Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Friday, May 7, 2010
Cash for Clunker Appliances
Cash for Clunker Appliances
The fridge on its last legs? Uncle Sam wants you to replace it with a new, energy efficient model – and will give you money to do so.
By Jim Ostroff, Kiplinger.com
Cash for Clunker Appliances - The fridge on its last legs? Uncle Sam wants you to replace it with a new, energy efficient model – and will give you money to do so. - By Jim Ostroff, Kiplinger.com
Cash rebates for clunker vehicles were such a smash hit, the government is at it again – this time offering you cash for your worn-out household appliances.
The $300-million federal program – administered through the states – will provide consumers with a cash rebate of up to 15% of the cost of each new Energy Star-rated refrigerator, freezer, dishwasher, clothes washer, water heater and room air conditioner. Expect rebates to run from $100 to $250, depending on the cost of the appliance.
But wait – there's more. The program also covers central AC/heating systems, providing rebates of up to $1,500 for Energy Star-rated replacement systems plus a federal income tax credit of up to $1,500 on purchases made by the end of this year.
Though a few states – Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota and Rhode Island – have jumped the gun and already have the incentives in play, most other states will launch the program later this month. States' shares of the federal program are based on population. California will receive the top amount: $35.3 million; Wyoming, the smallest: $511,000.
Based on early results in the four front-runner states, the appliance program will be as wildly popular with consumers as the cash-for-clunker car program was.
Appliance manufacturers and retailers are excited, eager for the sales boost the program will provide. The rebates should push sales of appliances to $22 billion this year – up 10% over last year, when sales bottomed at around $20 billion – though that's still down 15% from the record hit during the housing boom in 2005.
General Electric, Westinghouse, Whirlpool, Maytag, Trane, Carrier, Viking and other manufacturers, as well as national chain and independent retailers, hope that many consumers in need of one appliance will decide to spring for another as well, since the government is paying part of the tab. Many retailers are also planning discount tie-in promotions, offering big savings on related merchandise – such as outdoor gas grills and riding lawn mowers – that's not eligible for the federal rebates.
Is there a catch? Only a small one, but it shouldn't cause anyone any grief. Uncle Sam wants proof that an old appliance is being recycled before paying the rebate on the replacement. But reputable installers will be happy to haul your old appliance away for recycling at little or no charge after they set up your new one.
The fridge on its last legs? Uncle Sam wants you to replace it with a new, energy efficient model – and will give you money to do so.
By Jim Ostroff, Kiplinger.com
Cash for Clunker Appliances - The fridge on its last legs? Uncle Sam wants you to replace it with a new, energy efficient model – and will give you money to do so. - By Jim Ostroff, Kiplinger.com
Cash rebates for clunker vehicles were such a smash hit, the government is at it again – this time offering you cash for your worn-out household appliances.
The $300-million federal program – administered through the states – will provide consumers with a cash rebate of up to 15% of the cost of each new Energy Star-rated refrigerator, freezer, dishwasher, clothes washer, water heater and room air conditioner. Expect rebates to run from $100 to $250, depending on the cost of the appliance.
But wait – there's more. The program also covers central AC/heating systems, providing rebates of up to $1,500 for Energy Star-rated replacement systems plus a federal income tax credit of up to $1,500 on purchases made by the end of this year.
Though a few states – Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota and Rhode Island – have jumped the gun and already have the incentives in play, most other states will launch the program later this month. States' shares of the federal program are based on population. California will receive the top amount: $35.3 million; Wyoming, the smallest: $511,000.
Based on early results in the four front-runner states, the appliance program will be as wildly popular with consumers as the cash-for-clunker car program was.
Appliance manufacturers and retailers are excited, eager for the sales boost the program will provide. The rebates should push sales of appliances to $22 billion this year – up 10% over last year, when sales bottomed at around $20 billion – though that's still down 15% from the record hit during the housing boom in 2005.
General Electric, Westinghouse, Whirlpool, Maytag, Trane, Carrier, Viking and other manufacturers, as well as national chain and independent retailers, hope that many consumers in need of one appliance will decide to spring for another as well, since the government is paying part of the tab. Many retailers are also planning discount tie-in promotions, offering big savings on related merchandise – such as outdoor gas grills and riding lawn mowers – that's not eligible for the federal rebates.
Is there a catch? Only a small one, but it shouldn't cause anyone any grief. Uncle Sam wants proof that an old appliance is being recycled before paying the rebate on the replacement. But reputable installers will be happy to haul your old appliance away for recycling at little or no charge after they set up your new one.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Overpowering Procrastination
Procrastination, like a slow leak under an upstairs sink, can do major damage. But just like that slow leak, you can avoid the damage with regular "maintenance" of those tasks you're tempted to put off.
Get more information. Sometimes, procrastination is a result of too little information. When "I don't know where to start" is the problem, write down a list of questions related to the issue you've been putting off. This way you'll find out what you know and what you don't know, and if you need to consult someone else to help you find answers.
Do it or ditch it. When a lack of information isn't the problem, you may need a deadline to help you decide if the task is worth the mental stress of continuously putting it off. Is there a reason you're putting it off? Do you suspect the task is a waste of time to begin with? Pick a date to pull the trigger or let it pass. Repeating the cycle of planning, procrastination, and the subsequent guilt is counterproductive. Either you'll have the sweet relief of finishing the task, or you'll enjoy the lighter load of letting it go.
Don't sell out your long-term dreams for the short-term pleasure of putting off a little work. You can defeat procrastination today... so don't put it off until tomorrow.
Get more information. Sometimes, procrastination is a result of too little information. When "I don't know where to start" is the problem, write down a list of questions related to the issue you've been putting off. This way you'll find out what you know and what you don't know, and if you need to consult someone else to help you find answers.
Do it or ditch it. When a lack of information isn't the problem, you may need a deadline to help you decide if the task is worth the mental stress of continuously putting it off. Is there a reason you're putting it off? Do you suspect the task is a waste of time to begin with? Pick a date to pull the trigger or let it pass. Repeating the cycle of planning, procrastination, and the subsequent guilt is counterproductive. Either you'll have the sweet relief of finishing the task, or you'll enjoy the lighter load of letting it go.
Don't sell out your long-term dreams for the short-term pleasure of putting off a little work. You can defeat procrastination today... so don't put it off until tomorrow.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Key Features of the New Housing Rescue Plan
Key Features of the New Housing Rescue Plan
The government’s newest housing rescue effort, which was announced Friday, includes these key tenets:
· As much as $14 billion of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) will be made available to pay for writing down second liens for loans whose borrowers refinance through the Federal Housing Administration.
· Lenders that facilitate refinances through the FHA will be required to write down the principal of the first mortgage by at least 10 percent so the home owner has a loan-to-value ratio no higher than 97.75 percent.
· Lenders of second liens will be offered incentives of 10 cents to 21 cents per dollar of principal they write down in connection with an FHA refinance.
· Borrowers who lose their jobs can apply to have their mortgage payments reduced for three to six months while they search for a new job.
· Borrowers with a payment still greater than 31 percent of income after they find a job will be considered for a permanent loan modification.
· To encourage more short sales and “deed in lieu” of foreclosure transactions in which the lender settles the loan for less than is owed, the government will double assistance to borrowers to $3,000 and increase incentives to subordinate lien holders and investors to $6,000.
Source: Reuters News (03/26/2010)
The government’s newest housing rescue effort, which was announced Friday, includes these key tenets:
· As much as $14 billion of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) will be made available to pay for writing down second liens for loans whose borrowers refinance through the Federal Housing Administration.
· Lenders that facilitate refinances through the FHA will be required to write down the principal of the first mortgage by at least 10 percent so the home owner has a loan-to-value ratio no higher than 97.75 percent.
· Lenders of second liens will be offered incentives of 10 cents to 21 cents per dollar of principal they write down in connection with an FHA refinance.
· Borrowers who lose their jobs can apply to have their mortgage payments reduced for three to six months while they search for a new job.
· Borrowers with a payment still greater than 31 percent of income after they find a job will be considered for a permanent loan modification.
· To encourage more short sales and “deed in lieu” of foreclosure transactions in which the lender settles the loan for less than is owed, the government will double assistance to borrowers to $3,000 and increase incentives to subordinate lien holders and investors to $6,000.
Source: Reuters News (03/26/2010)
Friday, March 5, 2010
Managing Stress, Part 1
Managing Stress, Part I
Sleep Your Way To Success!
By Ingo Logé PhD, CCN & Nutritional Life Coach
Managing Stress, Part ISleep Your Way To Success!By Ingo Logé PhD, CCN & Nutritional Life Coach
You've probably heard the saying from Ben Franklin that, "Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise." Of course this is great advice, but did you know that there are some important scientific reasons why?
These days, too little sleep and too much stress are common problems for many of us. That's why I've written this special two-part series that explains what happens in our bodies when we don't get enough sleep, and why relying on sugar and caffeine are the worst things you can do to feel more refreshed and energized.
Early to Bed
Evolution has designed our bodies to follow a number of natural rhythms. The movements of the sun, the moon and the earth literally govern all of our hormonal rhythms. Our relationship to the sun, for example, directs the seasonal influences on our bodies. At different times of the year, the length of the day is different and this fact has shaped our behavior for most of human history.
In winter for example, it is normal to go to bed earlier and get more sleep. It's cold too, which encourages us to stay in bed in the morning. In summer, it is warmer and the days are longer so we tend to be more energetic. More daylight also lends itself naturally to longer workdays or play days. The spring season gives us a nice slow transition into the more energy expressive summer season, while fall gives us a nice, gentle transition into the more restful winter season.
It is the rising of the sun that triggers the hormones that wake us in the morning and the setting of the sun that triggers the hormones that enact rest and repair during the night. If you are physically active, especially if you're an athlete, missing out on rest is particularly damaging. You end up missing out on needed physical repair time and injury becomes far more likely. I've consulted with many athletes experiencing this very problem over the years.
When you stay up past 2:00 am, be it partying, working the night shift or getting up to care for infants, you'll start displaying nervous system fatigue. This often shows up as headaches, muscle twitching in the face and around one or both eyes. Additionally, anyone that misses the optimal sleep cycle, even if they sleep later into the morning, will not get the same degree of restoration as if they had gone to bed by 10:00 pm because the repair cycles are driven by solar, lunar and terrestrial forces, which really don't care about what shift you work or late night TV! When this continues, even for a few days, this is when the caffeine/sugar cycle can really sink its claws into you.
Tips for Getting to Sleep at Night
Today, we are quite literally bombarded with electromagnetic pollution and overly stimulated by artificial light sources, such as lamps, TVs, digital alarm clocks and any number of light (and electromagnetic) emitting appliances that may be near us when we sleep. This is critical to understand because our bodies are extremely sensitive to all types of light, and extremely sensitive to the need for sleep too! These light sources can trigger the awakening/stress hormones, making sleep difficult. This means not only a loss of sleep, but that the quality of your sleep diminishes.
These effects begin to stack up on one another as lack of sleep is interpreted as a very significant stress input by your body. This triggers further production of stress hormones. These hormones further disrupt your sleep duration and quality, blocking your ability to regenerate your bodily tissues and systems.
Here are some tips to help you get to bed by 10:00 pm so you don't miss your body's natural repair cycles:
1. Get up with the sun. I recommend rising at 6:00 am in the beginning because that way you will naturally be fatigued by the time 10:00 pm rolls around. Early rising is better for the body than late-night activity if you need to get more work or studies done.
2. Dim the lights in the house about 2 hours before bedtime. If possible, use natural bees wax candles. Typical electrical lighting is very stimulating to the part of the brain that is both light and time sensitive. Remember, electric lights appeared very recently in our evolutionary history. They trick your brain into thinking that the sun is coming up at midnight and your body into releasing stress hormones to prepare you for another day's work! That really disrupts sleep patterns.
3. Try using some essential oils. Oil of lavender is great in bath water or mixed with some cream and massaged into the front of the neck, stomach, along the spine and in the groin region as well as on the feet. Mountain Rose Herbs makes great oils, and they have a special blend called Sleep Ease Oil which, when rubbed behind the knees, works well for aiding your sleep.
4. If you can tolerate milk, warm organic milk helps release the neurotransmitter tryptophan, which often makes people drowsy. You'll know if you cannot digest dairy products well or are lactose intolerant if you suffer from bloating, abdominal cramps, nausea, gas and diarrhea within 30 minutes of eating a dairy product. You may also wake up with a stuffy nose and excess sleep in your eyes after eating dairy as well.
5. Try unplugging all electrical devices in your room for a few nights. The electromagnetic pollution from electrical devices keeps a lot of people from sleeping well.
6. Leave your window partially open at night so that you can keep fresh air in the room and don't let the room get too warm either. People typically sleep best when there is fresh air in the room and it's about 60-65 degrees. If it's too warm, you will sweat and feel stuffy and that's a form of stress to the body. Again, out come the stress hormones and goodbye deep sleep.
7. There are some excellent music selections that will help you sleep these days, too. I find nature sounds helpful. Most music stores have a section of music to help people relax and sleep. Keep the volume low enough that it's not disruptive. In my experience, the right music can work like a charm!
8. Shower or bathe before bed. If you don't have a whole-house water filtration system, purchase a shower or a bath filter to remove chlorine. Coming to bed clean and fresh has a relaxing effect. Be sure not to put any mass-market, non-organic commercial scents, oils or hygiene products on your body at night. Most of these products are loaded with toxins that elevate stress hormones. If you are already sleep challenged, I recommend that you stop using commercial body care products, particularly before bedtime. It can make a huge difference!
9. Make sure the windows are well covered. Even the smallest amount of light can wake some people up. This is one of the most common causes of premature awakening. Streetlights, flashes of light from cars driving by, and the sun rising in the morning can all put an end to a lovely sleep in a flash.
Be sure to check out Part 2 of my article next month to learn more about why sugar and caffeine are not your allies when it comes to getting a handle on stress. Also, check out my "Ways to Reduce Stress" download complete with exercises to help you decrease stress. In the meantime, here's to many good nights of sleep for you!
Sleep Your Way To Success!
By Ingo Logé PhD, CCN & Nutritional Life Coach
Managing Stress, Part ISleep Your Way To Success!By Ingo Logé PhD, CCN & Nutritional Life Coach
You've probably heard the saying from Ben Franklin that, "Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise." Of course this is great advice, but did you know that there are some important scientific reasons why?
These days, too little sleep and too much stress are common problems for many of us. That's why I've written this special two-part series that explains what happens in our bodies when we don't get enough sleep, and why relying on sugar and caffeine are the worst things you can do to feel more refreshed and energized.
Early to Bed
Evolution has designed our bodies to follow a number of natural rhythms. The movements of the sun, the moon and the earth literally govern all of our hormonal rhythms. Our relationship to the sun, for example, directs the seasonal influences on our bodies. At different times of the year, the length of the day is different and this fact has shaped our behavior for most of human history.
In winter for example, it is normal to go to bed earlier and get more sleep. It's cold too, which encourages us to stay in bed in the morning. In summer, it is warmer and the days are longer so we tend to be more energetic. More daylight also lends itself naturally to longer workdays or play days. The spring season gives us a nice slow transition into the more energy expressive summer season, while fall gives us a nice, gentle transition into the more restful winter season.
It is the rising of the sun that triggers the hormones that wake us in the morning and the setting of the sun that triggers the hormones that enact rest and repair during the night. If you are physically active, especially if you're an athlete, missing out on rest is particularly damaging. You end up missing out on needed physical repair time and injury becomes far more likely. I've consulted with many athletes experiencing this very problem over the years.
When you stay up past 2:00 am, be it partying, working the night shift or getting up to care for infants, you'll start displaying nervous system fatigue. This often shows up as headaches, muscle twitching in the face and around one or both eyes. Additionally, anyone that misses the optimal sleep cycle, even if they sleep later into the morning, will not get the same degree of restoration as if they had gone to bed by 10:00 pm because the repair cycles are driven by solar, lunar and terrestrial forces, which really don't care about what shift you work or late night TV! When this continues, even for a few days, this is when the caffeine/sugar cycle can really sink its claws into you.
Tips for Getting to Sleep at Night
Today, we are quite literally bombarded with electromagnetic pollution and overly stimulated by artificial light sources, such as lamps, TVs, digital alarm clocks and any number of light (and electromagnetic) emitting appliances that may be near us when we sleep. This is critical to understand because our bodies are extremely sensitive to all types of light, and extremely sensitive to the need for sleep too! These light sources can trigger the awakening/stress hormones, making sleep difficult. This means not only a loss of sleep, but that the quality of your sleep diminishes.
These effects begin to stack up on one another as lack of sleep is interpreted as a very significant stress input by your body. This triggers further production of stress hormones. These hormones further disrupt your sleep duration and quality, blocking your ability to regenerate your bodily tissues and systems.
Here are some tips to help you get to bed by 10:00 pm so you don't miss your body's natural repair cycles:
1. Get up with the sun. I recommend rising at 6:00 am in the beginning because that way you will naturally be fatigued by the time 10:00 pm rolls around. Early rising is better for the body than late-night activity if you need to get more work or studies done.
2. Dim the lights in the house about 2 hours before bedtime. If possible, use natural bees wax candles. Typical electrical lighting is very stimulating to the part of the brain that is both light and time sensitive. Remember, electric lights appeared very recently in our evolutionary history. They trick your brain into thinking that the sun is coming up at midnight and your body into releasing stress hormones to prepare you for another day's work! That really disrupts sleep patterns.
3. Try using some essential oils. Oil of lavender is great in bath water or mixed with some cream and massaged into the front of the neck, stomach, along the spine and in the groin region as well as on the feet. Mountain Rose Herbs makes great oils, and they have a special blend called Sleep Ease Oil which, when rubbed behind the knees, works well for aiding your sleep.
4. If you can tolerate milk, warm organic milk helps release the neurotransmitter tryptophan, which often makes people drowsy. You'll know if you cannot digest dairy products well or are lactose intolerant if you suffer from bloating, abdominal cramps, nausea, gas and diarrhea within 30 minutes of eating a dairy product. You may also wake up with a stuffy nose and excess sleep in your eyes after eating dairy as well.
5. Try unplugging all electrical devices in your room for a few nights. The electromagnetic pollution from electrical devices keeps a lot of people from sleeping well.
6. Leave your window partially open at night so that you can keep fresh air in the room and don't let the room get too warm either. People typically sleep best when there is fresh air in the room and it's about 60-65 degrees. If it's too warm, you will sweat and feel stuffy and that's a form of stress to the body. Again, out come the stress hormones and goodbye deep sleep.
7. There are some excellent music selections that will help you sleep these days, too. I find nature sounds helpful. Most music stores have a section of music to help people relax and sleep. Keep the volume low enough that it's not disruptive. In my experience, the right music can work like a charm!
8. Shower or bathe before bed. If you don't have a whole-house water filtration system, purchase a shower or a bath filter to remove chlorine. Coming to bed clean and fresh has a relaxing effect. Be sure not to put any mass-market, non-organic commercial scents, oils or hygiene products on your body at night. Most of these products are loaded with toxins that elevate stress hormones. If you are already sleep challenged, I recommend that you stop using commercial body care products, particularly before bedtime. It can make a huge difference!
9. Make sure the windows are well covered. Even the smallest amount of light can wake some people up. This is one of the most common causes of premature awakening. Streetlights, flashes of light from cars driving by, and the sun rising in the morning can all put an end to a lovely sleep in a flash.
Be sure to check out Part 2 of my article next month to learn more about why sugar and caffeine are not your allies when it comes to getting a handle on stress. Also, check out my "Ways to Reduce Stress" download complete with exercises to help you decrease stress. In the meantime, here's to many good nights of sleep for you!
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Creating Team Loyalty
Creating Team Loyalty
Lead By Example
Do you suffer from high turnover in the workplace? One issue that is greatly underestimated by most managers is that of employee turnover. It can literally wreck your organization and your continuity.
The longer you have a consistent team in place, the more you learn to become an extension of each other. Your productivity and efficiency skyrockets when you have a team that works well together. For this reason, it is incredibly important that you create a working environment that allows your team to flourish, a place where your employees want to be on a long-term basis. Remember, your employees spend more of their waking hours in the workplace than anywhere else. You need to strive to make it an enjoyable environment.
Lead by example. Create clarity within the job descriptions you provide. Make sure the organization's vision and Mission Statement are crystal clear and embodied in the actions of each and every member of your team.
Create loyalty by tending to special needs. It helps to show your appreciation for your team members and make sure you are building loyalty with them. For example, many employees are working parents. One of the most difficult times of the year for them is during the summer. The children are not in school, and the parent is wishing he or she didn't have to work and wants to be with his or her children. This is a great time to do something special for them.
Pay a housekeeper to handle their housecleaning responsibilities a couple of times a month. This is a way to let that valued employee know that you don't want them to be home on a Saturday morning cleaning the house when they could be out doing something exciting with their children. During the holidays you can offer to have their car washed or their houses cleaned so they can focus on their holiday gift shopping and spend time with their family. These are little things that add up to big results.
Get to know your employees' "other half." Remember, your employees' spouse can be your advocate or your enemy. This is the person your employee goes home to every night after a long day of work, and it is quite possible this is the person they will vent their frustrations to. If you have this spouse as your advocate, the spouse will defend you and remind your employee that they have a lot going for them with this job.
If you haven't taken the time to get to know your employees' significant others through occasional group functions, you are putting yourself in a position where this person, who could have been your advocate, is now someone who is suggesting the best solution is to look for another job! Keep in mind that the success of a great team is greatly dependent on your ability to keep key individuals as long as possible.
Lead By Example
Do you suffer from high turnover in the workplace? One issue that is greatly underestimated by most managers is that of employee turnover. It can literally wreck your organization and your continuity.
The longer you have a consistent team in place, the more you learn to become an extension of each other. Your productivity and efficiency skyrockets when you have a team that works well together. For this reason, it is incredibly important that you create a working environment that allows your team to flourish, a place where your employees want to be on a long-term basis. Remember, your employees spend more of their waking hours in the workplace than anywhere else. You need to strive to make it an enjoyable environment.
Lead by example. Create clarity within the job descriptions you provide. Make sure the organization's vision and Mission Statement are crystal clear and embodied in the actions of each and every member of your team.
Create loyalty by tending to special needs. It helps to show your appreciation for your team members and make sure you are building loyalty with them. For example, many employees are working parents. One of the most difficult times of the year for them is during the summer. The children are not in school, and the parent is wishing he or she didn't have to work and wants to be with his or her children. This is a great time to do something special for them.
Pay a housekeeper to handle their housecleaning responsibilities a couple of times a month. This is a way to let that valued employee know that you don't want them to be home on a Saturday morning cleaning the house when they could be out doing something exciting with their children. During the holidays you can offer to have their car washed or their houses cleaned so they can focus on their holiday gift shopping and spend time with their family. These are little things that add up to big results.
Get to know your employees' "other half." Remember, your employees' spouse can be your advocate or your enemy. This is the person your employee goes home to every night after a long day of work, and it is quite possible this is the person they will vent their frustrations to. If you have this spouse as your advocate, the spouse will defend you and remind your employee that they have a lot going for them with this job.
If you haven't taken the time to get to know your employees' significant others through occasional group functions, you are putting yourself in a position where this person, who could have been your advocate, is now someone who is suggesting the best solution is to look for another job! Keep in mind that the success of a great team is greatly dependent on your ability to keep key individuals as long as possible.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
"Hack Proof" your passwords
"Hack Proof" Your Passwords
Protect yourself and your clients from email hackers!
Recently, I received a frantic email message from an agent, apologizing to all of his contacts.
It turned out his email account had been hacked, and the hacker had sent out a fraudulent message to everyone in his address book explaining how he was "stranded in London" and needed cash, fast. What's worse, anyone that fell for the scam exposed themselves to identity theft.
Embarrassed, he admitted that the password had been easily hacked because it was a simple combination of letters and numbers... his daughter's name and birth year, in fact.
The hacker didn't even need to know the agent or his daughter... the password was so weak that a simple program was able to guess it in just a few minutes.
Suffice it to say he spent valuable hours that week apologizing, making sure no one had been taken in by the scam, and trying to rebuild the credibility of his email address. Ultimately he abandoned it for a new address. His trust sure took a hit that week.
Don't let this happen to you. Next time you have to come up with a password, use this free website, "Strong Password Generator":
http://strongpasswordgenerator.com
In addition to taking the pressure off of coming up with a suitably random sequence, it allows you to include specific lengths, include/exclude special characters, and provides you with a recommendation as to how to remember the new password.
Protect yourself and protect your clients' trust!
Protect yourself and your clients from email hackers!
Recently, I received a frantic email message from an agent, apologizing to all of his contacts.
It turned out his email account had been hacked, and the hacker had sent out a fraudulent message to everyone in his address book explaining how he was "stranded in London" and needed cash, fast. What's worse, anyone that fell for the scam exposed themselves to identity theft.
Embarrassed, he admitted that the password had been easily hacked because it was a simple combination of letters and numbers... his daughter's name and birth year, in fact.
The hacker didn't even need to know the agent or his daughter... the password was so weak that a simple program was able to guess it in just a few minutes.
Suffice it to say he spent valuable hours that week apologizing, making sure no one had been taken in by the scam, and trying to rebuild the credibility of his email address. Ultimately he abandoned it for a new address. His trust sure took a hit that week.
Don't let this happen to you. Next time you have to come up with a password, use this free website, "Strong Password Generator":
http://strongpasswordgenerator.com
In addition to taking the pressure off of coming up with a suitably random sequence, it allows you to include specific lengths, include/exclude special characters, and provides you with a recommendation as to how to remember the new password.
Protect yourself and protect your clients' trust!
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