Following an earlier WCBI MidMorning with Aundrea interview about password safety, I discussed several ways you can protect yourself from identity theft. This interview aired on the January 18, 2012 edition of this same program.

Identity theft can occur when someone acts in your name as you by having access to your Social Security number and other personal data. With this critical information and access, they can spend your money and ruin your credit rating. You can view this segment below and learn some things you can do now to protect yourself.

 In summary, there are several things you can do to protect yourself from identity theft. Here are a few quick suggestions:

• Don’t mail important things from an unsecured mailbox (instead, drop them off at the post office or another secure location).
• Be careful at restaurants where you often hand over your credit card to the waiter.
• Verify the security of online shopping sites before checking out.
• Check out an online retailer’s reputation with the BBBonline and other third-party sources.
• Use a credit card instead of a debit card when buying online. This can provide additional protections to your checking account.
• Regularly check your credit report. Here’s a free way: Go to AnnualCreditReport.com each year and get your free credit file disclosure (credit report). In it you’ll receive information from each of the nationwide consumer credit reporting companies — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.

Do you have any other suggestions? Please share them in the comments box below.

Want to learn more about password safety and how to create good, strong passwords? Well, that was the topics of my January 4, 2012 interview on WCBI’s MidMorning with Aundrea program.

Learn more about password security with this almost 5 minute WCBI interview:

To summarize this interview, a secure password should have at least 8 characters (use the whole keyboard — uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, punctuation, and symbols) and be random. Your password should not be something personally identifiable to you (like your pet’s name or your favorite color). It should not even be a word in the dictionary in any language. Also, you should use different passwords for each account and, if you cannot remember them all, store them in a password safe like KeePass (it’s a free software application — you memorize the master password to it and it securely stores all your passwords within its encrypted and secure index).

Here are some tools and resources I recommend for creating secure passwords and/or testing the strength of your existing passwords:

• Free online secure password generator tool from PC Tools.
• Free tool to check your password — courtesy of the Microsoft Safety & Security Center.
• Examples of good passwords — article from MailerMailer.
• Article with 9 password safety tips — from the Shopping-Bargains Help Center.

Do you have any password safety tips to share with our readers? Please add them to the comments section below.

It’s December 14 and we still haven’t finished our Christmas shopping yet? Should we panic? No, there’s still time to buy most items online but you’ll have to hurry if you don’t want to pay for expedited shipping.

What about a creative gift for those people who seem to have everything? How about membership in a gift of the month club? That way they will receive something from you 12 times throughout the year! How exciting is that?

And then there’s gift cards. There are some creative ways to buy them and we share some tips on that and more in my latest interview on WCBI’s MidMorning with Aundrea.

You can learn more about finding Christmas deals and thrifty gifts online through our blog. Do you have a special tip? Please share it below.

Well Cyber Monday is upon us and that was the topic of my latest interview on WCBI’s MidMorning with Aundrea. In this segment we discussed the origins of Cyber Monday, how to find good Cyber Monday bargains, and strategies for making sure you are getting a great deal. We also talked briefly about using “ship to store” options to avoid the local crowds and snag items before they sell-out. I also identified several great deals to be on the lookout for today.

The Cyber Monday deals I mentioned today (listed below) are available on November 28, 2011 only.

• 40% off and Free Shipping at Tommy Hilfiger (no minimum order size; applies to Sale items also)
• Free shipping on any order size at The North Face
• 25% and Free Shipping at Vitamin World (no minimum order size)
• 35% off Hooked on Phonics coupon
• $25 off ClickN KIDS products

You can go to our big list of Cyber Monday Coupons & Deals for everything that is available today. We will be updating it continually and some promotions extend a few days beyond Cyber Monday so enjoy!

With some of the biggest online shopping days of the year right around the corner it is good to be reminded of safe online shopping practices. Not only are there things you can do to protect your digital identity but there are some easy ways to protect your web accounts through strong passwords.

In the approximately 5-minute video embedded below (aired yesterday on WCBI’s MidMorning with Aundrea) I discuss some practical ways you can protect yourself when you shop online. This “Caught in the Web” segment covers secure shopping strategies as well as ways to improve your online shopping experience.

For your reference I’ve referenced several of our related articles that provide greater details on these subjects.

• Two Steps to Improve Your Online Shopping Security
• 8 Tips to Maximize Your Online Shopping Experience
• Nine Password Safety Tips to Improve Your Online Security

There are thousands of ways to educate yourself online. Among these valuable assets are educational websites catered to people of all ages. Now there are many great free and premium sources of education that covers everyone from preschool to college and beyond to professional certifications and continuing education training.

In this almost 5-minute video embedded below I am interviewed by Aundrea Self of WCBI for her MidMorning with Aundrea program that aired this morning. For this “Caught in the Web” segment we discuss several trusted educational resources for children and adults.

Some of the educational components of the websites we discussed are linked below for your reference.

• Looney Tunes Phonics — learn to read with fun Looney Tunes characters (see our Looney Tunes Phonics deals).
• ClickN READ and ClickN SPELL — advanced phonics and spelling lessons for children (see our ClickN KIDS deals).
• Nick Jr. Boost — preschool learning adventure using educator-created games.
• PBSkidsGo.org — educational games and interaction with PBS Kids characters.
• American Girl — fun games, historical characters, and advice for girls.
• Lego.com — action, strategy, creative, adventure, and preschool games. Check out the free downloadable LEGO Digital Designer — assemble LEGO bricks on your computer and learn about spatial orientation and virtual manipulation.
• KhanAcademy.org — more than 2,500 free educational videos to learn almost anything.
• BigBrainz — math games including the free base version of Timez Attack that you can download for offline use.
• DriversEd.com — online drivers education and insurance discount course (get our exclusive 15% off DriversEd.com coupon code).
• BenchPrep – interactive and social-oriented test prep for high school and college entrance exams (see our BenchPrep coupon codes and deals).
• 360training – earn professional computer certifications and CE units online (see our 360training coupon codes).

If you are planning to travel for the upcoming holidays you might want to start planning now. Doing so early gives you a better chance to find the best deals and secure your preferred arrangements with hotels, airlines, and car rental companies.

In my latest interview with Aundrea Self of WCBI, we discussed the topic of travel deals in her “Caught in the Web” segment of MidMorning with Aundrea that aired this morning. In this 5 and a half minute interview I discuss a few web tips for finding good travel deals. We also discuss travel agents and travel insurance.

Some of the websites mentioned in this video are included below for your convenience.

• FareCompare
• Kayak
• Orbitz — see our latest Orbitz deals
• MedjetAssist — get our exclusive 5% off MedjetAssist coupon code

If you have your own business you may have wondered if you should use Facebook to help promote it. In my second interview with Aundrea Self of WCBI, we discuss this topic for her “Caught in the Web” segment of MidMorning with Aundrea that aired this morning.  In this 4 and a half minute interview I offer some tips for small businesses and emphasize the importance of interacting with your local audience and customers. Bottom line: Facebook can be an excellent platform to enhance your customer service reputation.

In review, my tips regarding businesses using Facebook are as follows:

• Do it. It’s free!
• Don’t if you can’t do it well
• Stay updated. Respond to fans
• Share community activities

By sharing community activities, I’m suggesting that you don’t just do marketing but offer exclusive content relating to things happening in your community. You can sprinkle this with special coupons, product information, videos, surveys, sales, and more but try to do this in a way that encourages interaction and a conversation with your followers (customers).

We also talk about Facebook ads and the ability to target them to your market area and even demographics. You can focus on just people who like relevant things or of a certain age range or marital status.  That way you won’t bother people who are unlikely to be a customer.

Here are a few articles that might help you create your business’ Facebook presence:

• Facebook & Business: How to Get Your Business on Facebook
• Five Guidelines for Your Company’s Social Media Presence
• How to Link Your Facebook Page to Your Profile

Yesterday I was interviewed by Aundrea Self of WCBI for her new MidMorning with Aundrea program. This 4-minute segment aired today. In it I share some background information on how Shopping-Bargains got started more than a decade ago. Aundrea and I also discuss Internet shopping safety and finding bargains online.

Around here we’re excited about our latest mention in SmartMoney. This time we were referenced in SmartMoney’s October 25, 2010 Deal of the Day entitled “Fitness Deals to Beat the New Year Rush.” This article, written by SmartMoney reporter Sarah Morgan, covers three ways to save of gym memberships this fall. SmartMoney is part of The Wall Street Journal Digital Network.

The main point I made that was included in this article has to do with ways to save on gym membership fees. One way is to offer to pay membership fees upfront in exchange for a discount. I pointed out some examples of gym membership savings available at 24 Hour Fitness gyms. By prepaying membership fees and/or joining for longer timeframes, such as 15 months or even 2 years, many gyms offer significantly reduced membership fees. For example, we have published a variety of 24 Hour Fitness coupons and deals that you can use at their 400+ local gyms.

In conclusion, we are pleased when we can share more money-saving ideas with others. We are flattered that Sarah Morgan of SmartMoney felt our ideas merited inclusion in her article. As founder of Shopping-Bargains.com I thank her for the positive reference.