Welcome to SMARTLAB Blog

Free Gift Ideas

Brad Blue / December 8, 2015

Well it’s that time of year again—when you need to think about holiday gifts. You can’t leave it all to Santa—he’s a very busy man. Good news.  Giving gifts doesn’t have to cost anything.  You just need to do a little creative thinking.   Free

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Correcting Your Credit Report

Logix / October 9, 2015

So maybe creditors mysteriously start treating you like you’re toxic. You wonder what’s up so you check your credit report and it shows you racked up some bill you really didn’t. You’re not alone. The Federal Trade Commission estimate 1 out of 20 of consumers have

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What to Do When You Are a Victim of Identity Theft

Kayleen Kavanagh / October 5, 2015

How it happened may be a mystery, but what you do know is that it happened – your personal information was stolen and used to apply for loans, open accounts, or file taxes without your authorization. Now what? For victims, having their identity stolen can be devastating.  There’s confusion, anger, embarrassment and a list of other emotions that may come to the surface at learning your valuable information has been taken.  According to Javelin Strategy & Research’s 2015 Identity Fraud Study, approximately 13 million Americans were victims of ID theft in 2014.  And, while that number has dropped from the prior year’s total, the figure is still alarming.  During a time that can feel overwhelming for those personally affected, it is important to act quickly and have direction when starting the recovery process.

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Financial Schemes and Scams in the News

Matt Overin / July 29, 2015

Even the best high-tech tools aren't as effective against fraudsters as citizens who are well educated and armed with the right knowledge to fight against identity theft when they are being targeted. With this in mind, we'll be posting frequent updates on our blog to include the recent scams, schemes and tricks criminals are trying to use against our members.

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A Night Out on a Budget

Alethia C. / June 30, 2015

Dinner and a show can hit the cost spectrum on the high end, low end or no end. Living in Los Angeles makes for a variety of meal and theater experiences. Earlier this year, we wanted to see Angela Lansbury in “Blithe Spirit.” Side note – She’s

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