Anthem data breach victims should strongly consider freezing their credit

From Pete the Planner’s Blog:
o Anthem data breach victims should strongly consider freezing their credit
If you haven’t already heard, then allow me to be the bearer of bad news. Health care giant Anthem, just got hacked…big time. Over 80,000,000 (count the zeros) current AND past customers are at risk. And this isn’t your run of the mill hack. This is the holy grail of a hack. Victims, which by the way could include yours truly, face a lifetime of risk.
Yes, since the data breach includes social security numbers and dates of birth, criminals can open credit in your name anytime they want. If they had simply stolen your debit card or credit card number, then you would just get a new card. But in this instance, they stole the skeleton key to your credit. Bad people can apply for credit in your name, whenever they want, for as long as you’re alive.

Am I being a bit of an alarmist? Not really. What I’ve just described is 1,000 times worse than the Target and Home Depot breaches combined. Your social security number doesn’t change. Your date of birth doesn’t change. Those are the two primary means of creating a gateway to your credit.
I gotta be honest, I’m more than concerned. I’ve decided to freeze my credit. Yep, you can freeze your credit and prevent ne’er do wells from accessing your credit. It’s simple. You need to contact each of the three credit bureaus, and ask them to freeze your credit. In doing so, you will restrict access to your credit for anyone, including yourself, until you lift the freeze.
I would not waste anytime here. Freezing your credit will not affect your current credit lines. It simply prevents new credit from being established. If you are are a current or past customer of Anthem, it is my strong recommendation that you do it as soon as humanly possible.
Here are five additional ways to avoid identity theft. It’s a must read.
Contact each of the nationwide credit reporting companies:
• Equifax — 1 800 525 6285 or online
• Experian —1 888 397 3742 or online
• TransUnion — 1 800 680 7289 or online
For more information and some FAQs, checkout the info here at the FTC website.
Still worried about protecting your identity? Sign up for our free newsletter at the top of this page and we’ll send you more best practices for protecting yourself.

Behind National Wear Red Day^®

• Why is red the color of our cause? Because it’s the color of our hearts. Find out more about the history of Wear Red Day.

In this issue:

• Heartfelt Advice
• Lowdown on Body Fat
• Serious Exercise for Homebodies
• Care for Your Rotator Cuff
• Goodbye Tobacco, For Good
• Tips for Executive Meetings
• Ways to Feel More Accomplished
• Why Do You Procrastinate
• Buying Your First Stock
• Can You Have Good Debt
• Beware of Financial Aid Scams
• Preventing Mold
• It’s Cold Outside: Stay Warm
• Calling All Cell Phones
• Secrets Of Organic Food Labeling

ENJOY YOUR MEAL MINDFULLY…
and show anxiety the door

Your brain and your gut are intimately connected; in fact, our GI (gastrointestinal) tract, like the brain in your head, is packed with neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine – which is why the gut is often referred to as “the second brain.” Too much stress and anxiety can upset the balance of bacteria in our guy, which contributes to the IBS-type problems that many of us are familiar with when we feel like we’re under the gun. And when coritsol, our primary stress hormone, goes into overdrive, that actually promotes fat gain around the middle, the last thing we want. If a stressed-out brain can make life miserable for the belly by upsetting digestion and adding on pounds, the good news is that with a little training, you can use your mind to help heal the damage.

A good place to start is with mindful eating. When we eat mindfully, we give the “cephalic” (from the Greek, “in the head”) digestion system the time it needs to properly digest food without irritation or inflammation, engaging with your body’s inner sense of satiety or fullness, and spacing meals so that the guy has time to cleanse itself and prepare for the next intake of food (no more “grazing” throughout the day!) One of my favorite mindfulness practices does double-duty, lowering stress hormone levels (which can wreak havoc on digestion) and trains you to focus on the slow, sensual experience of eating and really tasting (in great detail) your food. It’s also a simple technique that you can do at any meal, to support appetite control by giving your satiety hormones the time they need to kick in and curb over-eating. Here’s how:
1. Take three relaxing breaths
2. Engage your senses: Think about and acknowledge your food
3. Eyes (look at your food)
4. Nose (take in the aromas)
5. Mouth (chew your food thoroughly)
6. Rest your hands in your lap every few bites and breathe again