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• Tips on Buying and Using Gift Cards
  

  Tips on Buying and Using Gift Cards

  Read the fine print for terms and exclusions on the cards.

  Federal Citizens Information Center

  Gift cards have become a popular way to mark holidays, birthdays, or other occasions. However, you need to do some checking on the terms before purchasing or using the cards.

  Gift Card Buying

  Nearly two-thirds of U.S. consumers will be buying a gift card at one time or another this year. Gift cards are increasingly being used to celebrate special occasions, such as birthdays, holidays, or graduations.

  Before making gift card purchases, you need to study the terms that come with the cards. Here are some buying tips:

  • Examine the restrictions before you purchase a gift card. If you don’t like the terms and conditions, buy elsewhere.
  • Learn about the expiration dates that may apply.
  • Consider any purchase fees that come with the card. Is there a fee to activate the card? If you buy the card online or on the phone, is there a fee for shipping and handling? It might be embarrassing to give a $50 gift card to someone if the fees significantly reduce its value.
  • Check where and how the card may be used. For example, can it be used at merchants outside the U.S.? Can it be spent only for online purchases or can it be applied only at the retail establishment?

  Using the Gift Card

  When a gift card arrives, don’t put it aside. Study the terms while the card is fresh in your mind. Here are suggestions to get the most use of your gift:

  • Read carefully the conditions and restrictions of the gift card. Be sure to check the expiration date.
  • Record the card’s ID number and the customer service telephone number. Keep the information in a safe place until you have spent the full amount.
  • Take care to safeguard your card. But if it is lost or stolen, report the loss to the customer service number immediately to see if there is any remedy.
  • Spend the value of the card before any maintenance fees start.
  • Ask the merchant about a “split-tender transaction” if the remaining card balance is not sufficient for your purpose. In that way, you can complete the card’s value with another form of payment for the rest of the purchase.

  When you need help with buying a home, choosing the right insurance, getting discounts on a host of items, or simply with questions concerning your financial peace of mind, keep NEA Member Benefits in mind. You can speak to a knowledgeable Member Service representative toll free at 1-800-637-4636, Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (or Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.), ET. Hearing impaired members can call the TTY line at 1-800-445-1269.

  This article, and hundreds more, can be found on the NEA Member Benefits Web Site in the “Member Library” section at http://www.neamb.com/consumer_articles.jsp.

• Renter's Insurance: Protection for Your Belongings
  

  Renter's Insurance: Protection for Your Belongings

  Your personal items are at risk without proper coverage.

  California Casualty Management Company

  If you rent a home, apartment, townhome, or condominium, and you experience a fire or theft, your personal belongings are not covered by your landlord's insurance. That's why you need to understand the value of taking out your own renter's insurance policy.

  You are a renter, not a homeowner. You may think the landlord has covered your building and its contents with adequate insurance. Think again. If you rent a home, an apartment, a town home, or condominium and you experience a fire or theft, your belongings are not covered by the insurance taken out by landlord.

  For complete protection, renters should purchase renter's insurance. It's the only way to fully protect your personal belongings. This might be important, as well, for parents as they send their children to college or for newly graduated students as they enter their first rental homes.

  Renter's insurance covers losses to your personal property from a variety of perils, such as:

  • Fire & smoke
  • Lightning, hail & windstorms
  • Explosions
  • Riots
  • Vehicles & aircraft
  • Vandalism & theft
  • Falling objects
  • Electrical current damage
  • Accidental overflow of water

  Renter's insurance does not cover flood damage and – depending where you live – wind damage from hurricanes.

  Your renter's policy will also likely provide liability insurance, covering any costs that may arise if you or your family cause harm, or if there is damage from accidents that have occurred in your rental unit.

  If you are not sure where to get renter's insurance, check with your insurance company representative. You may save money by purchasing insurance from the same company that has your auto policy.

  To further protect yourself and your belongings, take an inventory. Photograph or videotape each room, and be sure to open closed doors and drawers. Keep a list of each belonging and its value. Attach receipts to the list, if possible. Be sure to keep the list and the tape or photographs away from your rented space, in case of a loss.

  NEA Member Benefits offers two property insurance programs: NEA Members Auto & Home Insurance Program®, underwritten by California Casualty Management Company*, and NEA Homeowners® Insurance, underwritten by Horace Mann Insurance Companies. Both programs offer special features and rates for NEA members and their families. See “Insurance” at www.neamb.com.

  *Not available in all states at this time.

• Identity Theft and Your Tax Records
  

  Identity Theft and Your Tax Records

  Identity thieves can cause havoc with their victim's tax records.

  Internal Revenue Service

  Identity theft is a serious crime. People whose identities have been stolen can spend months or years - and their hard-earned money — cleaning up the mess thieves have made of their good name and credit record. In the meantime, victims may lose job opportunities, be refused loans, education, housing or cars, or even get arrested for crimes they didn't commit. Generally, identity thieves use their victim's personal data to steal financial accounts and run up charges on their existing credit cards. However, the damage does not stop there. Identity thieves can also cause havoc with their victim's tax records.

  How can someone steal your identity? Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal information such as your name, Social Security number, or other identifying information, without your permission, to commit fraud or other crimes.

  Identity theft is a serious crime. People whose identities have been stolen can spend months or years - and their hard-earned money - cleaning up the mess thieves have made of their good name and credit record. In the meantime, victims may lose job opportunities, be refused loans, education, housing or cars, or even get arrested for crimes they didn't commit.

  • What can you do to keep this from happening to you?
  • What should you do if you think your identity has been stolen?
  • How are my tax records affected by identity theft?
  • How to protect yourself from suspicious e-mails or phishing schemes.

  Identify Theft Related Web Sites

  • If you have an ongoing issue related to identity theft that has not been resolved through normal processes, or you have suffered or are about to suffer a significant hardship as a result of the administration of the tax laws, contact the IRS Taxpayer Advocate.
  • If you suspect or know of an individual or company that is not complying with the tax law, report tax fraud crimes to the IRS.
  • If you think your identity has been stolen, file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
  • IRS Warns Consumers of Possible Scams Relating to Hurricane Katrina Relief.
  • Find practical tips from the federal government and the technology industry to help you guard against Internet fraud at OnGuardOnline.
  • Get information on scholarship scams, lessons learned from identity theft, and more at the Office of Inspector General Web Site.

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