Estate Planning Seminar

Our next Estate Planning Seminar will be in February. Please watch this space for date and time.

Brenda McCollum, Director of the Office of Strategic Endowed Giving at the Florida Baptist Convention, will lead our seminar. Estate planning is for everyone. If you are over the age of 18 you need a will so that YOU, and not the State of Florida, can direct the disposition of your property at death. And it is easy to have one prepared. Your will first provides for your family, but it also makes provision for continuation of the Lord’s work, and there are several ways this can be done. Register in advance by calling the church office at 629-5683 or emailing.

Protecting Your Identity and Credit

• Do not sign the back of your credit cards. Instead, put 'PHOTO ID REQUIRED.'
• When you are writing checks to pay on your credit card accounts, DO NOT put the complete account number on the 'For' line. Instead, just put the last four numbers. The credit card company knows the rest of the number, and anyone who might be handling your check as it passes through all the check processing channels won't have access to it.
• Put your work phone # on your checks instead of your home phone. If you have a PO Box use that instead of your home address. If you do not have a PO Box, use your work address. Never have your SS# printed on your checks. You can add it if it is necessary. But if you have it printed, anyone can get it.
• Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy machine. Do both sides of each license, credit card, etc. You will know what you had in your wallet and all of the account numbers and phone numbers to call and cancel. Keep the photocopy in a safe place.

Critical information to limit the damage if your wallet is stolen

• We have been told we should cancel our credit cards immediately. But the key is having the toll free numbers and your card numbers handy so you know whom to call. Keep those where you can find them.
• File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where your credit cards, etc., were stolen. This proves to credit providers you were diligent, and this is a first step toward an investigation (if there ever is one).
• Call the 3 national credit reporting organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and also call the Social Security fraud line number. The alert means any company that checks your credit knows your information was stolen.

Numbers you always need to contact about your wallet, if it has been stolen:
1. Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
2. Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888-397-3742
3. Trans Union : 1-800-680 7289
4. Social Security Administration (fraud line): 1-800-269-0271
 

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