NEW - Read our Fraud Alert and Credit Freeze Guide and learn the difference between credit freezes and fraud alerts, two of the most common and effective identity theft protection tools.

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Latest headlines from the NextAdvisor Daily blog:

FTC to survey identity theft victims
The Federal Trade Commission recently announced plans to survey identity theft victims who reported incidents of identity theft to the FTC between January 1 and May 30. The FTC hopes to learn whether victims found the available legal remedies effective in resolving these incidents. Available legal remedies include placing fraud alerts on their credit files, [...]

A foreclosure on your credit report can make renting an apartment nearly impo...
As foreclosures rise, former homeowners with blemished mortgage histories are flooding the rental market. Unfortunately, landlords are often hesitant to rent to applicants whose credit reports show a history foreclosures, short sales (when a house is sold for less than the amount owed on the mortgage) or deed-in-lieu of foreclosure (when a homeowner gives up [...]

Google gives employees a free year of identity-theft protection
Google employees’ personal information, including names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and hire dates, was compromised by a break-in at Colt, an HR outsourcing firm. The break-in occurred on May 26 and Google was notified on June 9. In response to the security breach, Google will be providing employees with one year of identity [...]

Lost laptop computers may cost you more than you realize
The recent Ponemon Institute survey, commissioned by Dell, sheds light on just how many laptops are lost or stolen at U.S. airports. At 36 major airports, lost laptops total more than 10,000 a week. When smaller airports are taken into account as well, the total number of lost laptops rises to 637,000 a year. Laptops [...]

The U.S. government contradicts its own advice about Social Security numbers
The Federal Trade Commission and the Social Security Administration warn, “Protect your Social Security number. Don’t carry your Social Security card in your wallet or write your Social Security number on a check.” But at least 44 million Medicare insurance cards include the beneficiary’s full Social Security number. Charlene Frizzera, chief operating officer of the nation’s [...]

T-Mobile launches discount VoIP service with a few big downsides
At just $10 per month for unlimited nationwide calls, T-Mobile’s recently launched HotSpot@Home VoIP service seems like a great deal for most consumers on the surface. However, there are a handful of limitations and requirements that may cause potential subscribers, especially those that are not already using T-Mobile for their wireless service, to pass [...]

How to read, analyze and dispute your Equifax credit report
Equifax is one of the three major credit reporting bureaus in the United States. In this guide we are going to walk through a sample version of Equifax’s online credit report with FICO score. If you don’t already have your Equifax credit report you can get instant online access to an Equifax or three bureau credit [...]

Vonage vs. Magic Jack - one reader?s opinion
A recent commenter on our blog provided an excellent comparison of Vonage and Magic Jack, two popular VoIP services. We thought we would call out the comment in a separate post since we receive frequent inquiries from our readers about our opinion on Magic Jack. I have Magic Jack and I agree it does a [...]

Reader Question: How do I set a fraud alert on my credit report?
Q: I recently lost my wallet which contained my driver’s license, Social Security card and credit cards. How do I go about putting a fraud alert on my credit report? A: A fraud alert is an annotation on your credit report which lets potential lenders know that you have been, or believe you may have [...]

Reader Question: What should I do if I think I have been a victim of identity...
Q: I received a $400 bill in my name from a company I have never done business with. I think I may have been the victim of identity theft. What should I do? A: Receiving financial statements, bills or other correspondence in your name from companies you don’t recognize is a potential sign that [...]