medical and financial lives for years.

HIPPA rulings do protect our medical records, but has no real mechanism for enforcement. Legislation has established penalties for such crimes, but there are no reporting mechanisms or inspections to make sure compliance is guaranteed. There have been numerous cases where an employee of a hospital, doctor’s office or clinic sold patient information. This crime is very profitable to the thieves involved in selling the information.

What can you do to take an active roll in trying to protect your medical identity? Many hospitals use your social security number as your identification number when you become a patient. Your social security number or other identification appears on your chart and wristbands for anyone to see. At check-in, ask the hospital to use a different number to circumvent this problem. If they won’t cooperate with your request, ask them to black out all but the last four numbers. Also request that the last the computer only show the last four digits of your social security number. You may not even know your medical records have been stolen until you are denied coverage because of a condition that is considered “pre-existing”, a condition you don’t have.

To protect yourself against this particular crime, ask for copies of your medical records. Treat your them as you would your bank statements. Make sure you go over your medical records on a regular basis; if anyone meddles with your information, you’ll be aware of it, and immediately be able to work toward correcting the situation.

Once an individual’s identity has been stolen – trying to rectify the situation can take numerous hours and a substantial amount of money – including costly attorney fees. Over the past several years numerous companies have sprung up offering protection. Many insurance companies offer identity theft coverage extended from home and auto insurance policies. However, none of these companies offer as broad as coverage as the identity theft shield.

Kroll Inc. in partnership with the identity theft shield provides the expertise in working with those individuals that have had their identity stolen in addition to constantly monitoring those that have purchased the protection. For more than 35 years, Kroll has helped companies, government agencies and individuals reduce their exposure to risk. Kroll is an operating unit of Marsh Inc., and with offices in more than 60 cities in the United States and abroad, Kroll can:

• operate and restructure businesses;
• scrutinize accounting practices and financial documents;
• gather and filter electronic evidence for attorneys;
• recover lost or damaged data from computers and servers;
• conduct in-depth investigations;
• screen domestic and foreign-born job candidates;
• protect individuals;  and
• enhance security systems and procedures.

Over the last several years, Kroll has developed a unique solution for victims of identity theft. Kroll has the expertise, the knowledge and experience that far surpass all of these new start up companies who offer to protect and restore (in some cases) identity theft.

Who do you want on your side an experienced company or a start up company?

For more information on the identity theft shield please visit Vital Enterprises, LLC

Jan Vitale… your investment protetor

Vital Enterprises, LLC

Justice for All…

For over 35 years, Pre-Paid Legal has proven to be a strong company with a valuable product. Today, it is a fact that as our economy and our nation experiences tough economic times, the need for “Justice for All” is more prevalent than ever before.

The following 10 Vital reasons support why Pre-Paid Legal is no luxury; it is a fundamental product that all of us need right now.

1. You may want to contact your Provider Attorney about severance packages, whether you’ve experienced a job loss or not. As layoffs abound and businesses are desperate to cut-back, ensure your rights are protected by consulting your PPL Provider Attorney about such issues.
2. In tough times don’t be intimidated by scare tactics. Know your rights, if you are being harassed by debt collectors, or any other business or person. If you get a letter containing legal intimidation, or someone threatens legal action, call your Provider Attorney.
3. Big deals may be big rip-offs in a tough economy. If you buy faulty merchandise you could be the victim of a scam. Do you know what your rights are if you get stuck with a lemon? Did you know there are lemon laws that vary from state to state? Your Provider Attorney can let you know what these laws are, and help you outline a course of action.
4. Many face foreclosure in tough times. Even people in dire financial straights can benefit from a Pre-Paid Legal Membership. When times get tough and people need to know what options are available, the Pre-Paid Legal Provider Attorney is there to carefully and considerately walk a member through all the options.
5. Speeding tickets surge in tough economic times. The weakening economy has affected not just individuals, but entire communities as well. In need of money, these places are cracking down on speeders in an effort to generate revenue. Pre-Paid Legal Members can call their Provider Attorney and get advise on any matter, including traffic-related issues.
6. The Pre-Paid Legal Membership is ideal for military families. In tough times more and more Americans are finding job stability in the military. With Provider Law Firms covering all 50 States, as soldiers move from one place to another, the membership moves with them. When soldiers ship out overseas, they take with them the “Peace of Mind” in knowing their family is covered by the membership should any legal issues arise.
7. Tough economic times=scammers paradise. Advanced free loans, debt repair, counterfeit checks, mortgage foreclosure “rescue,” are some of the biggest scams going around. Have your Pre-Paid Legal Attorney review your contracts before you sign your name to them. Legal review is a good way to detect potential scams.
8. Tough economic times have seen a surge in legal issues. It is harder to get an Attorney and harder to afford one. There is no struggling to find an available Attorney with the Pre-Paid Legal Membership. Your monthly fee covers all your listed benefits, and you get a 25% discount on anything not otherwise listed.
9. Can you afford the unexpected? With a Pre-Paid Legal Membership, you have a low monthly fee. When you face an emergency, your membership provides trial time, consultation, contact reviews, and more at no additional charge. If an emergency arises and you don’t have membership, you might find yourself doing without due to the high costs of legal counsel.
10. Coverage includes you, your spouse and your children! Wherever you go, whatever issues you encounter in these tough times, you are covered. So is your spouse, and so are your dependent children. Knowing if your teenager gets a speeding ticket, you have a number to call, and with the Legal Shield, if any member of your family is detained by police or involved in a traffic accident and need assistance, your Attorney is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

For more information regarding the Pre-Paid Legal Membership visit my website

Jan Vitale, your Legal Beagle

Vital Enterprises, LLC

• Database Breaches
• Diverting Mail
• Impersonation/False Pretext
• Dumpster Diving
• Theft

As you can tell, I am passionate about informing and providing the public with information and products to protect and organize individuals in every-day life. When our lives are in order, we have peace of mind and we are able to relax and enjoy life.

Based on security expert reports, crimes involving identity theft tend to increase during hard economic times. Your employment and financial stability aren’t the only things you have to keep an eye on during a recession. It is Vital that you protect your identity as well. Don’t make the mistake of thinking, “It can’t happen to me!” Whether male female, young, old, rich, poor; there is no status in life that makes you any less of a candidate for identity theft. This, then, poses the question:

How Do Thieves Steal Your Identity?

Skilled in their trade, identity thieves are creative in obtaining personally identifying information such as your name and social security number, credit card numbers or other financial account information. My intent is not to make you paranoid about security, but to provide the Vital knowledge to treat your personal data with caution and protection.

Database Breaches

Stop and think of how many databases hold a significant amount of your personal and financial information. As of this writing, more than 245 million consumer records have been exposed to data breaches in the past four years. Unfortunately, it is beyond our ability to protect ourselves against this form of Identify Theft.

Just last month I received notification from my bank informing me that my debit card number was stolen from one of their bases. A new debit card was issued; however, I have to wonder what other information was stolen. The good news is I don’t have to “worry”. I had previously invested in both an Identity theft Shield and Prepaid Legal Plan to “Protect and Restore” my identity should I become a victim.

Diverting Mail

There are currently increasing numbers of protective actions being put into place by credit card companies to help prevent mail diversion. However, there are still large numbers of reports of change of address mail fraud. It is Vital that you monitor your monthly statements regularly. In any given month, if you do not receive a statement immediately make a telephone call to confirm that your address has not been changed.

Impersonation/False Pretext

We are called upon to learn a new language to protect ourselves from the practice of identity theft on the internet. One of those words is “phishing” – the act of thieves who impersonates a representative of a financial institution or other well-known company and sends span or pop-up messages to get you to reveal your personal information. It is Vital that you be suspicious of any actions of this nature and not respond. In addition, never give out any personal information on the phone unless you have initiated the call and have knowledge of the person you are speaking with. There are cases every day where thieves have used false pretenses to obtain personal information pretending to represent financial institutions, telephone companies and other sources.

Dumpster Diving

Many identity thieves go dumpster diving – rummaging through trash – looking for bills or other paper with your personal information on it. The best way to protect yourself from this act is to purchase a “cross” shredder and make sure that any mail or personal information you discard goes to the dumpster shredded. Identity thieves have been known to try and piece together shredded documents. Owning a “cross” shredder is Vital in order to prevent the piecing together of shredded documents.

Theft

Other than being very cautious about how you handle your purse and/or wallet, you have little protection from those who will perpetrate outright theft of purses and wallets. A few Vital suggestions are as follows:

1. When grocery shopping keep your purse on your shoulder or arm instead of the grocery cart.
2. When paying by credit or debit card or showing your identification be sure to put back the card where it belongs immediately.
3. Never leave your purse or wallet unattended or in the car.

Note: If you have been a victim of identity theft and would like to share your story please e-mail me at janvitale@cox.net. We will review your story and contact you to authorize publication in the article section. Your story may be extremely valuable in stopping identity thieves from creating another victim.

If you would just like more information about the protection that is available to you, you are encouraged to look around my website.

Jan Vitale, your Investment Protector

When you need an attorney …

who will you call

As I watched a YouTube video this morning about the flooding in Nashville, it struck me once again why I am so passionate about my AZPortaVault product – and how I participate in protecting others from being devastated by the loss of their vital documents. If you have ever visited my website, you will know that as an Insurance Agent for close to 30 years, I have seen it all happen, and I know, first hand that NOT ONE OF US is exempt from experiencing a significant catastrophic occurrence in our lifetime.

Let me ask you a really serious question, “What have you done to protect yourself in the potential loss of your vital documents? If you have ever had a wallet lost or stolen, you have experienced the nightmare that is to resolve protecting yourself from identity theft and replacement of vital documents. Can you imagine what it would be like if you didn’t have your items all together and had to quickly evacuate your home? The time, the cost, the emotional burden?

I am about being proactive and being personally responsible for your life choices; I am also about solutions and resources that I can provide those who support my own professional success. It is with that thought in mind that I went in search of a resource that you can access in that same process of being proactive in knowing what to do if/when disaster may strike you and your family. I hope you will be somewhat relieved to know that fortunately, most important personal records can be replaced. Depending on the document you need, use these links as a starting point.

Note: This is one of those resources where I am taking it direct from its source and giving full credit to its creator – being, in essence, the vehicle by which you are made aware and your life can be positively impacted by my spirit of belief and my spirit of generosity…

• Address Change – When you move, be sure to change your address with a few government agencies so that you’ll continue to receive mail and any government benefits at your new location.
• Bank Records – Financial tips and resources for disaster recovery. (.PDF | requires Adobe Acrobat Reader )
• Birth, Marriage, and Death Certificates – Get records based on the location of the birth, death, marriage, or divorce.
• Damaged Money – The Treasury Department will exchange mutilated or damaged U.S. currency.
• Document Restoration–Fire – The Library of Congress offers information on restoring fire-damaged documents and collections.
• Document Restoration–Flood – The National Archives offers information on how to care for your flood damaged photos, books, papers and more
• Drivers’ Licenses and Vehicle Registration – Find your state’s motor vehicle department to get or replace your driver’s license and register your car.
• Federal Civilian Personnel Records – Go to the National Archives for guidance on requesting personnel records for former federal civilian employees. Current federal workers can get personnel records from their Human Resources office.
• Green Card Replacement – Get instructions on how to replace a lost, stolen, or damaged permanent resident card (green card).
• Medical Information Form – Download a form where you can record medical conditions and other health information for use in an emergency situation.
• Medicare Card Replacement – How to replace a lost, stolen or damaged Medicare card
• Military Service Records – How to get copies of military service records, to prove military service or for genealogy research
• Passport – Lost or stolen passports should be reported immediately. Contact the nearest U.S. embassy or Consulate if your passport is lost or stolen overseas.
• Savings Bonds Recovery – Cash and replace lost, stolen, or destroyed bonds.
• School Records – Contact your former school, or the appropriate school district if the school has closed.
• Social Security Card Replacement – How to replace a lost or stolen Social Security card
• Tax Return – Request a copy of your federal tax return from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

SOURCE: http://www.usa.gov/Citizen/Topics/Family_Issues/Vital_Docs.shtm

Thank you in advance for being proactive about this information – I would that you spend more of your time enjoying life than being frantic about some unforeseen loss.

Jan Vitale… your investment protector

Vital Enterprises, LLC - – where you can always find great tips, tools and resources about nutrition, vital document storage, disaster preparedness, identity theft, network marketing, networking, and travel…