When
you get pulled over by a cop for speeding, do you have a
better chance of getting out of the ticket by admitting your
error...or by denying any culpability?
Malpractice insurers' mantra is often "deny and
defend" when a doctor or hospital is accused of a
medical injury. But at least one malpractice insurer,
Denver-based Copic
Companies,
is trying a different strategy...one that sounds a lot like "I'm
sorry."
This
program's not designed to cover major blunders like
amputating the wrong arm or leg or breast, or removing the
wrong lung or even death. But these new
compensation/settlement programs are designed to settle
lesser cases of malpractice and (hopefully) avoid the
heartache of the litigation process. Before you call your
lawyer, read
more...
If
you're a typical driver, get ready to be
inconvenienced at least once a week:
The bad guys have really
started making an impact on the way we used to do business
at the gas pumps. The days of letting Gomer
fill up your gas tank without getting a wad of cash or a
credit card first are about to go the way of $1-a-gallon
gas. The end results?
2.
You'd better have a valid credit card or cash the next time
you get ready to start filling up.
3. And you
might wanna fix your make-up or comb your hair before you
get outta the car: The hottest additions to gas stations
across the country are surveillance cameras and videotaping
equipment. Wanna know more? Get
your fill right here.....
Here's
another new way the bad guys are working hard to
steal your identity...and now they're targeting the
unemployed! If you're one of the unfortunate
millions of unemployeds in America, you've probably
tried just about every possible method of finding a new job.
One of the most popular methods is to use the convenience
(and huge reach) of the Internet by posting a resume on
Monster.com.
How
popular? 24.5 million people have
posted resumes on Monster.com...many of whom desperately
need work and are ripe pickings for fake job postings that
sound too good to pass up!
"All
you've gotta do is apply for the job...and it's yours! Of
course you'll need to give us all of your usual new employee
data, including your Social Security Number. (We'll be
needing it to steal your identity!)" Here's
some tips that'll help you avoid adding insult to
unemployment misery:
1.
Don't give your Social Security Number to a prospective
employer even if they suggest that it's for a routine
background check.
2.
Never pay any up-front cash to secure a new job! Don't give
credit card or bank account numbers to prospective
employers. And don't bite on any deals that may ask you to
transfer funds (or exchange currency) to (or for) a
prospective employer.
3.
Be cautious whenever you're ask to give any personal
information over the phone or online to a prospective
employer...other than the information you've already given
up in your resume.
4.
Be especially cautious when dealing with
individuals/companies from outside the U.S. A
disproportionate number of fraudulent job postings have been
traced to companies and scam artists in Eastern Europe.
5.
When responding to individuals who purport to represent a
prospective employer, research the company to ensure that
they're legitimate. Once again (with feeling!) : If
it sounds too good to be true...
If
you're traveling between now and the end of April, I've
gotta way for you to get a free tank of gas and a cheap
hotel room! I
found this deal on Hotels.com's website:
If you book 2 nights or more between now and April 30th
through the Internet hotel and condo consolidator, they'll
give you a free tank of gas...up to $20, anyway. Hmmmm,
considering the price of gas these days, maybe all they're
gonna give you is a half-tank of gas. You
figure it out...at least it's better than nothing.
Spring's
almost here...and interest rates are so low you're nuts
if you don't cash in while you can! (Because there's no
way they can last forever!) Time to get
the edge in the home buying/re-financing world; get
your free copy of Ben's 2003 Home Buyer's Guide right here!
Get
ready for the newest treat from our pals at the IRS,
something I like to call The Three Circles of Pain:
There's a chance that the world's most powerful debt
collector is targeting you! (So watch your mailbox-and pray
you haven't been chosen!) Internal Revenue Service officials
have begun sending letters to taxpayers (chosen randomly)
for special audits later this year and next year. These
audits, the first of their kind in more than a decade, are
designed to give agents a fresh look at how much and what
kinds of cheating exists, as well as how to spot it.
The
IRS' Three Circles of Pain: These
audits will target a total of about 47,000 taxpayers, but
the information garnered will affect all of us because it
will be used to determine who gets tagged for audits in the
future.
The
outer, least-painful Circle of Pain will involve fewer than
7,000 households...and these taxpayers won't
even know they've been picked. The IRS can get everything it
needs by comparing data on documents they've already
received against what their audit targets have reported on
their returns. Those audited through this method will
receive specific IRS-generated questions by mail and be
asked for written replies. If you've got adequate
documentation to answer all these questions, you can
probably handle this on your own.
The
next Circle of Pain targets 32,000 households with letters
indicating what areas the IRS is looking at on your return
and asking you to call them and set an appointment.
If your bad karma brings one of these live grenades to your
mailbox, regardless of the complexity of your return, you'd
better hire a tax professional.
Pray
you don't make the Inner Circle of Pain, which is
reserved for 1,700 taxpayers who will be getting the IRS'
version of a digital exam
known as a "calibration" audit.
These poor bastards will be required to field questions
about nearly every line on the return. If you get picked,
dig into your records and come up with as much documentation
as you can and start saying your prayers. Needless to say
you'd better have professional representation, especially
since taxpayers confronted by IRS agents often tend to get
nervous (imagine that!) and talk too much, blurting out
unnecessary details or becoming overly emotional and
arousing needless suspicions. IRS officials say that letters
for these calibration audits probably won't go out until
late May.
Here's
75 million (more) reasons why lawmakers had better
leave the bankruptcy laws alone: I've been
warning the world that this was happening and now, the
numbers (unfortunately) are backing me up. The sluggish
economy and rising health costs are stripping more Americans
of their health insurance. Seventy-five
million were uninsured at some point during 2001 or 2002
according to a study released this week.
And recent reports showed that out of the 1.5 million
consumer bankruptcies filed in 2002, over 30% of the debts
discharged were medical bills.
Tired
of being nickeled-and-dimed to death by hidden fees and
taxes? Here are some tips that'll help you avoid those
"misunderstandings" that always seem to occur at
check out: Keep in mind that many times,
it's the consumer's own fault! Purchasing behavior studies
reveal that most consumers ignore those "extra
outlays" when in the heat of the buying wars...even
when details are included in the offer. Shoppers tend to
think products are cheaper than they actually are,
especially when they really want something. No
surprise: Undecided shoppers tend
to be more analytical. Here are the most frequent hidden
fees potholes:
Cell
phones: Those affordable $35-a-month cell
phone offers are never really $35, even if you stay within
your allotted number of minutes. Tax, fees and surcharges
will jack your bills up by as much as 20%! Always expect a
sizable chunk added on to any quoted (come on) price. The
usual suspects? Federal taxes, universal service fees, local
911 service tax and state sales tax. Solution?
Ask your cell phone service provider
up front what the total bill will be. (At
least you won't be shocked.)
Rental
cars: What about those $19 a day car rental
deals? They don't exist!
Additional fees and taxes will jack those bills up by as
much as 30% of the total bill! And with local governments
getting into the act, expect to see "visitor
taxes" added on to pay for airport runways and
convention centers. Come to think of it, that's okay with
me, since they're taxing a bunch of visitors! (And we won't
have to pay 'em!)
Your
car rental solution? Rent early!
The lowest prices on rental cars can usually be found six
weeks in advance. And don't burn your cash on additional
insurance coverages if you don't need 'em. If you have your
own car insurance or pay with a credit card, you probably
won't need to buy the extra collision-damage waiver, which
can add as much as $21 a day to a bill. (But before you
start declining coverages, check with your insurance company
and your credit-card company to make sure you're already
covered.)
Hotels:
Four nights at $100 a night equals $400, right? Think again,
Jethro!
Local occupancy and sales taxes knock hotel bills up an
average 11.5%...but expect to pay an extra 17% if you're
visiting the Swamps
of Enron
(Houston); those grunge-depressed types in Seattle
will tack on an extra 16%; and the city fathers of Chicago
will make your trip to the Windy City more expensive to the
tune of 15% extra in taxes.
Be
careful and watch out for hotel-imposed "service"
fees: Many times
these are negotiable if you whine loud enough! Especially
add-ons you'll never use, like business-center use fees,
housekeeping surcharges and even bellhop surcharges.
Many hotels and especially resorts are testing these fees
again; if you're asleep at the switch, they'll sneak them by
you.
Airline
tickets: Beware of the always-deceptive
"one-way fares based on round trip purchase"
ads...and expect to see an additional 10% to 40% added on to
any advertised ticket prices. Ben's
solution? Fly
nonstop whenever you can. Those extra fees are
usually charged per takeoff and landing. And don't forget to
pack your own lunch if you're flying on America West, Delta
or Northwest, since they've started charging for that yummy
in-flight meal on many routes.
