Wise tips for 2009 —- or for any year

With the new year approaching and resolutions in the making, consumer and health experts said there’s much that people can do to help protect themselves and their money in 2009. Here are some of their tips:

> Be wary of businesses failing. As the economy worsens, think twice about things you pay for in advance —- such as gift cards, service contracts and other long-term arrangements, said Shawn Conroy, a spokesman for the Governor’s Office of Consumer Affairs.

“What happens if the company goes out of business?” he said. “We have seen that with gift cards. We’ve seen it with warranties and with tire [replacement] programs, where the dealer closes and the warranty may not be worth the paper it’s on if the dealer goes under.”

If you received gift cards during the holidays —- don’t wait to use them.

> Look out for drug reactions. If you develop a new symptom when taking a prescription drug —- assume it could be a side effect and not your illness, said Dr. Sidney Wolfe, director of the Public Citizen’s Health Research Group.

Be especially suspicious of symptoms such as depression, hallucinations, involuntary movements, dizziness, falls, loss of appetite, nausea and diarrhea, the group warns.

Public Citizen often warns about dangerous drugs long before the Food and Drug Administration takes action. Their site, www.worstpills.org, provides independent, expert information on more than 600 best-selling drugs —- including more than 200 they recommend patients not use under any circumstances. Some information is available for free. A subscription, which costs $15 a year, provides full access to their database of drug information and suggestions of safer alternatives, monthly newsletters and alerts about new dangers.

> Guard personal information. “During times of economic distress there are going to be even more scam artists out there trying to steal your information,” Conroy said. Beware of e-mails, phone calls and people going through your garbage seeking information to steal your identity.

Invest in a shredder, advise officials at the Better Business Bureau serving metro Atlanta, Athens and northeast Georgia. Make sure all information with personal bank account, credit card account or any other type of personal information is shredded.

And don’t give out personal information or Social Security numbers to unknown companies that may call or e-mail. Recent schemes involved e-mails purporting to be from the Internal Revenue Service and the Social Security Administration.

> Check credit reports. Now more than ever it’s important to make sure your credit reports are accurate, experts said. Consumers nationwide are entitled to free copies of their reports at least once every 12 months from each of the three major credit reporting firms: Equifax, TransUnion and Experian. Georgia residents are entitled to copies twice a year. Go to www.annualcreditreport.com, or call 1-877-322-8228.

Be sure to type the Web address correctly, warns the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. Imposter sites have similar addresses and provide free reports only if you purchase other products. Better yet, the agency suggests going through their site: www.ftc.gov/bcp/menus/consumer/credit/rights.shtm.

Look for any credit report errors and dispute them in writing. Make sure that closed accounts are listed as closed and that all the information is about you. Most negative information, such as about late payments, can remain in your records for seven years, bankruptcies for 10 years.

> Consider a freeze. Make it difficult for identity thieves to open lines of credit in your name by putting a freeze on your credit information. With a freeze in place, the consumer must provide a password to the credit reporting agencies to allow access to their files by credit card companies and other lenders. For more information on how to do this and your rights under a new Georgia law, go to www.consumered.com/news/creditfreezelaw.aspx or call the Governor’s Office of Consumer Affairs at 404-651-8600.

> Keep up with recalls. When dangerous products such as baby cribs, appliances, toys and clothing are recalled, the average consumer response rate is just 15 percent to 30 percent, according to Scott Wolfson, a spokesman for the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, meaning many recalled products remain in homes. Consumers can sign up for e-mail alerts on the agency’s Web site, www.cpsc.gov, as well as research whether products they own have been recalled.

For recalls involving products such as food, medications, motor vehicles and boats, go to www.recalls.gov.

> Give wisely. When donating to charity, especially in tough economic times, experts advise giving to groups that will make the best use of your money. Several sources can help: Charity Navigator, www.charitynavigator.org; American Institute of Philanthropy, www.charitywatch.org; and the Better Business Bureau, www.bbb.org/charity. Each group evaluates charities in different ways, and it may be useful to check with more than one site.

> Stop smoking and get active. Obesity and tobacco-related diseases are two of the leading causes of health problems for Americans, said Dr. Casey Chosewood, director of the office of health and safety at the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“You ask folks what health means to them and they don’t usually say ‘not being sick,’ ” Chosewood said. “They say it means being able to play with my grandchildren. Or, I’m able to climb the trail at the park.” Exercise is a key factor not only in preventing disease, but in feeling well, he said.

The CDC recommends most adults each week get at least 150 minutes of moderately intense aerobic exercise —- such as brisk walking, or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise, such as jogging. And it can be done in 10 minute increments here and there. For tips on healthy living, check out: www.cdc.gov/HealthyLiving.

For those who smoke, new and effective treatments are available to help you stop, he said. For free advice and help call the Georgia Tobacco Quit Line at 1-877-270-7867.

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