Tyra Banks Has a Stalker

A man, named Brady Green, has been charged with stalking talk-show host Tyra Banks and has been ordered to stay away from her or go to jail. He has followed Banks from coast to cost since January, sent her letters and flowers, and tried to call her. He was issued a court order last week that required him to leave her alone.

Green was arrested after he showed up several times on March 18^th at the Manhattan building where “The Tyra Banks Show” is taped and asked to talk to her. He also had previously showed up several times at her Los Angeles studio and asked to talk to her. He sent her flowers there and tried to call her at least five times.

Tyra Banks told police that what Green had done caused her to have fear that she was in danger. Green was charged with stalking, criminal trespass, and harassment. After his recent arraignment, he was released without bail and was ordered to return to court on May 13^th. He could spend up to a year in jail if he is convicted.

Ledger’s Will Leaves Nothing to Daughter

It is found that the actor Heath Ledger’s will leaves nothing to his 2 year old daughter and former girlfriend, Michelle Williams; because it wasn’t updated after he met Williams. A copy of the will shows that Leger left everything he had to his parents and three sisters. Ledger’s father has said that the family would make sure that Williams and their daughter would be taken care of.

It is estimated that his belongings are valued at $145,000. This amount includes a $25,000 Toyota Prius, $20,000 worth of furniture and fixtures, and $100,000 in bank accounts. The only debt he had when he died was the rent he owed for February for the New York apartment where he died on Jan 22^nd. He had died of an accidental overdose of prescription medication.

Lend and Borrow Money Online

There are now “peer-to-peer” lending websites that allow people to borrow money at competitive rates from lenders online. There is the site prosper.com, which allows the market to decide who gets funded. The site lendingclub.com is for borrowers with a FICO score above 640 and has a debt-to-income ratio below 30 percent. The site virginmoney.com manages loans between friends and family members. The site zopa.com works with credit union members.

The consequences of defaulting on a peer-to-peer loan are the same as a loan from a bank. Defaulting on a loan can have a negative effect on the borrower’s credit history.

Bank Deposits Able To Be Made From Home

CheckFree Corp, an online banking service, is introducing technology called Remote Deposit Capture where people can scan their checks through their home computer and deposit them electronically. This means that people have another choice when it comes to depositing their checks without going to a bank branch. The service will start to be available this week for people who do their banking services online as long as their banks offer the service.

This technology has been around for several years but has mostly been used by businesses. It is already in use in the top 150 banks. It is easy to use and banks can customize it for their clients.

To use this service you would need a scanner, a computer, and an Internet connection. You would go to your home banking site and enter the amount of the check. You would scan both sides of the check, do a quick review of what you scanned, and then submit the scanned image. Banks can add their own fraud protection to make sue that bad checks aren’t cashed. The processing times for the checks would be as normal as cashing any other check.

CheckFree Corp, an online banking service, is introducing technology called Remote Deposit Capture where people can scan their checks through their home computer and deposit them electronically. This means that people have another choice when it comes to depositing their checks without going to a bank branch. The service will start to be available this week for people who do their banking services online as long as their banks offer the service.

This technology has been around for several years but has mostly been used by businesses. It is already in use in the top 150 banks. It is easy to use and banks can customize it for their clients.

To use this service you would need a scanner, a computer, and an Internet connection. You would go to your home banking site and enter the amount of the check. You would scan both sides of the check, do a quick review of what you scanned, and then submit the scanned image. Banks can add their own fraud protection to make sue that bad checks aren’t cashed. The processing times for the checks would be as normal as cashing any other check.

Mike Vick Get a Visit from the Repo Man

An Indiana bank recently sued Mike Vick for not repaying his loans that involved a car rental business. Vick is the chief financial officer of Divine Seven, a car rental company, and bought more than 130 cars through the loans. The bank says it suffered damages of about $2 million dollars because Vick and Divine Seven LLC wouldn’t pay for the vehicles. The bank has repossessed most of the cars.

Last week, Royal Bank of Canada sued Vick for $2.3 million dollars that he claimed he was going to use for real estate investments.

Stop Identity Theft from Happening to You

Identity theft happens when your personal information is stolen and used without your knowledge or permission. It is one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States and affects nearly 10 million Americans. It can be prevented from happening to you.

Have your mail delivered to a locked mailbox or post office box. Shred documents, especially bank and credit card statements, bills, and credit card offers, using a cross-cut shredder. Stop pre-approved credit offers by calling (888) 5-OPT-OUT or go to www.optoutprescreen.com to be removed from mailing lists. Have your mail held from being delivered while you are on vacation. Take outgoing mail, including bill payments and checks, directly to the post office.

Limit the amount of personal information you carry with you. Leave your social security card at home and only carry credit cards that are necessary. Make a photocopy of both sides of your driver’s license, all credit cards, and insurance cards. The back parts of most credit cards have important phone numbers you can call if your cards are stolen or misplaced. Keep the photocopies in a safe and secure place.

Only carry a few checks at a time and don’t put your phone number or social security number on your checks. It may be a good idea to use credit cards instead of checks or debit cards to pay because credit cards have a protection against fraudulent charges. It is easier to dispute a credit card charge than to try to get stolen money returned to your bank account.

Look over your financial information regularly to see if you are receiving monthly statements for all credit cards and bank accounts that have transactions for the most recent month or reporting period. If you are not receiving your statements, call your bank or credit card company. Make sure there are no suspicious charges on your accounts. Check your credit report to make sure it is accurate. Visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call 1-877-322-8228 to order your free credit report. Your credit report should list all bank and financial accounts you have in your name.

Identity theft doesn’t have to happen to you. If you follow these tips you can keep yourself safe.