FEDINFO E-letter from Pueblo, February 1, 2006

Welcome to the February 2006 edition of the Federal Citizen Information Center's FEDINFO E-letter! These subscription e-letters from Pueblo are sent 6-8 times a year with helpful updates, practical information, and special offers to make your life a little easier. You can always find the latest information at our family of websites: Pueblo.gsa.gov, FirstGov.gov, ConsumerAction.gov, and Kids.gov.

This issue includes:

February 3, 2006, is National Wear Red Day -- a day when Americans nationwide will wear red to show their support for women's heart disease awareness. This event provides an opportunity for everyone to unite in this life-saving awareness movement by showing off a favorite red dress, shirt, tie, or Red Dress Pin.

Join the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; Office on Women's Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; WomenHeart: the National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease; American Heart Association; and many other groups to promote National Wear Red Day in your local community.

All women can take steps to lower their risk of developing heart disease. If you're a woman ages 40-60, it's especially important that you begin right away to lower your risk. That's the time when a woman's risk of heart disease starts to rise. Younger and older women also need to act now. Heart disease can begin early, even in the teen years. But it's also never too late to improve heart health—even for those who have already had a heart attack.

To find out more about the signs of heart disease, including the "silent" symptoms, and get tips on how to lower your risk, check out FDA's Heart Disease fact sheet.

Unlike professional athletes, you don't need a sports agent to show you the money. To help you get started on making the most of your money, check out Taking Control of Your Finances.

You'll get practical guidance for anyone, even if you've been managing your money for years. But it's especially geared for young adults, including those just beginning a career or a family and others still in high school or college.

For example, the booklet gives you easy ways to start saving money today. Try to use your bank's ATMs or those owned by institutions that don't charge for a withdrawal. If you can, pay credit card balances in full at the end of each cycle to avoid interest charges. Pay close attention to your bank statements and monitor your spending habits. And, arrange with your bank or employer to automatically transfer a certain amount of money each month to a savings or investment account.

Once you start increasing your savings, the next step is to make sure that your money is safe. Find out how FDIC insurance protects your accounts. Also, protect yourself from identity theft. Keep your Social Security number, bank account and credit card numbers private. Never provide these numbers in response to an unsolicited phone call, fax or e-mail. Scam artists often look legitimate when they're “phishing” for your financial identity.

Wrap things up by taking the 10-question Financial Aptitude Test included in the booklet to see where you might need more financial help.

February 5-11, 2006, has been designated National Consumer Protection Week (NCPW) to highlight consumer protection and education efforts around the country. This year's theme, "Consumer Protection: It's the Name of the Game," focuses on practical steps consumers can take to minimize their risk of fraud.

Whether you're investing in a business opportunity, buying or selling on an Internet auction, or looking for a scholarship, a home loan, or that dream vacation, it pays to learn how to shop smart. Because when your money's at stake, you want to hit a grand slam -- not a grand scam.

Click here to order helpful information on a wide range of consumer protection issues.

Many consumers are now using SPAM-blocking software or junk-mail filters offered by their e-mail providers. These filters may also prevent you from receiving e-letters that you have subscribed to like FEDINFO. If you are using these filters, you may want to consider adding the following e-mail address to your "safe list": cic.info@gsa.gov.