Q: I am considering buying Carbonite and would like to know if I still need GoToMyPC remote access program if Carbonite allows for remote access? Does the Carbonite remote access feature allow me to view any file or email individually from any computer, similar to the GoToMyPC program?

A: Thank you for the question; it's a good one. Both GoToMyPC and Carbonite are invaluable tools for people who are frequently away from their main computer. Both programs allow you to access files remotely, they just do it in different ways. What you're suggesting would absolutely work; Carbonite backs up your emails (at least with Microsoft Outlook, Outlook express and Windows Mail) and you can use the remote access feature to read them. We just tested it, using a Mac to retrieve backed up email on a PC.

There is something to keep in mind, however. Since Carbonite's remote access is only about file retrieval and not remote control, you'll have to leave your email program up and running when you're away from it if you want access to your latest emails. The advantage of a true remote access program like GoToMyPC is that you can check your mail in real time. The other thing we found with our test is that emails are pretty deeply buried in the Windows file structure, so you have to navigate a little way down into the tree.

Q.   Do you need to have high speed internet for Vonage to work?  Can you buy high speed internet from Vonage?

A.  Yes, you do need high speed internet in order for Vonage to function.  Vonage uses VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) technology which requires a high speed connection for operation.

Vonage works by hooking your existing phone up to the internet for crystal clear calls.  You'll be mailed a Vonage phone adapter as part of your Vonage plan.  The adapter translates sound ((ie, your voice) into data and then sends it over internet.  Once this data arrives at it's location (ie, the number you're calling) that data is converted back into sound.  The call will be so crisp the person you're calling won't notice any difference between a normal land line call and your call.  If you'd like to learn more about VoIP and how it works, check out our VoIP FAQs.

At this time Vonage does not sell high speed internet.  However, high speed internet is easy and fairly inexpensive to obtain.  Contact the telecommunications providers in your area to sign up for the service. You can often find discounted offers, especially if you are a first time customer.

Vonage World is a great deal right now.  If you sign up, the first 6 months of service are only $14.99 per month.  After that, the monthly fee goes up to $25.99 per month, which is still a good price for what you get.  With Vonage World you can make unlimited calls within the US and to 60+ countries.  This is a very pocketbook friendly service if you make numerous long distance and international calls a month, and Vonage World is the highest rated of all the VoIP providers we've reviewed.

Q: Are Webroot and Trend Micro the same? Is it harmful to have them on at the same time? Or is it a waste of money, and am I doing double security?

A: This is a good question. It reminds me of a scene from a Billy Wilder movie called Ace in the Hole. In it, Kirk Douglas plays a scheming reporter who tells his prospective employer that, "I've done a lot of lying in my time. I've lied to men who wear belts. I've lied to men who wear suspenders. But I'd never be so stupid as to lie to a man who wears both belt and suspenders." His point being that you can't slip one by a man who has redundant methods for keeping his pants up.

Back in the world of Internet security software, Web Root and Trend Micro are actually different Internet security products put out by different companies. You can read our reviews and see a comparison here. You actually should not have two Internet security products of any brand running at once. It's not so much that you're doing damage, but the products may interfere with each other allowing something else to damage to your computer. Instead of doing double security, you might actually be cutting your security down.

Webroot may do something that Trend Micro sees as virus-like activity, or vice versa. Of course, Webroot is not a virus, but its activities could be misinterpreted. At the very least, it's a bit of a resource drain. At worst, it could interfere in detection of an actual virus or firewall intrusion. So choose the one you like best and uninstall the other one.

In Ace in the Hole, it turns out that Douglas actually is lying. So, while Internet security software is neither belt nor suspender, the moral of the story is the same: sometimes being twice protected doesn't help at all.

Q:  How long does debt stay on your credit report?

A: According to the FTC's Fair Credit Reporting act, most negative credit information will stay on your credit report for 7.5 years (7 years + 180 days) from the date of delinquency.  It can be a bit confusing, but the jist of it is that the 7 year time clock starts 180 days from the first missed payment, which brings the entire period up to 7.5 years.  The exact quote is:

"The 7-year period shall begin, with respect to any delinquent account that is placed for collection (internally or by referral to a third party, whichever is earlier), charged to profit and loss, or subjected to any similar action, upon the expiration of the 180-day period beginning on the date of the commencement of the delinquency which immediately preceded the collection activity, charge to profit and loss, or similar action."

As with most legalese, there are some exceptions to this guideline.  The following items will remain on your credit report for the time period indicated.

1. Bankruptcy information: 10 years from the date of filing.
2. Civil suits, civil judgments, and records of arrest: 7 years or until the statute of limitations runs out.
3. Tax Liens: 7 years from the date they were paid
4. Information reported because of an application for more than $150,000 worth of credit or life insurance has no time limitation.
5. Information reported because of an application for a job with a salary of $75,000 or more has no time limitation.
6. Information reported because of a credit transaction involving a principal amount of $150,000 or more has no time limitation

By law, everyone is entitled to one credit report per year from each of the three credit bureaus, which you can get for free at www.annualcreditreport.com. Although this is a nice service, it only lets you know what your credit history is like at that point in time – it doesn't protect or monitor your credit report on a daily basis. Negative information can appear on your credit report at any time and you will suffer the consequences unless you are notified and can act immediately. Additionally, you can't get your credit score for free. Because of this we recommend subscribing to a credit report monitoring service like our top reviewed Identity Guard.

Federal Filing

1.  Do I need to file taxes for 2009? The federal government requires that single persons who made over $9,350 in 2009  file.  If you're married, file a joint return, and both of you are under 65 you must file if your gross income was over $18,700.  IRS pub 501 clearly lays out whether you need to file federal taxes or not, so check there to see if you need to file.

2.  What about unemployment benefits? For 2009, you must include all unemployment compensation you received over $2,400. That means you can deduct $2,400 from the total benefit amount you received, and you only need to pay federal taxes on the remainder.  IRS pub 17 (hint: look at page 94) discusses the subject in more detail.

3.  Can I deduct job search expenses? The good news is that you can deduct job search expenses, but like everything else in taxland, this comes with a number of caveats.   To qualify, you need to be looking for a job that is in your present occupation.  You can't deduct first time job hunt expenses (sorry recent college grads!).  And you can't deduct if there was a "substantial break" between the end of your most recent job and the time you start looking for another job.   You also need to have spent more than 2% of your adjusted gross income.  If you meet all these criteria, you're in luck.  IRS pub 529 has a complete list of job search expenses you can deduct.

State Filing

1.  Do I need to file taxes for 2009? This is a slightly more complicated question, as each state has it's own guidelines.   In general, you must file a state tax return if your gross income or adjusted gross income was more than the amount defined by your state's law.   Check with the revenue/tax department for your state to see if you need to file.

If you're not an accountant, tax time can be very confusing and there are lots of complicated regulations.   Whether you're employed or not, if you're looking to maximize your deductions you'll usually benefit by using an efiling service like TurboTax to file your taxes.  TurboTax will guide you through the ins and outs of filing your federal and state taxes, and make sure you're getting all the deductions for which you qualify.

Q:  Does Identity Guard accept prepaid credit cards for enrollment?

A: Currently, Identity Guard does not accept prepaid credit cards to enroll in their identity theft protection services.  They do, however, accept both debit cards and regular (non-prepaid) credit cards.  If you don't have a regular credit card, using your debit card would be the way to go.

As always, we highly recommend subscribing to a identity theft protection service such as Identity Guard.  It's a smart, proactive step to help protect your identity – one of your most valuable commodities.

Q:  Does Credit Report Monitoring include more than one credit card?

A. Yes, it does.  Credit Report Monitoring keeps tabs on any changes to your personal credit report.  Your credit report covers your entire credit history, which includes all credit cards, loans and any type of credit account you open.  It also includes public record data such as bankruptcy information, unpaid tax liens, and past due child support.

Basically, credit report monitoring is a convenient and practical way of making sure your credit history is only affected by changes YOU make.  It helps to protect you from identity theft, and some services even go a step further and provide tools to help you improve your credit score.  Our top reviewed pick is Identity Guard, because it goes beyond other services by monitoring public records for any changes in your name and checking the Internet's black market for any use of your credit cards or other personal information.

If you're interested in your current credit report score, many of our credit report monitoring service (including Identity Guard) offer a free trial. You can sign up  to see your score for free and then cancel later at no charge.  However, we do recommend you keep the service because we feel it offers real-time monitoring that is almost impossible to achieve on your own and protects you from damage to your credit history over time.

Q:I received a Windows security alert and it directed me to have a scan of my computer which alerted me to numerous Trojan and viruses and worms.  Now I am not able to open any of my computer files or access my virus protection. Is this site legitimate or is it a scam?

A: It depends on where that warning came from. If it came from reputable Internet security software that you installed on your computer, it's probably legitimate. If it came from a website that you came across, it's probably a scam. Either way, it sounds like you probably have a virus, or some other piece of malware on your computer. A good antivirus product would have removed any viruses or advised you on further action.

A good first step is to try running a free scan from a reputable company, such as the one from Norton. This should give you an indication of what's going wrong. Depending on the quality and age of your antivirus product, you may want to consider upgrading to a more robust Internet security software product.

Q:  I live in Florida for 6 months of the year and in Canada for the other 6 months.   Can I take VoIP with me and use it wherever I go?

A: The nice thing about VoIP services is that they are portable.  The Vonage World plan is particularly convenient for travelers.  With Vonage World you can easily pack the small adapter and use it wherever there is a high speed internet connection. This means you can make local and long distance calls from almost anywhere in the world, provided you have a broadband connection.  And Vonage World is running a special where you can make unlimited calls to 60+ countries for only $14.99 a month (for the first 6 months, then $25.99 a month).  That means when you're in Canada, you make free calls to your friends and family in Florida and vice versa.  Nice, right?

There is one small caveat:  you need to have a United States mailing address to purchase the service.  However, once you've signed up and received the Vonage phone adapter you can take it with you and use it outside of the United States.  It's perfect for vacations or business travel and you'll most likely end up saving you a bundle of money.

Q:  What is the best way to do a credit check on a prospective tenant?

A: Every experienced landlord or property manager knows that it makes good financial sense to run a credit report on prospective tenants.  This simple step can save you time and money in the long run, but it's surprising how many landlords don't get this information prior to renting their property.  With the explosion of internet commerce, it's easier than ever to get this information quickly and securely online.

Experian offers two options to check a tenant's credit and is very reasonable in price.   There are also a number of other companies out there that provide credit checks for prospective tenants.  You can do a simple Google search on a phrase like "tenant credit report" to find them.