The Scoop on Fraud Alerts

The May Cover Story ("Watch Out! What You Can Do to Protect Yourself Against Fraud and Identity Theft") says that you may have a fraud alert placed on your credit report for seven years. How is this done? When I contacted Equifax, their Web site indicated that a fraud alert is free for 30 days and then requires a payment.

Judi and Rollie Myers
Dewey, Arizona

Editor--All three major credit bureaus--Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion--will place verified identity theft victims into seven-year fraud alert programs. For those who suspect credit fraud, systems vary. Equifax offers a six-month fraud alert, Experian issues a temporary 90-day security alert, and TransUnion provides a one-year alert. All short- and long-term alerts are free and cause victims to be automatically opted out of pre-approved credit offers for two years. The three bureaus began an initiative in April 2003 to share information on fraud alerts. Eventually, contacting one credit bureau will result in credit fraud protection from all three bureaus. Thanks to editorial intern Cheryl Ross for digging into the matter.

Contributions

Jack Spindler, who is featured on page 14, is a great example of how NEA-Retired members can influence the public by working with the media. Spindler, a former local president in Fort Wayne, Indiana, wrote an op-ed piece for his local newspaper calling for reforms in prescription drug pricing. The newspaper later featured him in a staff-written account on this issue.

Don't underestimate your ability to contribute to the public debate on critical issues. You have insightful and passionate things to say about everything from the nation's health care crisis to proposals to "reform" public education. (After all, who better to comment on public schools than those who have given their career to them?)

This Active Life wants to serve as a forum for members to express their issues and concerns. We'd like to hear more from you. In particular:

• Write a Letter to the Editor to comment on--or take issue with--something you read in the magazine.
  You can also write us about your opinion about education topics that may not be directly covered in the magazine, such as school reform.
• Suggest names of NEA-Retired members in your community or state whose activism or hobbies merit mention in the People section or other pages.
• Tell us about notable accomplishments in your local that stem from Retired and Active members working together in concert.

We'd especially appreciate hearing from you over the next month if you'd like to contribute to three upcoming stories:

• Mentoring. What kinds of experiences have you had mentoring younger members as they enter and proceed through the teaching and ESP ranks? What have you--and your mentees--learned from the experience?
• Grandparenting. Many grandparents are playing a role raising grandchildren. What are the joys and pitfalls of this arrangement? How has it altered your ideas about life in retirement?
• Getting Your Finances in Order. What tips can you offer on getting your financial life in order? What ways have you found to cut expenses and stick to your budget?

Please send your ideas to John O'Neil, Editor, This Active Life, NEA Communications, 1201 16th St., N.W., Washington, DC 20036; 202/822-7223; joneil@nea.org.

NewsFlashes

Don't Call on Me
Some relief in the offing this month for Americans badgered by pesky telemarketers. Beginning July 1, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) launches a national "Do Not Call" list to protect consumers from nuisance calls. All telemarketers (with a few notable exceptions) will be required to purchase the registry and will be fined if they call a number on the list. Your name will remain in the registry for five years. The FTC had not finalized the list rollout at press time, so check www.ftc.org/donotcall for details on when telephone users in your region may sign up for the service. More good news: the FTC's rules also force telemarketers to take new steps to cut down annoying hangups that result from their automated dialing systems.

Social Security's Good News
The annual report issued recently by Social Security trustees contained good news--though you had to dig to find it. The Administration's press release provided this spin: "Social Security Not Sustainable for the Long Term." But as Fred Brock of the New York Times astutely pointed out, the report actually extended two key deadlines often cited as evidence of Social Security's dim prospects. Social Security now expects tax revenues to fall below expenses in 2017, and it predicts that the Social Security Trust Fund will be depleted in 2042. The trustees' report in 1995 had predicted the fund would be depleted in 2030. An increase in Social Security taxes of under two percent, split between employers and workers, could eliminate the gap, Brock writes. As Election 2004 approaches, expect much more spinning about the real status of Social Security as Democrats and Republicans craft competing proposals. You can get the straight scoop on Social Security from the National Commission to Preserve Social Security and Medicare (800/966-1935; www.ncpssm.org).