Donald Trump has released his seven-point health care reform plan.

1. Completely repeal Obamacare. Our elected representatives must eliminate the individual mandate. No person should be required to buy insurance unless he or she wants to.
2. Modify existing law that inhibits the sale of health insurance across state lines. As long as the plan purchased complies with state requirements, any vendor ought to be able to offer insurance in any state. By allowing full competition in this market, insurance costs will go down and consumer satisfaction will go up.
3. Allow individuals to fully deduct health insurance premium payments from their tax returns under the current tax system. Businesses are allowed to take these deductions so why wouldn’t Congress allow individuals the same exemptions? As we allow the free market to provide insurance coverage opportunities to companies and individuals, we must also make sure that no one slips through the cracks simply because they cannot afford insurance. We must review basic options for Medicaid and work with states to ensure that those who want healthcare coverage can have it.
4. Allow individuals to use Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). Contributions into HSAs should be tax-free and should be allowed to accumulate. These accounts would become part of the estate of the individual and could be passed on to heirs without fear of any death penalty. These plans should be particularly attractive to young people who are healthy and can afford high-deductible insurance plans. These funds can be used by any member of a family without penalty. The flexibility and security provided by HSAs will be of great benefit to all who participate.
5. Require price transparency from all healthcare providers, especially doctors and healthcare organizations like clinics and hospitals. Individuals should be able to shop to find the best prices for procedures, exams or any other medical-related procedure.
6. Block-grant Medicaid to the states. Nearly every state already offers benefits beyond what is required in the current Medicaid structure. The state governments know their people best and can manage the administration of Medicaid far better without federal overhead. States will have the incentives to seek out and eliminate fraud, waste and abuse to preserve our precious resources.
7. Remove barriers to entry into free markets for drug providers that offer safe, reliable and cheaper products. Congress will need the courage to step away from the special interests and do what is right for America. Though the pharmaceutical industry is in the private sector, drug companies provide a public service. Allowing consumers access to imported, safe and dependable drugs from overseas will bring more options to consumers.

According to the Federal Trade Commission’s 2014 Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book, identity theft once again tops consumer complaint categories in 2014. Identity theft can be committed in many ways: from non-technical methods such as stealing purses or “dumpster diving” for documents that have been thrown away that contain sensitive data; to technical methods such as deceptive phishing e-mails that include malware containing spyware or Trojan horses.

When it comes to phishing and social engineering scams, scammers use fake email addresses and websites to try to make them look like they are coming from a legitimate organization. They try to gain your trust and will then trick you into divulging personal information. Even if you don’t divulge any info, malware downloaded from clicking suspicious links, downloading fake apps or attachments, or visiting suspicious websites can still penetrate your computer and install keystroke loggers to steal data or capture account credentials as you type them. Read more at the Norton website....

Protect your identity with IDShield.

GM Financial says information about approximately 2,200 of its customers was "inappropriately accessed" by a former employee who was recently charged in connection with an identity theft scheme, CBC News has learned. 

The charges stem from an incident in May, when an arrest in Burlington, Ont. of two women in a stolen car turned up counterfeit citizenship documents, SIN cards and other identification. 

The names and information in the documents were of other, actual people — eight of them — but had pictures of the two suspects.  

Halton Regional Police said the two women were in the process of opening bank accounts in the victims' names.

A common link between the eight victims, investigators determined, was that they had all financed their vehicles through GM Financial. 

Police, with help from GM Financial, say they followed the trail to an employee at the company, through which thousands of Canadians have bought GM vehicles. Continue reading at CBC News....


Protect yourself and your identity with IDShield.

LifeLock, the well-known, heavily advertised identity theft protection services company, is being sued by its own shareholders, the law firm of Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP announced on July 27. 

The complaint alleges that LifeLock and certain of its executive officers made a series of false and/or misleading statements to investors, and failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company's business, operations and prospects.

Specifically, the defendants are alleged to have made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose, among other things: (1) that the Company had failed to establish and maintain a comprehensive information security program to protect its users' sensitive personal data, including credit card, social security, and bank account numbers; (2) that the Company falsely advertised that it protected consumers' sensitive data with the same high-level safeguards as financial institutions; (3) that the Company failed to meet the 2010 settlement order's recordkeeping requirements; and (4) that, as a result of the foregoing, the Company's statements about its business, operations, and prospects, were false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis. Read the law firm's complete press release at CNN Money....

Last week, the Federal Trade Commission re-opened an investigation into LifeLock's fraudulent activities after the company failed to honor 2010 court order to repay its clients $12 million.

In this video, Oberthur Technologies North America President Martin Ferenczi discusses identity theft and credit card solutions. He speaks on "Market Makers." 

This new "Chip and PIN" technology will provide a high degree of confidence that your card cannot be counterfeited," he says.

When asked why it has taken over 10 years for this technology to start being used in the United States when it has long been used in other countries, Ferenczi replies, "because it wasn't born in the United States." 

A second reason is that the U.S. has far better communication systems than other countries; therefore our online financial transaction security systems have been relatively more secure than in other nations.

Click here to watch this 3:30 minute video at Bloomberg.com.

Katherine Archuleta, former director of the Office of Personnel Management, speaking at a United States Department of Agriculture event in 2014.

You had one job: Secure the data. What happened?

Life as a CEO, CIO, or CTO is a bit more complex than that. Not every executive is directly responsible for IT security. Few have a deep understanding of it.

But in our networked world, IT security is the foundation of a successful business, and blame is shared when the floor collapses. Organizational leaders may prefer to focus on the big picture, but inattention to security has proven to be a poor career move. Continue reading at Information Week....


Protect your identity with IDShield.

Starting a successful business takes time, money, patience, determination and a healthy dose of luck. Getting off to a good start means being prepared for any number of challenges. If you are a small business owner or are planning to start a new business, these tips may help put you on the path to success. If you have any questions, contact your LegalShield provider law firm today.

1. Business Plan - Every business should start with a well crafted business plan. Your plan should cover basic topics such as your company’s goals, management structure, services/products, target clients and marketing strategies. A business plan provides internal guidance and increases external confidence in your business, making it more likely to secure funding.

2. Insurance - There are many different types of coverage you should consider, from general business liability insurance to business errors and omissions insurance for directors and officers. Depending on the number of employees and state or provincial laws governing your business, you may be required to purchase workers’ compensation insurance. You may also need to pay unemployment insurance. Talk to an experienced insurance agent and become familiar with best practices and the regulations that govern your industry.

3. Business Entity Formation – There may be significant benefits to forming a limited liability company (“LLC”) or corporation. These types of entities may benefit you in regard to personal liability, taxation and protection of personal assets. Consult with an attorney or CPA to determine which business entity, if any, will be most beneficial to your business. To learn more about the laws and requirements in your state or province, call your LegalShield provider law firm.

4. Permits & Licenses – Before you begin operating a business, check with your state or provincial regulatory agencies to ensure that you have the authority to proceed. Certain businesses require special licensing or certification.

5. Intellectual Property (IP) - IP laws can be incredibly complex, but they should not be ignored. Make sure you understand what can be done to protect your IP. Call you LegalShield provider law firm and speak with an experienced attorney.

6. Advisers - Consult with attorneys, accountants and businesspeople that have experience in your industry. Surrounding yourself with advisers who are knowledgeable will help you get off to the best possible start.

7. Commitment - Your business will only be successful if you commit to it completely. Understand that there may be setbacks and challenges along the way but learning from and moving past those difficulties will make you and your business stronger.

Reprinted from LegalShield's corporate website. For more information about LegalShield services or to become a member, click here.

From Al Pacino’s character John Milton in The Devil’s Advocate, to Gene Hackman’s portrayal of Avery Tolar in The Firm, to Bob Odenkirk’s depiction of Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad... lawyers are the characters that we love to hate. Even Shakespeare himself once penned the line: "First, let's kill all the lawyers."

A recent Pew study determined that lawyers rank at the very bottom of all professions in terms of public esteem. Why does this hatred exist?


Jeff Bell, CEO of LegalShield, offers four reasons:

• Lawyers are smarter than us. “They go to four years of college and then three years of law school. Then they spend months studying to pass the bar examination. And sometimes all this education creates a barrier between lawyers and their clients.  It may lead them to think that they know better than people who have succeeded by relying on their common sense.”
• Lawyers have their own language. “It’s called legalese, and it is the thing that causes you to get lost when reading contracts. Seriously, when was the last time you used 'heretofore' in a sentence?”
• Lawyers intimidate us. “They have fancy offices, with giant desks, wood-paneled conference rooms, and maroon leather chairs. They dress in fancy suits and drive fancy cars. To some people, this makes lawyers seem aloof and intimidating.”
• Lawyers are expensive. “They charge us every time we talk to them, often hundreds of dollars by the hour. The clock begins ticking whenever you speak to them or they do work for you. And even if you are on the phone with them for just five minutes, they almost never charge less than a 15-minute increment… and sometimes a 30-minute increment.”

The last of these, Bell explains, is the central problem. “The first three wouldn’t bother us nearly so much if it weren’t for the costs of interacting with lawyers. That is why LegalShield is so disruptive: we flip the traditional financial model for how people pay for lawyers.”

The Washington Post echoed these sentiments in a recent opinion piece entitled, “We don’t need fewer lawyers. We need cheaper ones." The piece explains:

“What we are seeing is a disgraceful failure of our legal system to meet the serious legal needs of most Americans, who are increasingly priced out of the market for legal services. In 70 to 98 percent of cases in America’s civil courts today, one or both parties are not represented by a lawyer.”

To address this failure, LegalShield has disrupted the legal industry through the power of collaborative consumption. By enabling its members to access lawyers without worrying about the clock, LegalShield aligns both its provider law firms and its members around the same goal: finding a fast, efficient, and effective resolution to legal matters.

“This makes for happy lawyers as well as happy clients,” says Bell. “The clients are happy because they don’t have to worry about the running meter, and the lawyers are happy because they just show up and do the work that they want to do… practice law.”

Bell continues: “LegalShield’s disruptive business model has united 1.5 million households in North America to collectively pay for legal services for the entire group. When any individual member calls an attorney, they are treated the way that they should be: like the most important client at the firm.”

“And now, it’s not so bad to have all those smart, intimidating lawyers walking around speaking their own language… because they are working for you and you don’t have to worry about the clock!”

Reprinted from LegalShield's corporate webpage. For more information on LegalShield or to become a member, click here.

Cybercrime and identity theft are out of control. These cowardly acts are at an all-time high, and are costing our economy billions of dollars each year.

Individuals and companies must protect themselves. This means more than having an identity theft protection company such as LifeLock or IDShield monitoring your credit, something most people do only after the crime has been committed.

Sixty percent of identity theft happen to small businesses.

Cybersecurity expert Marc Goodman recently outlined six ways for small businesses to fight back: 

Smartphones contain a staggering amount of personal data, from family photos to emails and bank accounts. In addition to personal information the devices retail for hundreds of dollars, creating a lucrative black market for stolen phones and parts. These tips are designed to help you secure your smartphone and protect your personal information.

1. Practice common sense when using your phone in public. Phone thieves refer to the practice as “Apple picking." These thieves look for easy targets such as people who leave their phone on a car seat or café table or are otherwise unaware of their surroundings. Avoid presenting opportunities by keeping your phone with you and paying attention to your surroundings. 
   
   
2. If your phone is stolen, file a report. In an effort to curb the rising rate of smartphone theft, some mobile carriers track stolen phones and tablets. Tracking systems only work when thefts are reported to your carrier. While you might not get your phone or tablet back, these systems can help disrupt the market for stolen devices. You should also report any theft to your local police department.
   
   
3. Set your phone to automatically lock when not in use. Leaving your phone unlocked is asking for trouble. If your phone or tablet is stolen or misplaced, keeping it locked will help protect your data. Some phones and devices can be configured to delete all stored data when an incorrect password is entered multiple times.
   
   
4. Use strong passwords and update them on a regular basis. Secure passwords include numbers, symbols, lowercase and capital letters. You should not use your name or other easily identifiable information such as a street address or birth date in your password. Do not use the same password for all of your accounts. It is also important to periodically update your passwords.
   
   
5. Beware of free open Wi-Fi hotspots. Configure your phone to only join networks you approve. Scammers sometimes set up free wireless networks in public places to lure users to log on. Joining the network could allow the scammer to track data going to and from your phone. 
   
   
6. Update your device's software. Hackers are continually looking for new security flaws to exploit. Many software updates include important security patches that repair known flaws. Failing to update your software or apps may leave you vulnerable to hackers.
   
   
7. Location and anti-theft applications may help you locate a lost phone or deactivate a stolen phone. There are a wide variety of apps that help users locate a lost or stolen phone. Some apps allow you to delete data remotely or completely disable the device. Check reviews and specifications carefully and test the software before your phone is lost or stolen so you know how to use it when the time comes. 
   
   
8. Use encryption to protect sensitive information. If you use your phone or other mobile device for particularly sensitive business or financial communications, talk to your IT professional about using encryption to protect your data.
   
   
9. Only download reviewed and tested applications. Some apps and websites may include malicious software designed to capture your personal information. Read reviews and research new apps before installation.

Reprinted from Legal News, Issue 8, Volume 4, June 2015