Consumer Alert
from the NAIC:
Protect Yourself: How to
Maintain Your Privacy
Last year, golf sensation Tiger Woods was the
victim of identity theft. Earlier this year, judges from the Ninth
Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco launched a protest over
the use of software monitoring their Internet use. And last week,
some consumers probably found an “opt-out notice” that had been
misplaced in a pile of bills. While seemingly unrelated, each of
these cases boils down to a matter of privacy. Following are some
tips from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)
to help consumers protect their privacy.
1. Read
the Fine Print July 1,
2001, was the federally mandated deadline for your financial
companies to send you their privacy notices. Your bank, credit card
provider, mortgage company and insurers are required to send you
detailed accounts of how they use your personal information. This
notice may be included in the regular statements you receive from
your financial institutions or may be sent in a special mailing. The
notices describe how you can “opt out” of having your personal
financial information shared with third parties. If you choose not
to opt out, you may be permitting that company to sell or give away
your personal financial information.
2. Take
a Second Look In case you are among the millions of busy Americans who
don’t read every piece of paper that comes in the mail, don’t fear.
You have the right to opt out at any time. If you still have your
notice, it will detail how the institution may share your
information. If you don’t want those facts shared, follow the
opt-out instructions and return the notification. If you have
accidentally tossed your notice, you can request another copy from
the company.
3. Take
Action. All consumers can be informed, active participants in their
financial business. After you’ve taken the required steps to protect
your information, you may still find that you are inundated with
solicitations through the mail, on the telephone or on the Internet.
As a consumer, you may request that other companies also protect
your personal data. The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, http://www.privacyrights.org/,
has sample letters you can download and modify on your home
computer. The letter details how your information is, or is not, to
be used. Not all companies have a legal obligation to comply with
your request; however, it is your right to ask.
4. Prevent
Fraud from Claiming Your Privacy
You are presented the opportunity to
protect your information on a regular
basis. Here are a few quick ways to keep your information
from falling into the
wrong
hands:
• Shred any documents you receive that contain your personal
details before you dispose them, especially if it relates to
credit or debit cards.
• If given a choice, consider not using your
Social Security number as your driver’s license number.
• Review your credit rating annually. If
anything unusual appears, ask questions immediately. Don’t let
inaccurate credit reports go uncorrected.
• If you misplace or lose a credit or debit
card, report it as soon as you notice it’s missing. Don’t assume
you will just stumble upon it later.
5.Get
More Information
Get the latest information on insurance
privacy at www.naic.org/1privacy. If
you
believe your
insurance privacy has been violated, please contact your state
insurance
department, since
your state may have laws that further protect your privacy. You
can
link to your state
insurance department’s Web site by visiting http://www.naic.org/1privacy.
Click on
“State Insurance
Regulators Web Sites,” then click on your state.
This information is
provided by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, a
voluntary organization of the chief insurance regulatory officials
of the 50 states, the District of Columbia and four U.S.
territories. The association’s overriding objective is to protect
consumers and help maintain the financial stability of the insurance
industry.
Here are some links that you might find
informative:
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Privacy Rights
Clearinghouse
The
Privacy Rights Clearinghouse is a nonprofit consumer
information and advocacy program. It offers consumers a unique
opportunity to learn how to protect their personal
privacy. |
 |
Federal
Trade Commission Privacy Alert and FTC Privacy
Initiatives The
FTC’s task is to protect consumer products and alert consumers
when there is a potential danger, physical or monetary, to
consumers. These
links describe the privacy dangers that lurk in the credit
industry and what to do about them and the privacy activities
of the FTC. |
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FirstGov
for Consumers Consumer.gov is a
"one-stop" link to a broad range of federal information
resources. It is
designed so that you can locate information by category --
such as Food, Health, Product Safety, Your Money, and Transportation.
Each category has subcategories to direct you to areas within
individual federal web sites containing related information.
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