Do Identity Theft Protection Plans
Protect My Credit Cards Too?
Posted by Tasha
Q: If I subscribe to an identity theft protection plan, do I still need to maintain my current monthly protection for each credit card or will those cards be covered with one of these plans?
Image: Garido.com
A: I'm not sure what credit card protection service you're currently paying for, but most of our top identity theft protection services will help protect your credit/debit card and bank account numbers from fraudulent use. Identity Guard TOTAL PROTECTION®, Trusted ID and Lifelock will all monitor the Internet black market for suspicious use of your credit/debit and bank account numbers and alert you if fraudulent activity is detected. The only caveat is that you need to enter these numbers into their online interface once you sign up.
We particularly like Identity Guard because of their proactive identity theft protection and 3-bureau credit report monitoring. Plus, they are offering NextAdvisor readers a free 30-day trial and 25% off the subscription price. When you sign up for Identity Guard you'll also get free credit scores, which are yours to keep even if you cancel during the trial period. All-in-all we think it's a pretty good deal, but if you'd like to take at look at other identity theft protection plans check out our identity theft protection plan comparison.
Will the Orchard Bank Credit Card
Help Improve My Credit?
Posted by Tasha
Q: Will the Orchard Bank credit card help improve my credit?
A: Yes, the Orchard Bank credit card can help improve or rebuild your credit history but you'll have to do your part too. By reporting your credit card payment history to all 3 credit bureaus, Orchard Bank can help boost your credit. And it will show up on your credit reports looking like any other "regular" credit card (even if it's a secured card). However, you need to practice good payment behaviour by making your payments on time. Just like any other credit card, if you don't make your monthly payments in a timely manner it could adversely affect your credit.
What makes the Orchard Bank Mastercard (or Visa) special is that it was specifically designed for people with bad or limited credit. That means that if your credit history precludes you from being eligible for other cards, the Orchard Bank is right up your alley. Orchard Bank's unique application process pre-qualifies you for either an unsecured or secured credit card, based on your credit history. And don't worry, your credit score won't be affected by applying.
You can also check out all our Bad Credit Credit Card reviews and Average Credit Credit Card reviews and choose the best card for your situation.
Can I Get Just 6 Months of
Virtual Phone Service?
Posted by Mary
Q: I may only need Phone.com virtual phone service for 6 months. Is there a way to only have it for just that period instead of a year?
Image: tj scenes via Flickr
A: Yes! Though you will pay $14.88/mo instead of $9.88/mo, you can get Phone.com virtual phone service on a month-to-month basis instead of signing up for an annual contract. Depending on how long you use their service, the annual contract may actually be cheaper than paying month-to-month.
If you pay annually for one year of service, you will pay Phone.com $118.56 up front. This works out to $9.88/mo. If you pay by the month for six months of service, you will pay a total of $89.28. If you sign up for an annual contract and pay for the full year, you will not receive a refund for canceling early. However, if you plan to use 8 or more months of service, it may actually be cheaper to sign up for a full year ($118.56) than to pay by the month for 8+ months.
In your case, however, six months of Phone.com service at the monthly rate is less expensive than a full year, so we would recommend a month-to-month contract. Note that you can still take advantage of the current 30-day free trial with the monthly contract.
If you're sure you only need 6 months of service and you'd be paying the month-to-month cost, you might want to check out eVoice instead of Phone.com, since eVoice offers month-to-month service for $12.95/mo and currently has a 6 month free trial.
Got questions about virtual phone service? Check out our FAQ section, the comparison chart, or individual reviews. You can also leave us a question or comment in the fields below.
Which VoIP Service Is Best for Calling
the U.S. from Overseas?
Posted by Mary
Q: Our family is planning to move to Senegal, West Africa with a non-profit organization. Which VoIP service would you recommend for calling back to States from overseas? Our city does have wireless available.
Image: o5com via Flickr
A: In Senegal, provided you have a strong enough wired internet connection, most of the VoIP services we recommend should allow you to call back to the United States. We really like VOIPo for its very low introductory rates, great customer service, and easy setup.
Since you will effectively bring your US number with you, you will not need any special international calling plan unless you also plan to use your system to make local calls within Senegal, in which case you should look for a good calling rate to Senegal. You can generally find information about rates to a specific country with each provider on the provider's website. For more detailed instructions, check out this blog post about finding specific calling rates with our favorite providers.
You mention your city has wireless available, and while that's great for most purposes, VoIP adapters do require wired internet to function. Check out this previous blog post for information about what kind of connection you'll need. While you may have success with somewhat lower speeds, most services agree that you will have pretty high-quality sound with 256 mbps both upload and download. You may want to get in touch with members of the non-profit group who are already in Senegal to get more information about the internet connection you will have access to.
For more information about VoIP service, you can read some previous blog posts, check out the FAQ section, or compare services with our detailed chart. You can also leave us questions or comments in the fields below.
If I Back Up Music and Photos Online,
Can I Access Them From Another Computer?
Posted by Polina
Q: I have a Macbook. If I back up photos and music online, is that information available from any other computer I may have access to? Can pictures be available to other users that I choose?
A: With cloud storage, you're essentially killing two birds with one stone — backing up your computer in case of a crash or theft while making your files available on any computer with an Internet connection. Cloud storage services' syncing features make it easy to sync your photos across multiple computers; however, most services, like SugarSync for example, do not let you sync iPhoto files. Getting around this is easy though, since you can just sync the actual files and their original non-iPhoto folders. SugarSync will also let you put the iPhoto files in the web archive, which allows you to easily access the files from the web on any computer. You can use the web archive with iTunes files as well; however, you cannot sync the iTunes files. Instead, you can save the original MP3s for syncing.
Most of these services make it easy to share photos too, even letting you give out passwords to particular people. Spideroak, for example, has special "share rooms," which have a custom link and password of your choosing. Once a share room is created, you can keep adding files to it. You can make them public or private by sending the link and password to someone specific. Now you don't have to worry about sending files too bulky for email, just use cloud storage to share your favorite photos. Compare all of the top cloud storage services here.
How Does Ooma Stack Up Against
Standard VoIP Service?
Posted by Mary
Q: I just read your response to a FAQ you received in 2007 regarding Ooma. If your opinion of Ooma is still the same, could you please explain why you say that more "standard" VoIP services are a better option (than Ooma) for consumers that are looking for a true land line replacement?
A: Ooma has changed its business model somewhat since its founding, but yes, we still think most consumers can get more value for their money out of a traditional VoIP service. Ooma's pricing may look great on the surface, but when you read the fine print, there are a couple of catches. First, let's deal with the differences in service. I'll use VOIPo here for purposes of comparison.
SERVICE
Ooma: Ooma offers very stripped-down service: Free calls to most US numbers, caller ID, voicemail, and call waiting. If you want additional features, like voicemail to email, a cloned second line, three-way calling, call blocking, free calling to Canada, or access to international calling plans, you'll need to pay for Ooma Premier, which costs an additional $119 per year or $9.99 per month. Ooma will also charge you $39.99 to port in your phone number, unless you sign up for Ooma Premier, which waives that charge.
What's the Best Way to Get
Just One Background Check?
Posted by Mary
Q: If I decide to cancel Net Detective, is it easy or difficult? I have run into some sites that make it very difficult to cancel. I really only wish to see the report one time, and do not require continuing reports.
Source: Kate Ter Haar via Flickr
A: You shouldn't have much trouble canceling Net Detective, but if you only need one background check or search, you might be better off with a site like our favorite option for people searches and background checks, Intelius, than with a subscription service like Net Detective. We've found that Intelius offers the most detailed, accurate background checks of any of the consumer services. Net Detective does a pretty good job, and can be a good value for people who need to run multiple checks over the course of months or years, but it does not provide the accuracy or detail of Intelius.
Intelius offers detailed background checks, including complete address history, statewide criminal check, alias names, relatives and roommates, home value, sex offender status, small claims and judgments, marriages and divorces, average income, and more for $49.95. If you just need full name, date of birth, address, home phone number, home value, known relatives, and income, you can go with a basic people search for just $1.95.
You can compare these two services (and several others) on our comparison chart or read individual reviews for each service. You can also check out our FAQ section or read some previous blog posts.
What is SkyDrive? How Is It Different from Other Cloud Backup Services?
Posted by Polina
Q: Is SkyDrive similar to SugarSync? How does it compare to other cloud storage?
A: Like Google's new Drive, Microsoft also set out to create their own cloud storage solution, SkyDrive. It is similar to SugarSync in that you can sync folders across all of your devices and access the files on the web; however, it lacks SugarSync's plethora of extra syncing features and, more importantly, its focus on backing up your entire computer.
What is SkyDrive? As with Google Drive and Dropbox, SkyDrive installs a designated folder on your hard drive. Dragging folders and files into the SkyDrive folder will automatically make these files available on the web and across all of the computers that have SkyDrive installed. The service can also be used for remote access; as long as a SkyDrive equipped computer is on and connected, you can access that computer's entire hard drive from the web using a security code emailed to you by the service. For a limited time, Microsoft is offering 25 GB of free storage, up from their usual 7 GB that they will probably revert back to soon. 20 more gigabytes costs $10 per year, 50 GB more is $25 per year and 100 GB more is $50 per year.
How does it compare to SugarSync? Instead of SkyDrive's functionality that requires you to sync folders and files to a specific folder, SugarSync allows you to sync any folder across all of your computers and the web. This erases the need to move folders around. It also lets you sync two or more folders together, so if you make a change in one folder, it will show up in another folder, even if it's on a different computer. And though SkyDrive allows you to access your computer's hard drive from the web even if particular folders weren't added to the SkyDrive folder, this only works if said computer is on and connected to the Internet.
This brings up the problem of "What if my computer crashes?" If you are using SkyDrive as your sole cloud storage solution, then only folders you've manually added to the SkyDrive folder will be saved in case of a computer catastrophe. On the other hand, SugarSync, as well as other full cloud storage services, require you to backup your computer before you begin syncing files. Thus, unlike SkyDrive, which solely makes it easy for you to access and update your files on the web, SugarSync is a full cloud storage and online backup solution focusing on both accessibility as well as loss prevention.
Does Credit Report Monitoring
Affect Your Credit Score?
Posted by Tasha
Q: Once I enroll in Identity Guard, will daily checking affect my scores?
A: Daily credit report monitoring will not affect your credit scores. Neither will getting your own credit scores. This is because Identity Guard TOTAL PROTECTION® is acting on your behalf (and not as a third party) to access your 3-bureau credit reports, and you are allowed to access and check your own credit reports and scores as many times as you want without any repercussions.
We give Identity Guard top marks as a credit report monitoring service. Not only do they provide 3-bureau credit monitoring, but members get all 3 credit scores for free when they sign up. Additionally, Identity Guard provides a slew of identity theft protection features and computer protection software. Right now they are offering a special to NextAdvisor readers—a free 30-day trial and 25% off the monthly subscription price.
Does Identity Guard Monitor
Checking and Savings Accounts?
Posted by Tasha
Q: Does Identity Guard monitor checking and savings accounts and notify members if any questionable activity is seen?
A: Identity Guard TOTAL PROTECTION® does monitor for potential fraud activities involving your registered bank account numbers on a daily basis. If suspicious activity is seen you will be alerted in order to verify any changes and take any action necessary. However, they do not monitor the activity within each bank account (i.e., deposits and withdrawals). If you think about it, this might not be something you would even want tracked because then Identity Guard would have complete access to your checking/savings account and financial information.
When you sign up for Identity Guard, you'll be guided through registering information you would like them to monitor. Make sure to take a couple extra minutes to do this – letting Identity Guard know your credit card, debit card and bank account numbers will enable them to scan for the fraudulent use of them.
We given Identity Guard our top rating for identity theft protection due to it's proactive fraud monitoring, 3-bureau credit report monitoring, free credit scores and computer protection. Right now they are offering NextAdvisor readers a free 30-day trial and 25% off the subscription price, so get it while it's hot.
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