Identity Theft Prevention to Keep Us Secure for the Move

I really like services that help make life easier when difficult things happen. I've been quite impressed with the identity theft protection service offered by lifelock. Their CEO gives out his own social security number in every print ad and commercial, because they stand behind the security of their product completely. They have a million dollar guarantee which states that they'll pay up to $1,000,000 to cure a failure or defect in their identity protection service, per member, per lifetime for all incidents in the aggregate, regardless of circumstance. If something happens to your personal information while you are a member with them, they will completely handle the situation with creditors, law enforcement and the credit bureaus to ensure that your family's financial reputation is not harmed.

As I said, I'm really impressed by what they are offering and intend to take advantage of this myself. Since we're moving, changing mailing addresses to a new state, and moving all our records, I believe it will help keep our personal information secure throughout our move and beyond.

We are the New Leading American Economic Indicators

It would appear that our family might be a new leading economic indicator that economists and families might want to follow. Everyone is saying the recession has just gotten started or that it hasn't bottomed out yet. Well, I beg to differ.

Tim and I have spent the last two years living with my parents. There we said it for all to hear! Now media is reporting that it is a new trend for families with job loss or economic worries to move back in with their parents to get back on their feet. As this is coming out as a reportedly growing trend, we are moving back out into the unsheltered world, one paycheck from the street again. Things are different. Before we had a house with a half acre of land. Now, we have no real estate, no savings and no retirement, having used every bit of it to survive and pay our bills on - sans house. We actually sold our home just before the real estate crash, thus allowing us a pool of money that has been drained by our never ending bills from the old life. But, we have managed to keep paying those bills, not even late once, thanks to these parental living arrangments.

Now, with the new job Tim procured a few weeks ago, we do have enough income to get back into our own little place. And that is what we are in the process of looking for in Huntsville, Alabama. Tim has found employment in a city that seems relatively unaffected by the economic troubles around us. All is not completely rosy - they do have state income tax at 5%, Florida's is 0%. And they charge sales tax on groceries! 8%! Florida's charge 0% - so this is going to put a hurt on our food and other budgets right away.

I would not have chosen to leave Florida, but I choose to try to get back on our feet as an independent family again. I know my parents will be happy to have their space back, their organization back and the quiet, unassuming lives of retirees back. But they'll miss watching the grand kids going to school and growing up. I know we'll be happy to have control of the air conditioning temperature back - probably more than anything! But we are thankful to have had a soft place to land and to not be homeless. Family is good for that.

I will hope that we are the new economic leading indicators, seeing that our employment is improving, we are now moving out of parental homes and hopefully going to start rebuilding savings and retirement, just in time for college!