If you hire a service worker, nanny or babysitter, contractor or subcontractor, or even go on a date during this time it is highly recommended that you obtain a background check on anyone you don’t know as an added security. But also watch out for those you do know as economic recessions are notorious for creating first-time offenders. [More]

The “Grinch” who (literally) stole Christmas – identity theft – can make the holidays a very un-happy time for its victims. According to a study from Javelin Strategy & Research, identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America, with 27.3 million victims in the past five years, and nearly 20 million in the past two years alone. Identity theft costs more than $56 billion – or $6,383 per victim – annually, and an identity thief strikes every 3.... [More]