A sure road to financial ruin is having a nefarious thief steal your identity. Identity fraud often includes theft and subsequent unauthorized use of your social security number, bank accounts, investment receipts and, of course, credit card numbers.

DON’T BE A VICTIM OF IDENTITY THEFT! There are ways to protect your personal financial information and your financial future.

From Jon Yates’ column, What’s Your Problem, in the Chicago Tribune, people throw these important documents, replete with account numbers and other personal information, into the trash without a second thought. Don’t do it; get a document shredder from the office supply store (about $25) and destroy everything with any personal information.

According to the Better Business Bureau, identity theft is responsible for approximately $45 billion in losses for the past year alone; over 8.1 million Americans have been victims of identity theft.

How does this happen? “They’ll hack into your computer looking for account numbers, con you into giving them personal information and steal your passwords in an attempt to separate you from your money.” They’ll even sort through your garbage seeking your private financial information; these odiferous crooks even have a name; they are known as ‘dumpster divers’.

If you find yourself the victim of identity theft, notify local law enforcement.

If you find yourself in severe financial difficulty and are considering filing Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 personal bankruptcy, call Legal Helpers at 800-260-1402, log on to www.legalhelpers.com or stop in at one of their 100 offices nationwide. With the advice of an experienced bankruptcy attorney from Legal Helpers, filing for bankruptcy could mean a fresh start, one without outstanding bills and obligation.

If an individual condominium owner is delinquent or files for bankruptcy protection, there are certain ways that the management company or board can deal with the financial issues that are both fiduciarily sound and legal.

In his column, Condo Adviser, in the Chicago Tribune, writer Mark Pearlstein points out that, although a condo building’s board of directors must diligently pursue tenants’ delinquent accounts, there are rules to which they must adhere when it comes to communicating with these owners. These regulations are governed by the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, as well as any individual state procedures.

According to Pearlstein, “The proper format of a delinquency assessment notice is to state the amount of the claim, including legal fees, by attaching an account ledger with an itemization of all charges.”

However, upon receiving notice that a condo owner has filed bankruptcy, collection activity must cease, as a bankruptcy filing imposes an automatic stay on all collection activity. Any further legal actions taken by the condo association must be cleared by the courts.

If a unit owner files for Chapter 7 personal bankruptcy, it exhibits that the owner has no assets and will probably sell the condo; the association will not be able to collect assessments due before the bankruptcy filing. If, however, the unit owner files a Chapter 13 personal bankruptcy, he is committed to a debt repayment plan. In this case, the debtor must pay any assessments due after the filing, known as post-petition assessments. If the delinquent owner does not obtain an approved bankruptcy plan, does not make required payments or does not pay post-petition assessments, the condominium board may then seek permission from the courts to pursue its action in state court and take possession of the property in question.

If you find yourself facing the loss of your condo due to missed payments, filing Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 personal bankruptcy could help you make a fresh start. For experienced and knowledgeable bankruptcy assistance, trust the attorneys from www.legalhelpers.com. Call toll-free 800-260-1402 today for your initial free consultation or come into one of their 100 sites across the country.

In her column, “On Money”, appearing in the Chicago Tribune, Gail MarksJarvis replied to an interesting question.

The reader asks if he should stay with the financial planner as she moves to another investment firm. The inquirer has been pleased with the first firm and likes the investment broker but has concerns since there has been no monetary growth for three years. Since the individual lives on his savings, the apprehension is well-founded.

MarksJarvis replies that having a good rapport with one’s financial planner is certainly important, that it is essential to have clear lines of communication and transparency when it comes to explaining financial matters, regardless if the client’s investments are doing well or not. It is also vital to find out just why the investment planner left the firm; was it strictly an upward career move or were there problems that necessitated the move.

In the article, Chuck Jaffe, author of “Getting Started in Finding a Financial Advisor”, states that costs could be high if the investor must sell investments before moving accounts, “’especially if there are taxable gains.’” Investors should also compare fees and commissions of both brokers and firms, since this can have a huge impact on your bottom line.

If you have been pleased with your current brokerage firm, it could be the time to “’ask what they will do to keep you as a client;’” they may agree to renegotiate fees or have your account moved to a more senior adviser. For the client who has not seen any return on his investment for the past three years, a new advisor may be able to discover the reason, and possibly reinvest funds to a more lucrative fund.

As we all know, the last three years have been brutal for stocks, while bonds have realized a growth of about 7.5%. However, to ascertain the quality of an advisor’s work, one must compare ‘apples to apples’. You should compare large stocks with the Standard & Poor’s 500 index, small stocks to the Russell 2000 index and bonds to the Barclays Aggregate Bond index.

If your investments have dried up, leaving you with stacks of debt instead of stacks of money, you should get experienced and knowledgeable bankruptcy assistance from the trusted attorneys at Legal Helpers. Call them toll-free 800-260-1402 today for your initial free consultation.