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BFD on KFI Follow-up
Topics/Reference Source Section for 2002
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Sunday,
May 26, 2002:
ALWAYS
get second opinion if you
continue to feel bad after any
type of surgery:
I know this might sound
obvious, but doctors can make
mistakes...like the Doc in San
Diego that left a 14-inch
surgical knife in his
patient's stomach. (I
hate that when that
happens....) He's
now $250,000 richer (or I
guess he and his attorney
are!).....
Don't
go nuts because your creditors
are slamming you with 1099s
because they wrote off one of
your bad debts...Ben's gotta
tip that'll get you out of the
tax liability:
Debt collectors and creditors
will threaten you that you're
gonna get nailed with a 1099
showing income for
"forgiveness of
debt;" it's perfectly
legal for them to say and do
this, but few rarely
follow-through. Here's
an article that discusses what
your liabilities are,
but they really deliver a
half-assed message: Instead of
just scaring you, why don't
they give you ways to get out
of the tax liability?
Don't go cheap and expect to
get great advice from one of
those cookie-cutter operations
that charges next to
nothing...you really do get
what you pay for...Ask your
accountant or tax attorney
about "the
insolvency rule"
and use this little gem in the
tax code to wash the
liability. Bottom
line: If you're
defaulting on loans or credit
cards because you can't pay 'em,
there's a pretty good chance
that you're
insolvent...upside-down...kind
words for broke.
But for once, it pays to be
broke: If you're insolvent,
you can probably invoke "the
rule" that'll allow
you to flush any of these "phantom
gains" that show up
on a 1099 for debt
forgiveness. Cool, huh?
Ask an expert if you can use
it...don't depend on me
for the final word!
Wanna
compare the long distance
services side-by-side to find
which one will deliver the
best rates to you?
You can do it on-line, of
course, but if you're really
anal-retentive about saving
all you can on your long
distance bill, then you'd
better go back and re-price
at least once every 60-90 days.
The phone companies are always
introducing
newer/better/cheaper plans to
try to steal you away from the
competition...use your
impending departure as a way
to get 'em to make them try to
keep you but cut you a deal.
Here's
one site that'll run the
numbers for you...or
try
this non-profit organization's
site for more options.
What
sort of porno files or
sensitive e-mails would
embarrass you if you died
today?
Not to worry...there's an easy
way to delete all of these
files from your computer after
you've died! It's a
free software program called Dead
Man's Switch,
and it will automatically
delete anything "sensitive"
from your computer on a
certain date in the future
unless you punch in the proper
codes to call it off...or put
it off. It can also send
e-mails after you're gone...how
cool would that be to creep
everyone out from the great
beyond? Heh, heh,
heh...knock yourself out, here
you go, sicko...
You'd
better make sure you can
insure that house before you
buy it!!!
That's right, more and more
insurance companies are
refusing to insure homes
because of their claims
record. Actually, this
is smart information that
every potential home buyer
needs to know...you want to
know if you're buying a lemon
of a house ahead of time,
don't you??? Just like
your driving record, insurance
companies will look at the
claims record of a property
before they agree to insure
it. So before you jump
on that "great deal"
you'd better do your homework
[sorry for the bad pun] first;
insurance companies will
refuse to cover a property
that's been the subject of
multiple claims like water or
storm damage...and if it's in
a neighborhood that has
burglary problems, this could
also cause you some real
insurability problems.
According to the May 23, 2002
edition of The Wall Street
Journal, the source for
this new obstacle is the
insurance industry's little
secret...a claims history
database called CLUE:
The Comprehensive Loss
Underwriting Exchange.
Ben's
Bottom Line?
When you find a house you
wanna buy, make sure that you
require the current owner to
provide you with a current
CLUE report before you agree
to buy the property and go
hard with any cash. Here's
a bunch of articles about CLUE
if you wanna read more...
You'd
better call your credit card
company if you plan on
traveling anywhere, anytime
soon...or else they'll turn
off your credit cards and really
screw up your trip!
I don't blame the credit card
companies on this one,
actually. Call 'em and let 'em
know when you're going to be
traveling, especially if
you're going to Mexico or
Eastern European countries
[fraudulent credit card
hotbeds]; Ben wrote
about it in his column
last year.
Ben's
best advice? #1
Make sure you have the
toll-free numbers to contact
your credit card companies
while you're traveling [since
it's a different number than
U.S.-originated calls]. #2
Call the credit card companies
before you travel and let 'em
know your plans. #3
And here's some links if you
need the major contact numbers
for Visa
and MasterCard.
Do
you hate the automated phone
systems that force you to
punch a zillion buttons?
Get in line...here's some
advice that'll help you
short-cut their systems:
First off:
Don't waste your time hitting
"0"...more and more
systems are programmed to
simply recycle you to the
beginning of the message or
menu, or cut you off
altogether.
Second:
Here's some combinations that
do work: Try "*"
& "0" to cut
through quick...it works on
Chase Bank, United and
Northwest Airlines. Or
try "0" &
"#" for the phone
systems at Amtrak, IBM and
Apple Computers.
Third:
Other combos...like hit the
"0" key
repetitively; it'll puts you
right into the cue for Visa,
MasterCard and VoiceStream.
Ben's
Closing BIG TIPS?
Here's two
for you:
#1 Just
ask the customer service
representative once you
finally get through [the first
time around] for the
"short-cut codes"
and they'll usually tell you!
#2
And do what I do many times:
Don't press any buttons and
make the system think you're
on one of those old rotary
phones [they'll probably think
you're in your 70s or 80s too,
but who cares???].
Sunday,
May 19, 2002:
Has
your attorney screwed you?
Maybe it's time to fire 'em!
Then sue 'em!!! It's
a daunting undertaking, trying
to get one attorney to sue
another one. But it's not
impossible. Here's SIX
THINGS you've
gotta keep in mind before you
sharpen your knives and go after
your legal eagle, excerpted from
the book Using
A Lawyer, one
of many great titles published
by HALT:
1.
Time: Legal
malpractice cases are complex
and can take time, so get ready
to dig in.
2. Cost:
They're not cheap either.
You're gonna pay a bunch of
dough either way, win or lose.
So pick your battles, make sure
you've got enough dough to fuel
the case, and before you waste
your time filing suit?
Make sure your ex-attorney has
malpractice insurance.
Even if you've got a great case
and win, you could still lose if
there are no assets to attach.
(This rules applies to any
type of litigation.)
3.
Energy: You'd
better have a lot of energy
because money's not enough.
You've really got to be
motivated to take it to this
next level.
4.
Assess your chances for success:
Remember that Client's received ZERO
compensation in 63.3% of claims
filed...and fewer than 30% of
all claims led to lawsuits.
And here's an ugly stat: Clients
who don't settle win in court
only 1.2% of the time; extremely
few clients ever receive
compensation over $1,000.
The
IRS is making it a little easier
on Innocent Spouses:
They're tryin' to, anyway.
Wanna read more? Here
you go...
If
you're up to your butt in IRS
problems, now's the time to get
it under control:
They're gonna catch up with you
sooner or later...maybe they
already have and you need some
help. There's more info
about where to turn and what to
do right
here...
Hey
Doc! I'll have a shot!!!
Not of alcohol, you lush:
We're talking about adults
getting booster shots, for stuff
like diphtheria and tetanus.
If you're over 18 years old, you
really might wanna put this on
your "to do" list the
next time you visit your Doc; wanna
know more?
You'd
better know what the returns
policy is before you spend a
dime anywhere!!!
Everyone's tightening their
belts, thanks to shrinking
profit margins...which means
they're not as nice when it
comes to returns or exchanges, so
you'd better do your homework.
It
doesn't matter how good a
customer you've been to your
insurance company; it doesn't
take much for them to drop you
in the grease, and you'd better
know that the rules of the game
have changed!!!
Check out this article from the
Wall Street Journal that was
re-printed in this morning's Orange
County Register.
Sunday,
May 12, 2002:
Scumbag?
Deadbeat?? How 'bout
deadMEAT: Collect all of the child
support you're owed from the
bastards! In honor of
Mother's Day '02, get aggressive
if you're owed child support!
Okay, we know that sometimes there
are cases of deadbeat Moms, but
let's face it guys, you're usually
the slackers that aren't paying
what you owe. So what can
custodial parents do?
1.
Get proactive:
There are parental-level
empowerment groups out there
designed to support parents in
this predicament. One
national organization is called The
Association for Children for
Enforcement of Support [ACES]:
Worth investigating, they'll teach
you how to pursue the dollars
you're owed so that you get to
keep every penny collected.
2. Do
your research:
There's a slew of books on the
topic of collecting child support;
one of my favorites? Make
The Jerk Pay by
Louis J. Rose & Roy Malone [$14.95
Albion Press];
there's a bunch of used copies
available on Amazon,
as well as other titles cut from
the same philosophical cloth.
3.
Hire a professional collector: Hold
your water and don't waste your
time writing poison-pen e-mails to
me about having to pay a debt
collector a third of everything
they collect. Either get
66.66% of something or 100% of
nothing, which is what you've got
now if you're reading this.
How many custodial parents have
the time to chase the deadbeat
parents? Answer: Very
few.
Gary Katz from www.childsupport.com
has some solutions for parents
wanting to collect what they're
due. Check 'em out on-line, or
call toll-free: (800)
398-0700
The
new four-letter word that could
really cost you a bundle is
spelled: M-O-L-D
You'd better take it
seriously...it's permanently
injuring some physically; others
it's damaging financially. Ed
McMahon's suing his
insurance company over their lack
of attention to his claim...and
the fact that he says un-treated
mold killed his pooch. Some
insurance companies are
finding out the hard way that
they'd better pay up to get it
fixed early...or else. Here's
12 Steps that you can take to
try to minimize your potential for
disaster due to mold.
Why
waste your $$$ renting DVDs at
Blockbuster when it's getting so
cheap to just buy 'em?
How many of you pay late fees on
those overdue videos every month?
With the price dropping on DVDs, think
ownership...especially
if you're searching for a gift for
Dad [Father's Day is June 16th
this year; did you know it's the
third Sunday of June every year?
You can thank LBJ for that
Presidential Proclamation.] Wal-Mart's got
their "bargain bins" of
DVDs priced at $5.88; Best
Buy's got
3-packs for $20; Amazon.com's
got DVD deals for under $10; Fry's
has 'em for as little as
$4.99...and specially-packaged
double feature/twin packs [such as
Problem Child paired with Mr.
Baseball] for only $12.99.
For that special male in your
life? Why not get 'em the
special anniversary edition of
Caddyshack, Animal House or the
easy and cheap favorite: The
Three Stooges for under $10!
I've
been telling you the wrong thing
for months! If the
possible bankruptcy law changes
interests you, listen up:
For months I've been telling you
the banking/credit card industry
had spent $100 million lobbying
our lawmakers to change the
bankruptcy laws. I was kinda
right...but more wrong on this
one. In reality, the
financial-services industry as a
whole has spent over $700
million since 1996
buying off your lawmakers and
pushing to get the bankruptcy laws
changed to their benefit!
I think we need to change the
music played in the halls of
Congress from the Star
Spangled Banner or America
to a more appropriate tune.
How about Stevie Wonder's Signed,
Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours!!!)
instead.
If
you don't lose some weight the
next time you fly, the airline
might charge you more!
Okay, let me clarify...unless you
pack lighter, and if you try to
check three bags on either
Northwest or Continental airlines,
get ready to pay an extra $80 for
the pleasure of flying their
not-so-friendly skies. Wanna
list of all of the airlines'
baggage/fee policies?
You'd
better be careful what you ask
for...and how you ask for it the
next time you go out for
fast-food: Find
out why it's
getting even more dangerous to eat
under the golden arches.
Not
happy with the way your
insurance company is handling
your claim? Homeowners and
automobile insurance companies, BEWARE!
We recognize how the game is
played. We know you love
taking our premiums but aren't
terribly happy about paying out
claims when we come knocking on
your door. So we're taking
matters into our own hands and
are going to get just as
aggressive as is necessary to
get paid what we're rightfully
owed. How?
We're going to get smart about
our rights and get some help
from one of the thorns in the
side of the insurance industry: Ron
Alford at
www.theplan.com
[You've
been warned!]
Looking
for a good attorney to handle
your claim against bad faith
business practices? Lemon
laws, lousy mechanics, car
dealers that don't play by the
rules and more...handled!
One of the truly great resources
for consumers is only a couple
of clicks away; check out the National
Association of Consumer
Advocates website
for referrals for attorneys to
take those tough cases.
Sunday,
May 5, 2002:
Are
you making yourself an easy target
for stolen luggage when you travel?
Time to get smart and lower your
target profile and increase the
chances of claiming your luggage
flawlessly, every trip out:
1.
Make
sure zippers aren't broken
and nothing's torn/protruding from
your bag.
2.
Personalize
you luggage with a
ribbon or large patch to reduce the
chances that it'll be claimed by
someone else by mistake. Many
travel-related sections of stores
sell brightly colored cloth/Velcro
"wrap arounds" the wrap
around the handle of your bag.
(I use the neon green one to spot my
bag quickly.)
3.
Label
your baggage on the outside [duh!]
but also on the inside:
Since external tags can be ripped
off, make sure you've got current ID
and contact information inside your
bag. Here's
a cool cheap tip:
Federal Express has plastic pouches
that have an adhesive backing and
are designed for airbills to be
slapped on the side of FedEx boxes
or envelopes...and these work
beautifully when applied to the
inside (and in plain view) of your
suitcase or garment bag. Make
sure the info is current, and make
sure it has contact information so
they can find you during your
current trip.
4.
Check in early to
allow your bags to make the
connection in time...and no whining
if they don't because you didn't!
5. Before you ever let
your bag out of your sight,
make sure that the destination
tag is correct. Then hang on
to your baggage receipt [they
usually staple it to your ticket
jacket for you] until you've got your
bag and you're outta the terminal.
6. Don't be a
pack-rat! Either
remove your old baggage tags or risk
having them shipped to a destination
that's not gonna make you happy in a
few hours. If you're
sentimental about a previous trip,
keep the tags in your hope
chest...just be sure to get 'em off
your baggage before your next time
in the friendly skies.
7.
Never pack valuables, such as
cameras, jewelry, money or
prescription drugs in your checked
luggage: You're
begging for thieves to rip you off,
and the airline's not liable for
more than $2,500, if you're lucky
enough to get 'em to even pay that.
Use your head and carry valuables in
your reach by carrying them on the
plane with you.
Now
that you've got your bags at your
destination, let's save you some
serious $$$ on hotel rooms once you
arrive: How about
the Westin/St. Francis in San
Francisco for $149? The
Aladdin in Las Vegas for $69?
London's Regency Hotel for only
$119, or a 5-Star hotel in
Paris--The Relaix--for only $79 [and
they'll even throw in breakfast!].
Deals for destinations just about
anywhere around the nation or on the
planet...or a chance to plan a
getaway weekend for two right here
in your own backyard, a just a
mouse-click away: www.hotels.com
Ben's
no-brainer choice to impress Mom
next Sunday and getcha some
major brownie points: Don't
waste your time sending a dopey
[and incredibly over-priced]
stuffed bear, or some
crappy flowers from one of those 1-800
national flower brokers.
For the same money [or even less!]
you can send some fantastic flowers,
direct from Hawaii, delivered to
dear ole Mom via FedEx. Check
out their site for yourself: www.tropicalcolors.com
or call 'em during regular business
hours: (800)
965-9732
It's
called "custodian" or
"janitor's" insurance on
their balance sheets...but it's
actually a profit center for
companies when their employees die:
And it's perfectly legal...and with
this revelation comes a huge warning
and lesson. Ask questions
about anything and everything you
see or read about a company, whether
you work for them or are investing
in 'em. Enron and Arthur
Andersen should be teaching you some
important lessons, like ask
questions and don't be satisfied
with vague answers. Wanna
know more?
Save
the brain damage of shopping for a
wedding or graduation gift:
And follow the latest [it's even
considered "proper"] trend
on giving gifts for these rights of
passage/major events. Give
cash. Don't
take my word for it...read
all about it, or
check out www.weddingchannel.com
for their spin (and referrals).
Are
black and Hispanic consumers paying
more for home mortgages? Does
this mean whites pay less?
Yes...and yes. And
there's little excuse for this.
Frankly, I don't give a rat's ass
what color you are, it's all about
the color
of money. Use
your head, read the
fine print, and aggressively shop
the marketplace for the best deals.
If you're reading this on-line right
now, you already know how to use the
consumer's most powerful friend and
resource. Do
it!
Quit
letting the debt collectors or
mailed threats of lawsuits and wage
garnishments scare you! You've
got rights: Like
your ability to invoke
federal law and fire the debt
collectors.
Or pull the ripcord and douche
everyone in bankruptcy court if
that's what it takes. You'll
probably end up with a helluva lot
more than you think's possible...but
you're never gonna know what your
rights are until you do
your homework.
If
you're an MCI customer, you'd better
call 'em and find out what billing
plan you're on or you're about to
get hosed by their rate increases
going into effect June 1, 2002:
Of course
they're not gonna
make it easy for you to contact 'em...here's
all of their contact numbers, times
and e-mail addresses.
And you'd better find out
soon...they're planning on popping
some customer $2.49 for directory
assistance calls...and $1.50 if you
want your MCI bill included with
your local phone bill. They've
got some serious problems that are
gonna get worse if they alienate
their customers with ridiculous
rates like these.
!!!!!
Beware of the latest scam designed
to look like a letter from our pals
at the IRS !!!!!
This is a seriously devious plot
that's designed to weasel your
Social Security Number out of you.
The Orange
County Register has
a good article about it that's worth
reading; check out these two links
if you wanna compare the real
forms to the fake
forms floating around.
If
you're insured by Allstate, you're
about to have some major rate
increases showing up in your
mailbox. Maybe
it's time you started shopping
around for a new insurance company,
huh? Wanna
know more about it?
Sunday,
April 28, 2002:
Don't
let anyone browbeat you into borrowing
from your 401K [or 403B] plans!
Debt collectors are famous for using
this technique...but the bottom line
is this: It's
extremely expensive money, from not
only the IRS penalty angle, but your
loss of investment/tax-deferred growth
edge that these plans give you!
There's two good articles that will
explain better than I can...from
today's Orange
County Register and
from an article from SmartMoney.com.
Did
you hear about the 12 year old girl
that stuck her hand into a box of Ritz
crackers, only to pull out a dead
mouse? Unlike
the assorted urban legends similar to
this that have been told and re-told
over the years, this
one's true.
If anything like this ever happens to
you? Get witnesses, paper your
trail, take pictures and contact an
attorney!
Need
to hire a private eye? Where do
you start/how do you start the process
of finding a good one?
Easy...here's Ben's choice for
Southern California residents:
Westside Investigations (323)
936-2660 or e-mail: RDedry@aol.com
You'd
better think twice before you
co-sign for a loan!!!
Not only are the chances pretty good
that you'll have to make some or all
of the payments, but being on the hook
for a loan can hurt you in other
ways...like lowering your credit score
[it's a contingent liability in the
eyes of the credit granting community]
or hammering your credit altogether if
the loan goes into default. Wanna
know more reasons why you'd better
pass the next time
someone tries to persuade you to "help
'em out"?
If
you cherish your sleep, you might want
to ask the hotel [or motel] if they
allow dogs, before you make your
reservation: Loews
Hotels is promoting their Loews
Loves Pets program
to encourage family travelers.
But frankly, the last thing I want is
the chance of having to put up with a
barking or whimpering dog. Yeah,
they're using "Puppy Pagers"
to alert guests that their dog's
making too much racket, but I don't
want to put myself into a situation
that's got me complaining on the phone
to the Manager.
Don't
waste your time sending a cheesy card
or crummy flowers to Mom on Mother's
Day this year!
Yes, it's that time once
again...Mother's Day is only 2 weeks
away (Sunday, May 12th this year), so
do a little planning and guarantee
your spot in her Will. Not only
will these incredible flowers from www.tropicalcolors.com
make you a hero, but they're cheaper
than sending the usual lame
arrangement from one of those
800-number florists you hear or read
about. If you really wanna talk
to a live person, call Steve or Susan
toll-free: (800)
965-9732
Planning
on flying anytime soon? Don't
buy a ticket over the weekend if
you're looking for a deal!
According to a recent story from The
Wall Street Journal, airlines
float fare increases out over the
weekends when sales a slowest.
When they figure out their competitors
aren't gonna match their prices,
they'll roll 'em back on Mondays and
Tuesdays. Of course Ben's best
bets for finding deals help on any day
of the week: Try either www.bestfares.com
or www.orbitz.com
or www.farechase.com.
And
since you'll want to find a good deal
on a hotel room or rental car when you
get to your destination:
You might as well get on line and find
the best deals out there. Try
Ben's choice for consistent deals: www.hotels.com
Wanna
find the name of someone at a
particular address? Looking for
a phone number while you're at it?
There's a slew of resources out
there...here's a pretty good place to
start: www.reversephonedirectory.com
There's
a wicked e-mailed computer virus
running the table and you're helping
to spread it! Knock it off and
get smart, will ya?
How many times do I have to tell you
this: Don't
open e-mails from someone you don't
know because you were
"curious" because of
something the subject line referred
to. Don't
open an attachment even it's from
someone you do know!
It's an awful virus and it mutates...find
out more in the special virus updates
section.
Sunday
morning, April 21, 2002:
You don't
have to jump through the hoops to file
your tax return by April 15th if the IRS
owes you money: Trust
me, it'll make your life easier if you
can avoid in every way possible, the
brain-damage at the post office for the
annual tax deadline. If the
government owes you some dough, you
don't have to mail your return with the
rest of us; you can send it in when ever
you want...years past the deadline if
that makes you happy. However: If you
don't file the return within 3 years of
the April 15th filing deadline, our pals
at the IRS don't have to refund you a
penny. So that's one reason to get
off your tail and get it filed.
Plus the statute, allowing them to audit
your return does not start until you
send in the return. They have 3
years from the date they receive it...so
it's probably in your best interest to
get it out ASAP. By the
way: I urge you to mail your
return Certified Mail/Return Receipt
Requested. You always want a
receipt that they got your stuff, no
matter who owes who some money. Need
more info?
Do you
have a credit card issued by Chase?
Get ready to be slammed with higher
fees: They're rolling out new
"tiered" late fees beginning
in May '02; If you're late with your
payment [or they receive your payment
late, so make sure you send it in early
enough or utilize
their website to
get your payment in before their
deadline] and your balance is less than
$150, expect 'em to hit you with a $15
fee. If you're carrying a balance
higher than $1,200 expect your friends
at Chase to hammer you with a $35 late
fee. By the way: In 2001 the
credit card industry racked up 31% of
their profits from [you guessed
it]...late fees.
Got your
taxes done for one more year?
Wanna know what you can shred/get rid
of, and what you need to hang on to?
Okay...here's what you can
get away shredding [then trashing]:
#1
Returned checks: If you
ever need an old check for anything,
your bank will shoot you a copy for a
few bucks. Let's face it...most
banks don't even return your checks
anymore anyway.
#2
Paycheck stubs: Don't
need to keep these, either. You
get W-2s or 1099s at the end of the year
with your totals...and that's all the
government cares about, anyway.
#3
Old bills: Unless
there's a dispute, there's no need to
keep these once your check's cleared the
bank. Exceptions?
If there's a deductible item on your
credit card statement, hang on to it for
6 years so we'll guarantee your
friendship with our pals at the IRS.
#4
Everyday receipts:
Once again, keep your credit card or ATM
receipts until the statements arrive and
you've had a chance to reconcile same.
Once you do your homework, shred em,
kids!
Here's what you'd better
not shred
and better plan on archiving to satiate
any IRS related requests:
a.
Tax returns: The IRS has
3 years to audit your tax returns, so
keep 'em and all related documents
[receipts, canceled checks for
deductible items, etc.]
However: Our pals at the IRS have 6
years to audit you if they find
irregularities [like forgetting to
report income]. If they suspect
fraud on any year's return, they can go
back to the day you were born!
[Okay, maybe that's a little extreme...]
If you sell a house/major property, hang
on to that year/all supporting documents
for a lonnnnnnnng time...at least 10
years.
b.
Housing records: As long
as you own the house or property, keep
all of the mortgage papers, home
improvement receipts, title papers,
deeds and anything else to back your
case up.
c.
Records from other major purchases: If
you buy/lease a car, keep every scrap of
paper or record associated with this
asset/transaction. Major purchases
like air conditioners, computers, TVs,
refrigerators, etc., hang on to that
paperwork as long as the warranty's
enforceable.
d.
Investment records:
You'll get a slew of paperwork if you've
got investments...I think you should
keep all of it, but many experts think
all you need to keep are the end of the
year summaries. If you're earning
money on your investments [now there's a
concept...Enron employees and investors
can skip this part] make sure you keep
your 1099 records and report 'em...or
you will trigger an audit.
e.
Insurance records: Keep
copies of your policies as long as
they're live/current/enforceable.
And while you're at it, keep copies of
all receipts, pictures, appraisals,
supporting paperwork in the event you've
gotta make a claim and prove your
position.
Do you
know how full to inflate your tires?
The number stated on the side of the
tire is the maximum pressure recommended
by the tire manufacturer.
Reference the auto manufacturer's
recommended pressure [determined to
allow maximum safety, balance, handling,
fuel economy, etc.] by looking on the
doorjam, fuel door, glovebox or in the
owner's manual.
Want free
emergency cell phone service?
Any old cell phone, as long as it's
charged up, should connect you with 911.
Instead of trashing your old cell
phones, give 'em to a youngster or
oldster [great safety net for Grandma or
Grandpa] that wants the emergency
assistance capabilities but doesn't want
the expense of full-blown/traditional
cell phone service.
Have
you've ever gotten a bill many
months...even years after having a
medical procedure performed?
Then you already know how irritating
these not-so-passive threats by mail can
be. Do you have to
pay? Should you pay? How do
you make them back down?
I'll tell you how I beat a hospital that
tried coming after me almost 2 years
later for an old bill. Trust me
folks: If this has never happened to
you, don't worry. Sooner or
later...it will. That's why you
need to print-and-save my Five
TIPS on beating
the hospitals and insurance companies at
their own game.
1. Do not call their billing
department! Send
them a Certified Letter/Return Receipt
Requested and put them on notice that
you are disputing the validity of their
claim under the Fair
Credit Billing Act.
2. In the same letter...demand
that the hospital to give you an
itemized account history.
3. Demand
in writing from your
health insurer an itemized account
history of not only the transaction in
dispute, but a complete analysis of your
claims for the entire calendar year.
4. You'll need to focus on three
key areas from your
health insurance company:
a)
Deductible...When
did you meet the deductible for the
calendar year in question? What
procedure triggered this initial cost to
you?
b) Co-pay...What
percentage is your co-pay and when did
you meet this? On what date/which
procedure(s) were on a co-pay basis?
Most common co-pay schedule is 80-20
[the insurance company pays 80%, and
you'll pay 20% of the charges, after the
deductible is met, up to a certain
amount. This certain amount can
vary from $500 all the way up to $2,500
or even more. Again, check your
policy and make sure you understand the
rules of the game under which your
policy is played.
c) Total out of pocket...Your
total "out of pocket" figure
is key. Once you've covered your
deductible, and then paid your share of
the co-pay (like the aforementioned
80-20 split) up to a certain amount,
then you've reached your total "out
of pocket" for the calendar year.
This is a key number to nail down, since
after you hit your total out of pocket,
then the insurance company is
[theoretically] on the hook for 100% of
the remaining charges, as long as
they're in that vague "usual and
customary" range.
5. Demand
that the insurance company review the
claim and send you
revised EOB: Explanation
of Benefits. Many times
simply forcing them to re-review the
process will work; if not...don't be
afraid to take your claim up the ladder:
ALWAYS demand
the name, title and phone number of
their supervisor.
BOTTOM
LINE? Paper your
trail and keep good notes...or you will
pay in the long run
Wanna read about my personal experience
hammering my hospital for an unusually
late bill? Check out a recent
column from The
Dallas Morning News
on the subject.
Saturday,
April 13, 2002:
Did
you hear the news? Today was the
last edition of The Benjamin Dover Show on
KFI: Yep...this was the last
show on Saturday
afternoons. Beginning next week, you
can get your Dose of Dover every Sunday
morning, from 8-10 am on KFI. Put it
on the calendar...think of it as "Breakfast
With Ben..."
[Time to break out the Mimosas and
Bloody Marys.....]
Yeah,
it's a couple of days before the big tax
deadline...but if you've got bigger
IRS challenges: ...Then
you'll need more help for the other 364
days a year. Especially if you're a
non-filer, have some 941 [employer payroll
tax issues], or are being haunted by an
ex-spouses tax burdens. Want
more information?
Better
think twice about hammering your health
insurance company every time you get the
sniffles: Or the flu.
Because more insurance companies are
engaging in something called
RE-underwriting. That's their
version of going in and re-evaluating
you/your claims history every year...kinda
like the auto insurance industry has
done forever.
Tired
of robbing from Peter to pay Paul?
Or maybe it's more like cash advancing
from MasterCard to pay Visa:
Whatever...Southern
California listeners that are ready to
take charge need more information.
That's why this site is such a great
resource; whether it's firing the debt
collectors or getting your act together in
preparation of more aggressive legal
maneuvers, you need the knowledge to move
ahead...so click
here and take control of your life back immediately!!!
Having
a hard time getting health insurance?
I know the feeling...I've been through
this drill first-hand, and sympathize.
Let's get you some options on getting some
coverage [thanks to the Wall
Street Journal, April
12, 2002 edition]:
a)
Consider buying short-term coverage: It's
better than a sharp stick in the eye...and
will get you covered for now. These
short-term plans are just that...they
won't renew forever, but will serve their
purpose. Try the following websites:
www.temporaryinsurance.com or
www.goldenrule.com
or www.celtic-net.com
for a start.
b)
Get a discount card: But make
sure it's worth your while before you cut
'em a check. You may be able to
score discounts from doctors, hospitals,
pharmacies, and clinics in their
respective networks. Here's some
starting points: www.procarecard.com
or www.ameriplan.com
or www.careentree.com.
c)
Join a business association:
Families can join a business group that
offers its members group insurance
benefits, usually lower in cost than
individual benefits. Check with your
local Chamber of Commerce to see if they
have any leads or even their own
"group" that you can latch onto.
Start your search here: www.usfsb.com
or www.nbtgroup.com
or www.sbsb.com.
Looking
for a place to find the rock-bottom lowest
price to bid on sites like www.priceline.com?
Here's the resources discussed [utilizing
a new Web-based strategy called "site
scraping" that searches other web
sites to collect the absolute lowest
fares] on the show...check 'em out for
yourself: www.biddingfortravel.com
or www.flyertalk.com
or www.farechase.com
for a start. And there's no such
thing as a sold out city or paying the
rack rate when you check out Ben's pick
for cheap hotel rooms and more: www.hotels.com.
ALWAYS
read and understand a contract before you
sign it: Sounds
obvious...but poor Gwen in Agoura didn't
follow this advice and signed a contract
with a house painting contractor that
stipulated he gets a 25% cancellation fee
if she doesn't cancel within 72 hours of
signing. She didn't...and now he's
going after her for the 25%...which
amounts to $3,200! NEVER
sign anything under duress or you're gonna
regret it.
Buying
anything on line from an auction site like
www.e-bay.com?
Either use a credit card or an on-line
escrow agent like www.paypal.com
to lower your exposure. Recent
statistics released by our friends at the FBI
shouldn't surprise anyone
NEVER
ignore a summons, and never think
"you know the law" unless you're
a lawyer and you really do!
Poor Jim calling from Texas is now
being haunted by an old judgment that one
of these bottom-feeder companies that buys
up old/bad debt bought for a fraction of a
penny on the dollar. Don't take
anything for granted; even if a lawsuit
brought against you for stuff like old
debts [or anything else for that matter]
won't hold up because they're
unenforceable because they've exceeded the
statute of limitations, you still have to
show up in court or they'll sting you with
a default judgment! It's worth a few
hundred bucks spent with an attorney that
knows what he's doing to cover your butt
in the long run.
Looking
for the right words to say or write but
just can't seem to come up them? Not
to fear...yet another web-based resource
is now available and here to rescue you
from stubbing your toe by saying the
wrong/dumbest thing [in they also
accommodate those Espanol-based requests,
too]. And the best part? It's
free! Check 'em out: www.verseit.com
He's
one of the biggest pains in the rear of
the debt collection and credit
reporting industries:
...And knows more than his fair share
about the car business from his years
working on the other side of the street.
Here's a terrific resource for frustrated
consumers across Southern California and
around the nation: www.budhibbs.com
Saturday,
April 6, 2002:
Could the IRS
be enticing us to file electronically?
Apparently, there's talk about giving
taxpayers some $$$ incentive to file
on-line...but it ain't gonna happen this tax
year. Maybe in '03...
Be careful
where you scratch or pick the next time you
fly: Another bit of fallout
from the events of 9-11-01? More and
more intrusions by the electronic arm of the
law. More and more airliners are being
equipped with tiny cameras that will allow
the crew to monitor what's going on during
the flight in the cabin. Do I care?
Not really...just be sure you know that if
you pick or scratch, someone could be
watching...maybe even taping your
indiscretions. Will they have cameras
in bathrooms? Supposedly not...I think
they'll leave that for NFL cheerleader
changing rooms...
Good news for
chunky Americans! The IRS is gonna
give you a tax break on losing the weight:
Finally, the Feds are recognizing the
economic [long-term] effects of
obesity...and they're gonna let obese
taxpayers get some tax relief for taking the
steps necessary to lose the extra poundage.
Wanna
read more about it?
Trying to get
your hands on one of Ben's best-selling
books? Wanna fire the
debt collectors? Wanna regain control
of the information that's being reported
about you by the credit bureaus? Look
no further: Order your own copy of Ben's #1
best-seller Back
Off! right here. Or
get your hands of the on-line version of his
#5
best-seller: Life
After Debt. [It'll
show you how to work the information being
reported by the credit bureaus.]
By the
way...if you're morbidly obese and have
health insurance, you need to get off your
butt and do something aggressive and
permanent to fix the problem. Ben
did...so can you: Carnie
Wilson made the headlines that caught Ben's
attention and in August '00, he took the
plunge and got re-plumbed and is now 100
pounds lighter. Wanna
find out what involved and how to get
your insurance company to pay?
Wanna save
some $$$ and learn how to negotiate with
your Doc or pharmacist?
You may be accustomed to negotiating for a
new car or expensive jewelry, but did you
know that you can also bargain with your
doctor to lower out-of-pocket expenses?
According to The Foundation for Taxpayer and
Consumer Rights, everything in health care
is negotiable, even the bills from your
doctor, pharmacist and hospital.
You may not be successful, the foundation
says, but it's worth a try, especially if
you live on a fixed income or your family is
trying to make ends meet. Some health
care advocacy groups say there is a
history of patients negotiating with their
providers for lower prices on elective
procedures, such as laser vision surgery or
psychotherapy.
In a recent poll by Harris Interactive
Health Care News, 17 percent of those
surveyed said that in the past year they
have asked a pharmacist for a lower price on
drugs. Thirteen percent said they have asked
doctors for discounts, 12 percent asked
dentists and 10 percent asked hospitals.
Almost 50 percent of those who
asked received a discount.
Here's some bargaining tips:
1) Find
out what others are paying:
The American Medical Association Web site, www.ama-assn.org,
lists how much Medicare reimburses doctors
for medical procedures. The AMA says,
however, that those are bargain-basement
prices reserved for 39 million senior
citizens and the disabled who need
government assistance. Still, it's a
starting point and useful information.
2)
Offer to pay
your doctor a discounted amount in cash: Or
offer to put it on your credit card, if
possible. The doctor is paid in full
immediately and might be more willing to
give you a break as a result.
3)
Plead your case in
person: It's much more
compelling when consumers speak on their own
behalf to a doctor or pharmacist to explain
their financial predicament. It's also
harder for the provider to turn you down in
person.
4)
Ask and you shall
receive: If your doctor
prescribes a medication that is not on your
health insurer's list of approved
prescription drugs, ask your doctor for free
samples instead of paying the full amount at
the pharmacy. Sales representatives
hired by pharmaceutical companies frequently
give physicians information and samples of
their products. Wanna
know more?
Will your
credit score be the same from all three
credit reporting bureaus?
So asked one of our extended KFI Family of
Listeners; she'd gotten her Experian,
"Score Enhanced" report and before
she spent the dough on getting the other two
reports, wanted to know if it'd be worth it.
Ummmmmm...YES!!! No two credit reports
will be the same...and there's not a chance
in hell her credit scores will be the same
from 3 out of 3, or even 2 out of 3 reports.
You
need to know more about your credit reports
and how to deal with them on your terms,
don't you?
Don't let
the creditors bully you one more minute!
And don't waste your time trying to throw
good money after bad by going the debt
re-negotiation route, either:
Pull the plug and get
on with your life if that's the
best/smartest route to go; a
slew of free info and resources are already
here for you.
What sort
of cyber-footprints are you leaving on your
computer at home or at work?
Wanna find out what your spouse or
significant other or kids are looking at or
where they're spending their time on-line?
Your computer's loaded with hidden files and
all sorts of places for you to get popped by
anyone wanting to know what you're doing on
your keyboard or in front of your screen.
Here's your laundry list of places to
inspect:
1) Hidden
Files: Control Panel, then
click on Folder Options. Click on View, then
Hidden Files & Folders...click on
"Show Hidden Files &
Folders"...also Un-click the Hide
options on Hiding Files/Folders. Then go in
and start your Searching.
2) Deleting
cookies in the HISTORY: This
will delete 98% of the evidence; to delete
cookies and HISTORY, go to TOOL, then
INTERNET OPTIONS, then TEMPORARY INTERNET
FILES, hit Delete, then under HISTORY, hit
CLEAR HISTORY.
3) E-mail:
Delete incriminating e-mails, but then go to
the DELETED folder and EMPTY that.
4) Then use
a program like Norton
Utilities and
you'll want to WIPE the deleted files:
You've gotta wipe it clean? Yes: It's
really gone. Otherwise, it could be
recovered...won't be recoverable by Norton
Recovery function.
5) Folder
Options: Depending on what
operating system you're running, you can go
in and search by DATE and it will pull up a
list of everything changed, accessed or
created during what ever window parameters
you set on your SEARCH. This is an
invaluable way to see what's been accessed
and it also serves as a useful reminder of
other areas of the computer you may have
overlooked.
6) Look for
any installed dialers:
SEARCH by Date of Creation under START,
SEARCH File & Folders...look for all
files created or changed. Need more
help? Call in to or listen to Jeff
Levy on KFI weekends;
he's terrific at what he does and will walk
you through.
They're
starting to hide cameras on commercial
airliners...why don't you leverage the same
technology around your house?
You can wire for color video and sound, too
for dirt cheap! And even monitor your
home [or office if you wish] live via the
Internet...how cool is that??? Wanna
know more? Then check out
their website: www.x10.com
You heard
me talkin' about it the last couple of
weeks; if you've got a dog from an
aggressive breed, your insurance company
could dump you! NBC's
Washington DC affiliate has a good
story about it...and
there's more
scoop here as well.
Bottom line?
Dogs =
Liability. If your
love Cujo that much, be prepared to pay more
for your insurance.
If you've
got IRS problems or are a non-filer, it's
time to get back on track before they find
you first!
Sooner or later, they'll get you...so do it
on your terms and cut a deal you can live
with. Lots
of great info right here, free for the
taking...
Speaking of
dog-related liability:
Barking dogs that irritate your neighbors
could cost you some major fines. Wanna
know more? Ben's covered it and
gives you a plan if your peace is being
interrupted by a bad owner.
And since
we're talking about potential
liabilities...gotta teenaged son?
Does he have a car? Does he have a
nice stereo in his car? Does he like
to play that nice stereo really loud?
He's making himself a target...for police
stops and fines. There's
more about it right here...
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