I'm wondering, if I'm traveling abroad and not bringing my computer, can I use Carbonite to access files?

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January 31st, 2011 - Posted by Kent

The following is an actual user-submitted question:

Q: I'm wondering if I'm traveling abroad and not bringing my computer, can I use Carbonite to access files?

A: Yes, you can access your files from any Internet-connected computer with a web browser. That's one of the beauties of Carbonite. Simply log on to the remote access section of Carbonite.com, and you'll have instant access to your files. You do want to be sure you're accessing Carbonite.com from a trusted computer, one you're pretty sure is free of viruses or spyware. Because of this, we don't recommend that you use public computers such as those found at Internet cafes. Since you're likely to have sensitive files backed up, the last thing you want is for someone using a keylogger to gain access to your account.

Alternately, if you have a smart phone, such as an iPhone or Android-based phone, you can access your files from a Carbonite app. For more information on online backup, please see our online backup reviews and comparisons.

NextAdvisor launches People Search and Background Check reviews

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January 28th, 2011 - Posted by Kent

Our brand new People Search and Background Check reviews are hot off the digital presses. We developed this category after a number of NextAdvisor visitors asked for our opinions on background check services. So we took a look at the top 5 services and put them through the paces. Intelius, IntegraScan, Net Detective, People Finders, and US Search were tested for depth, accuracy, and user-friendliness. We found two individuals, ran background checks on them, and then verified the data with the subjects.

The results were fascinating. These services aggregate publicly available data culled from different databases to provide address histories, bankruptcy records, criminal histories, marriages, and more. We even found one service that lists DEA registrations.

If you need to find a long-lost friend, run a background check on a tenant, or you're just curious what the Internet knows about you, check out our People Search and Background Check reviews.

Are there any free services for freezing your credit in the state of California?

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January 27th, 2011 - Posted by Tasha

Q:  Are there any free services for freezing your credit in the state of California?

A: It depends on your situation.  Per California state law (Civil Code Section 1785.10-1785.19.5), victims of identity theft who have filed a police report can freeze their credit files free of charge.  Otherwise, there is a charge for doing so, based on how old you are.  If you are over the age of 65, it costs $5 to place a freeze on your credit files at each of the credit bureaus, bringing the total to $15.  If you are under the age of 65, you'll need to pay $10 for each credit freeze, for a total of $30.

To place the security freeze, you'll need to contact each of the credit bureau separately.  However, you can now do this online at the sites below:

Equifax:            https://www.freeze.equifax.com
Experian:         http://www.experian.com/consumer/security_freeze.html
TransUnion:    https://annualcreditreport.transunion.com/fa/securityFreeze/landing

If you're concerned about identity theft, you also might want to check out our identity theft protection reviews.  We've signed up for and independently reviewed several top-rated products that provide excellent protection, as well as credit report monitoring and credit scores.

Does your number-one-rated identity theft protection company provide reports for both husband and wife separately, or just for me alone?

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January 25th, 2011 - Posted by Tasha

Q:  Does your number-one-rated identity theft protection company provide reports for both husband and wife separately, or just for me alone? If not, would you recommend getting monthly reports on both credit histories instead?

A: The majority of identity theft protection companies, including our number one rated IDENTITY GUARD ^® TOTAL PROTECTION^SM, provide individual and not group protection. However, we do have a very highly rated company that provides family protection—Trusted ID. For only $20 per month, everybody living at your address can be protected, which is a pretty great deal.  Trusted ID also offers a 14-day free trial, so you can check it out free of cost.

Regarding buying monthly credit reports instead, that can be very costly…up to $90 a month to run all 3 credit reports for both your and your wife. You're better off signing up for an identity protection service with 3-bureau credit monitoring such as IDENTITY GUARD^® or Trusted ID.

I've been searching for something that will let me back up ONLY my external hard drive. So far SpiderOak is all I've found. Any other suggestions?

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January 21st, 2011 - Posted by Kent

The following is an actual user-submitted question

Q: I've been searching for something that will let me back up ONLY my external hard drive. So far SpiderOak is all I've found. Any other suggestions?

Actually, you can do this with Mozy and with IDrive. Both allow you to back up mapped drives, so you just need to be sure to deselect your computer's hard drive if you don't want that backed up as well. This can be done easily in the setup process.

Which online college programs have the lowest tuition costs?

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January 18th, 2011 - Posted by Tasha

Q:  Which online college programs have the lowest tuition costs?

A: Each online college varies in it's cost, based on the degree you are studying for and the college itself.  However, the majority of students receive some kind of financial aid to help defray the expense.  There are a myriad of financial aid programs available from both federal, state and private sources.    All it takes is a little work on your part to find them.  Read our past blog on getting financial aid for online college and visit our Financial Aid Information page to find out more and get started.  Check out our top reviewed online colleges to get more information on the colleges themselves.

My son lost his driver's license tonite, how bad is this? What precautions can we take now?

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January 14th, 2011 - Posted by Kent

The following is an actual user-submitted question:

Q: My son lost his driver's license tonite, how bad is this? What precautions can we take now?

A: First: Don't panic. It's not a terribly uncommon situation, and there's always a chance a good samaritan will drop it in the mail or take it to the DMV. However, you also shouldn't take any chances:

1) Some states want you to contact local police if your license is lost or stolen, so you may wish to try your local non-emergency line to report the loss.

2) It's always possible that an identity thief could use it to commit fraud. You or your son should consider signing him up for identity theft protection, that way he can be alerted if someone attempts to open an account in his name. In fact, TrustedID has a family plan, which may be a good option for you. I don't know how old your son is, but young people are favorite targets of identity theft since they don't check their credit reports often.

Some states want you to contact local police if your license is lost or stolen. Check out our identity theft protection reviews and FAQ for more information. You should also check the Department of Motor Vehicles site for your state to see what they recommend in terms of further reporting. If other cards were stolen along with the driver's license, check out this blog post about what to do if your wallet is lost or stolen.

Laptop containing cancer research stolen, data not backed up

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January 14th, 2011 - Posted by Kent

Oklahoma City police are looking for a white 13-inch Mac laptop that contains data from years of prostate cancer research. The laptop was stolen from the automobile of a couple who've spent their lives researching the disease which kills over 30,000 men in the United States every year. While the couple distributes flyers to pawnshops around Oklahoma City and makes appeals on television, the nagging question remain: Why wasn't this data backed up, and why was the computer left sitting in an automobile?

The scope of the crime is huge, since that little laptop is the only place where their data is kept. This is why we stress the importance of an online backup service, particularly for individuals who have laptops. For those that are truly mobile, this is the best backup solution: As long as the laptop is connected to the Internet, it saves a copy of your data in a secure off-site facility. Laptop tracking services like LoJack for Laptops may also help some people recover their stolen property, but for many people it's the data which has the real value.

When applying for identity theft protection, will my social security number be asked for?

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January 14th, 2011 - Posted by Tasha

Q:  When applying for identity theft protection, will my social security number be asked for?

A: Yes, it will.  There are several reasons for this.  First, your social security number (SSN) is an unique identifier that credit bureaus use to match you up with your credit file.  Because the majority of identity theft protection services include monitoring of your credit reports, they will need your SSN to locate the correct report to monitor.

Second, most identity theft protection companies scan the Internet for illegal use of your SSN, and they will need that number to do so.  You can learn more about how identity theft protection services help protect your SSN in this previous blog post.  And if you're in the market for an identity theft protection service, take a look at our top-reviewed services.

Finally, most companies that provide identity theft and/or credit report monitoring use the fact that you are in possession of the SSN to help verify that you are who you say you are.  Of course, there are a number of other confirmations that they ask you to provide, but this is one of them.

I have a credit freeze on each of my 3 credit files. Can I enroll in a credit monitoring service and still keep my credit file freezes?

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January 13th, 2011 - Posted by Tasha

Q:  I have a credit freeze on each of my 3 credit files. Can I enroll in a credit monitoring service and still keep my credit file freezes?

A: Yes, you can use a credit monitoring service when you have a credit security freeze on your credit files.  A credit security freeze prevents third parties, such as potential lenders, from accessing your credit file.   However, there are a couple of exceptions to a security freeze, and per Equifax, these are as follows:

• Credit monitoring companies
• Companies that have a current account or relationship with you, and collection agencies acting on behalf of these companies
• State or local agencies including law enforcement, child support agencies, trial courts pursuant to a warrant or subpoena
• Companies that sell credit reports to consumers
• Federal government agencies as permitted under the FCRA

If you've been a victim of identity theft, or just want to be extra cautious, you can set credit freezes on your credit files at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion and sign up for a credit monitoring service like Equifax 3-in-1 Monitoring with Credit Scores.