Get An Updated Credit Score Every Month

All of the top credit monitoring services monitor your 3-bureau credit report daily, but if you need to keep up with your fluctuating credit score, there are particular services that will update your Equifax, Experian and Transunion scores frequently for your viewing pleasure. One such service is PrivacyGuard, which updates your credit scores from each bureau monthly. The credit report you receive from PrivacyGuard is detailed and extensive, explaining both positive and negative factors that contribute to your score.

In addition to credit monitoring, PrivacyGuard is an excellent identity theft protection service, which includes fraud support and a free subscription to Norton Internet Security Software. A monthly membership with PrivacyGuard costs $14.99/month and includes all the perks.

Currently, they are offering a $1 30-day trial, so even if you decide not to keep the service after 30 days, you still will have gotten all 3 of your credit scores as well as your full credit report. Read our full review of PrivacyGuard and see how it compares to other services by visiting our credit monitoring comparison page.

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Kick Off Summer with 20% Off from Tiny Prints

Want to kick off the summer with a barbeque or pool party? Tiny Prints wants to help you plan by offering you 20 percent off any order. From now through May 28th enter the code MEM20SW at checkout to take advantage of this offer. Be aware that this offer is not combinable with any other Tiny Prints offers and is not valid towards the purchase of greeting cards, gift cards, gift certificates, calendars or photo books.

As one of the top photo card services, Tiny Prints offers a wide-variety of options including creative designs in a variety of colors and patterns. Tiny Prints is rated out top-overall photo card service so you know your order will be great quality. And, it's one of the only photo card services that will provide a full refund for any reason.

Here's some of the options that Tiny Prints offers for summer party invitations.

Summer Patio Invitation from Tiny Prints

The Summer Patio invitation from Tiny Prints is a perfect card for a kick off to summer party. It's simplicity and vibrant colors offer a fun way to remind your guests that summer has arrived. The back side of this 6.18"-by-4.56" flat card can be completely customized with different layouts include one to three photos. You can even opt to not include any photo. Prices start at $2.19 per card — not including the discount — and requires a minimum order of 10 cards.

Cool Kabob Postcard Invitation from Tiny Prints

If you're thinking of hosting a barbeque then Tiny Prints' Cool Kabob postcard  invitation might be the best option for you. This 4.10"-by-5.25" postcard offers a cheaper option for any host on a tight budget. You'll even save money on stamps since it costs less to mail a postcard than it is to mail a traditional invitation with an envelope. This 4.10"-by-5.25" postcard can be personalized with a message of your own to your guests. Prices start at $1.79 each — not including the discount — and requires a minimum order of 10 postcards.

Campsite Carving Invitation from Tiny Prints

Tiny Prints can even help you think of the perfect theme or activity for your kick off the summer party. The Campsite Carving invitation is one of the many unique party ideas we found. This 6.18"-by-4.56" flat card perfectly suits a camping-themed weekend with the wood and simplicity of the card. Similar to the Summer Patio Invitation, the back side of this invitation is completely customizable.   Pricing starts at $2.19 per invitation — not including the discount — and requires a minimum order of 10 cards.

Check out our full review of Tiny Prints to learn more about the photo card service, or visit Tiny Prints' website directly to find the perfect invitation for your summer-themed party.

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Netflix Adding Ricky Gervais Show 'Derek'

Once again Netflix has announced that they will be adding yet another original series to their content lineup. The new show, by UK comedian Ricky Gervais titled "Derek," is set for release in September and will continue the strong run of original content that Netflix has been adding to their service.

Gervais, one of the most well known TV comedy series writers over the past 10 years, has received numerous awards for his stand out creations like The Office, Extras and Life's Too Short. In his recent project 'Derek,' a comedy about a retirement home worker who works alongside a group of particularly dysfunctional individuals, Gervais continues his comedic drama approach as he shows the lives of outsiders trying to make it on their own means. The show has already debuted in the UK and has been approved for a second season.

The new show should be yet another quality addition to the already very popular line up of Netfilx original programing. To subscribe or learn more about Netflix, check out our review where you can find a comprehensive research on the whole service, and don't forget to watch 'Derek' when it airs on Netflix in September.

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Is Identity Theft Protection Available
in All 50 States?

Q: I live in Hawaii and want to sign up for identity theft protection services. Do any of these services allow protection for people who live in Hawaii? 

A: Great question! Yes, all of the identity theft protection services do offer identity theft protection in all 50 states, and some even offer it in U.S. territories as well.

Here's a breakdown of where each service offers its protection:

Identity Guard offers protection to people in all 50 states and Puerto Rico.

TrustedID and IDFreeze both offer services to any U.S. citizen that has a valid Social Security number. So even if you live in another country these services might be a good option for you. However it's important to note that communication might be an issue because TrustedID and IDFreeze's phone lines aren't able to dial outside of the continental U.S., and certain aspects of the service can only be performed via phone.

LifeLock provides identity theft protection to anyone with a Social Security number, U.S. primary address, telephone number and who resides in one of the 50 states or U.S. territories.

These services — ProtectMyID.com, PrivacyGuard and Equifax — offer identity theft protection to all 50 states.

Check out our Identity Theft Protection Compare Page to see a side-by-side comparison of each of our reviewed identity theft protection services or visit our FAQs to learn more about identity theft protection services.

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Where Can I Print My Full Credit Report?

Q: Do I have to get my credit report mailed to me or is there a way to print it out each time I need it?

A: In addition to being able to log into your credit monitoring account online, all of the top services including Identity Guard, PrivacyGuard and Trusted ID allow you to print your full credit report. In addition to all three of these services having easy-to-read reports to print out, Identity Guard also has a mobile application where you can view your full reports.

If you need your credit reports and scores to be updated frequently, PrivacyGuard is an excellent service that updates your information every month. PrivacyGuard's 3-bureau credit reports are ultra-detailed and give you information pertaining to the rise and fall of your credit scores. The service costs $14.99/month and is currently offering a $1 30-day trial. Be sure to read our full PrivacyGuard review.

Identity Guard is the ultimate full-fledged credit monitoring and identity theft protection service, and it's also just $14.99/month. Plus, they have a 30-day free trial. Though their updates are a little less frequent – they update your credit scores and reports every 3 months – they provide concret information so you can fully understand your report. Here's our full review of Identity Guard.

It's important we mention Trusted ID as well, since they are the only service to offer a family plan. With their family plan that is just $20/month with the annual contract, everyone in your household is covered under their identity theft protection, and 2 adults get their full 3-bureau credit reports and scores. The only downfall is that once you get your scores, they aren't updated during your subscription. However, like the other two services we mentioned, Trusted ID does monitor your credit report daily for any changes. They offer a 14-day free trial as well.

To read full reviews of all the services and to compare them side-by-side, visit our credit report monitoring comparison page.

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Can I File for Divorce Online?

Q: I want to get a divorce but don't want to deal with a lawyer. Can I just get a divorce online?

A: Actually, yes, you can at least start the paperwork online. Many of the top legal services sites will help you fill out the paperwork to file your divorce, although the majority of the actual filing needs to be done by you.

LegalZoom, for example, will take you through a step-by-step process based on your needs and the kind of divorce you are filing for. They will even give you step-by-step instructions on how to file the paperwork with your local courthouse. LegalZoom can even set you up with a lawyer consultation, so you can ask any questions you need to about the divorce. If you think the divorce is going to be complicated or that the division of assets might be difficult, it might be a good idea to hire an actual lawyer, since LegalZoom does not provide you with actual legal counsel. Divorce paperwork pricing from LegalZoom starts at $299.

Rocket Lawyer can also help you prepare your divorce paperwork. Their interface actually has an interactive feature that allows you to see the paperwork being filled out as you answer Rocket Lawyer's step-by-step questionnaire. The benefit of Rocket Lawyer is that they can hook you up with a local lawyer for a discounted rate. They also offer their services for $19.95/month, so once you are done with their service, you can just cancel.

Check out reviews of both LegalZoom and Rocket Lawyer here to get more information.

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What Format Does Internet Fax Use?

Q: When someone sends an Internet fax and I want to open it in my email, what format is it in? How about when I send a fax from my computer?

A: Great question! Most Internet fax services, like the top provider in our reviews, MetroFax, allow you to use a wide variety of common file formats, including Adobe PDF, Microsoft Word (.doc and .docx), Microsoft Excel (.xls and .xlsx), or image files including TIFF and JPG. Usually when you receive a fax to your email or Internet fax dashboard, you receive these in PDF or TIFF format.

Internet faxing is convenient, affordable and great for the environment. As we mentioned, MetroFax placed #1 in our Internet fax rankings. Their annual plan comes out to just $6.63 per month and their month-to-month plan is also well-priced at $7.95 per month. If you're looking for something even cheaper, Nextiva fax comes out to $4.95 per month when you pay up front for the annual plan. Read full reviews and compare all of the top Internet fax providers here.

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Minted Offers 10% Off Father's Day Gifts

Father's Day is right around the corner — June 16th — and Minted wants to help you get prepared by giving you 10% off all Father's Day gifts. From now through May 27th, enter the code DADS10 at checkout to take advantage of this offer. This discount is eligible on  personal and business stationery, journals as well as Father's Day art prints — excluding children and nursery art.

As one of our top-rated photo card services, Minted offers great quality cards and products that are sure to impress fathers of any age. Minted is a great option for someone who is unsure of what they're looking for because new designs and colors are constantly added to Minted's website. These designs are created by independent graphic designers from around the world that are selected by judges as the top designs in Minted's monthly design contests.

Here are some of our favorite Father's Day gifts from Minted.

Super Dad Journal and To Tie a Tie Journal from Minted

These customizable journals are a perfect gift for any father that enjoys writing or drawing.  Since each journal costs only $16 each — without the discount — it makes for a thoughtful gift that doesn't have to break the bank.  You can choose one of Minted's uniquely-designed journals or opt to decorate these 5.5"-by-8.5" journals with your favorite photo of you and your dad. Each journal's cover is made with sturdy, matte, uncoated 130 lb paper, and you can choose the design of the inside acid-free, uncoated, 60 lb. weight paper. Your choices include lined, graph or blank paper.

Gentleman Personalized Stationery from Minted

Another one of our favorites from Minted is it's wide-variety of personalized stationery that offer classic and unique designs that will bring a smile to any writer or professional's face. These customizable 4.25"-by-5.5" flat cards are printed on Minted's luxe paper and even come with a complementary gift box. You can even liven up your dad's stationery by personalizing the back with your favorite photo or selecting one of Minted's designs or customizing envelopes with a return address or personal message that to matches the stationery. Minted's Father's Day personalized stationery starts at $2.33 per card — with a minimum order of 35. Adding designs to the back of the flat card or envelopes costs an additional amount.

I Love San Francisco Limited Edition Art Print from Minted

Minted's art prints are a great way to liven up dad's office or favorite room in the house. These prints come with a variety of options in terms of the art — from still-life to drawings — that are printed on 100 percent cotton rag paper creating museum quality archival pigment print. To protect the art print during the shipping process, Minted ships the print in an acid-free and lignin-free sleeve. These prints come in seven sizes and start at $28 each. You also have the option to include a black. white or wooden frame for an additional cost.

Check out our full review of Minted to learn more about the service, or visit Minted's website directly to start shopping for your dad today.

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Can I Transfer My Number to VoIP?

Q: I've had my phone number for 20 years, so it's really important for me to keep it. If I change to VoIP services, would I be able to keep my current phone number?

A: We know how important it is to keep your long-time phone number and luckily all the Home VoIP services we review — except Skype — allow you to transfer, or port, your phone number to the VoIP service for no extra charge. This process is simple and begins the day you sign up.

It's important that you do not cancel your existing phone service before the transfer is completed because cancelling before the transfer's completion can cause you to lose the rights to your phone number. In most cases, porting takes about five to 10 business days and once the porting is complete your previous phone service will automatically be cancelled.

In order to begin the porting, you'll have to provide the VoIP service with information from your current phone service, so it's helpful to have a copy of your current bill nearby to make sure you enter the information accurately. This information usually includes your name, phone number, current phone provider and account number for that provider.

Porting can be confusing and the process may vary from service to service, so we encourage you to contact the VoIP service directly to get complete details about how you can port your phone number to that service.

Check out our Home VoIP Compare Page to learn more about the services we review or visit our FAQs page to find out how VoIP services work.

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How Much Does Diet to Go Cost?

Our top-ranked diet meal delivery service, Diet-to-Go, placed first in our 2013 diet meal delivery taste test. It's also affordable, especially with the 20% discount they're offering NextAdvisor readers. With the discount, your first order will be just $76.79 for 5 days worth of healthy lunches and dinners. Here is a breakdown of their pricing options for the traditional meal plan:

• 5-day lunch and dinner plan: $95.99/week
• 5-day breakfast, lunch and dinner plan: $112.99/week
• 7-day lunch and dinner plan: $131.59/week
• 7-day breakfast, lunch and dinner plan: $142.99/week

Note that these prices are what you will pay before the 20% discount, which you can easily apply at checkout by using the promo code NEXTADVISOR20.

Diet-to-Go delivers all around the US and if you live in the Washington DC Metro area (including Northern Virginia and Suburban Maryland), Baltimore area, Greater Philadelphia (including South New Jersey) or the San Francisco Bay area (including East Bay), you have the option of picking up your meals fresh at a number of different locations. On average, shipping costs $16.95 and if you decide to go with the pick-up option, there is a $5 weekly pick-up fee.

Read our full review of Diet-to-Go to get all the details on the service as well as sign up, and compare it side-by-side with other diet programs here.

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