Consumer and Finances

Eversource: You Can Make Upgrades to Your Home That Save Energy, Cutting Longterm Costs

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You don’t have to sacrifice comfort and energy savings to preserve the history of their New England home — there are a variety of upgrades that can save money and provide modern comforts without impacting the classic charm. — Enoch Lenge is Eversource’s energy efficiency spokesman. This post on his blog is on the Eversource website. If you’re a homeowner or renter looking to make updates, here are some common problems and solutions to keep in mind:

Increasing natural light in your home has actual health benefits such as boosting your mood, aiding in healthy eye development, giving you more energy and making you feel well-rested. Natural light can also save energy and make a room feel spacious.

Consumer and Finances
Jewelry Appraisal Appraising Appraiser Rago Arts & Auction Center Bruce Museum

Jewelry Appraisal Day at the Bruce Museum on Saturday, Feb 16

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Do you have a piece of heirloom jewelry tucked away at home or other valuables just sitting in a safe deposit box? Find out their current value by meeting with an expert appraiser from Rago Arts & Auction Center at a special evaluation day for fine, antique, and heirloom jewelry  on Saturday, Feb. 16, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Bruce Museum in Greenwich

— This article previously was published by GreenwichFreePress.com. Heading up the complimentary appraisals for Rago will be Katherine Van Dell, Jewelry Director, and Jennifer Pitman, Rago’s senior account manager for Connecticut and Westchester. To make an appointment for an appraisal, contact Jennifer at 917-745-2730 or jenny@ragoarts.com.

Consumer and Finances
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Get Help With Your Taxes From IRS Certified Volunteers at Darien Library

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IRS-certified, trained AARP volunteer tax aides are available to local residents of all ages and incomes at no charge at Darien Library. The nation’s largest, free, volunteer-run tax assistance and preparation service is available to all individual filers regardless of income or age. Started in 1968 and, since 1980, this service has operated under a cooperative agreement with the Internal Revenue Service. — an announcement from Darien Library

For more information or to make an appointment, please call 203-669-5236. The volunteers are scheduled to be in the Conference Room at Darien Library for appointments from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Fridays and from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturdays through April 13.

Consumer and Finances
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Eversource Has These Tips to Avoid Becoming a Victim of Scammers

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The New Year is in full swing and so are scams targeting utility customers across the country and right here in Connecticut. Already this year, customers in many towns around the state have been approached by scammers, either on the phone or at their door. — an announcement from Eversource

To warn customers, Eversource andBetter Business Bureau Serving Connecticut are teaming up to ensure that people know the telltale signs of scams, so they can avoid becoming a victim. “The scammers, often sounding legitimate and quite convincing, threaten to shut off electric service immediately unless instant payment is made,” said Eversource Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer Penni Conner. “These scammers can be relentless but they’re only successful if they catch our customers off-guard and scare them into making a payment,” she said.  “We remind customers, if something doesn’t sound right or feel right, trust your gut, and don’t pay.”

With the increase in scams across the country, BBB offers ScamTracker which is a national tracking system that provides up-to-date information on the latest scams.

The tool allows consumers to submit scam reports and see what scams are happening right in their backyard.

Consumer and Finances
Cash seized in drug arrest Norwalk

Federal Workers Not Getting Wages Now Can Get Help from Darien Town Government

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First Selectman Jayme Stevenson announced Thursday that the town government of Darien is prepared to assist Darien residents who are affected by the Federal government shutdown. “We understand how difficult the federal government shutdown is on the families of workers who, in some cases, must report to work but are not receiving paychecks,” Stevenson said in a news release Thursday morning.“Please contact the Darien Human Services Department at (203) 656-7328 for assistance.”

— an announcement from the First Selectman’s Office

In addition, Gov. Ned Lamont announced yesterday that a public-private partnership between the state government of Connecticut and private banks, led by Webster Bank and supported by the Connecticut Bankers Association, will enable essential federal workers who are required to report to work without pay to receive unemployment assistance. In addition, he is working with legislative leadership to emergency certify a bill that would ensure Connecticut is able to take advantage of any decision by the federal government to permit essential workers to collect earned unemployment insurance benefits. Lastly, Gov. Lamont urged non-essential employees, who are not required to report to work, to access state unemployment benefits by contacting the Connecticut Department of Labor or their local American Job Center.

Consumer and Finances

FTC: Don’t Get Fooled by the Netflix Phishing Scam

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Scammers use your information to steal your money, your identity, or both. Scammers often use familiar company names or pretend to be someone you know. Here’s a real world example featuring Netflix. — This article originally was published on the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Information blog. Colleen Tressler is a consumer education specialist with the FTC. Police in Ohio shared a screenshot of a phishing email designed to steal personal information.

Consumer and Finances
Guilty of Food Waste KleinKitchenAndBath.com publicity image

Just How Much Food Do We Throw Away? In CT, $800+ a Year: Ways To Do Better

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If you want to help the environment by reducing waste, reducing the amount of food and food scraps you throw out is a big component. According to a recent survey, if you could avoid toss out the average amount for a Connecticut household, that amounts to $873 a year, or over a fifth (21 percent) of what the normal household spends — you’d save money you could spend on yourself or others. Joining the new Darien Food Scrap Recycling Program is one way to do it. In addition to that (or instead of it, if food scrap recycling is one additional task too many for you), just knowing when you don’t really have to throw out food may help you cut down on the amount. (In this article we’ve included information from experts about how safe it is to keep certain food refrigerated.)

A survey of how much food we throw out, broken down by state, was paid for by New York City-based Klein Kitchen & Bath, a remodel and design firm.

Consumer and Finances

Concerned About Porch Pirates Pilfering Packages from Your Place? Police Provide These Pointers

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Darien police recently asked the public if they can identify a man caught on camera this past weekend and suspected of stealing a package left in front of a home on Hollow Tree Ridge Road. The problem of “porch pilfering” is longstanding, goes well beyond Darien and could always get worse as the convenient practice of ordering items online and getting home deliveries increases. Here’s some advice. Greenwich Police Department posted these tips on preventing porch piracy Wednesday on Facebook: (with information we’ve added on two places we know of in Darien, besides the Post Office, that will hold packages for you):

Porch pirates are thieves who drive through residential neighborhoods checking front porches for packages that have been delivered but not yet retrieved by their rightful owners. There are several things you can do to prevent it from happening to you:

1 – If possible, have your packages delivered to your workplace instead of your home.

Consumer and Finances
Police

Police: Mailing a Check for Almost $900 From His Mailbox Proved Risky for Hoyt St Man

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A resident of Hoyt Street, between Echo Drive and Briar Brae Road made out a personal check for $896.63 to pay a bill and put the check in an envelope which went into his mailbox for pickup. The check, and eventually the money, went into a thieve’s pocket. The man told Darien police on Nov. 29 that he had mailed or tried to mail the check in late October. Just before calling police on Nov.

Consumer and Finances
Govt image from FTC Video What to do After a Data Breach

FTC: You’re Vulnerable to a Massive Data Breach If You Stayed at Any of These Hotels from 2014 to Last Sept

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Editor’s note: If you stayed at Marriott International’s Starwood brand hotels, including W Hotels, St. Regis, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, Westin Hotels & Resorts, Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts, and other hotel and timeshare properties, the personal information you gave to the hotel is vulnerable to the recent massive data breach involving as many as 500 million customers. That’s what the Federal Trade Commission recently said about the data breach. Here’s the kind of information that might have been stolen: “According to Marriott, the hackers accessed people’s names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, passport numbers, dates of birth, gender, Starwood loyalty program account information, and reservation information. For some, they also stole payment card numbers and expiration dates.”

Consumer and Finances
Christmas tree lights Eversource

Be Safe, Save Energy, Save Money: Christmas Outdoor Lighting Tips from Eversource

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As the holiday season gets into full swing, homes and neighborhoods are beginning to brighten with lighting displays, Eversource is reminding customers about ways to get into the holiday spirit while conserving energy, saving money and staying safe. — an announcement from Eversource

“Amid all the festivities, we don’t want our customers to miss out on energy savings that are better spent on their family than the energy bill,” said Penni Conner, Eversource senior vice president and chief customer officer. Save Money, Save Energy
Customers can save money and protect the planet by replacing traditional incandescent lights with an energy-efficient light-emitting diode, or LED, holiday decoration. Not only do LEDs use 80 percent less energy than conventional bulbs, they’re also brighter, eco-friendlier and safer, as they are much cooler than incandescent lights. Also, be sure to check for rebates at the ENERGY STAR rebate finder.

Consumer and Finances
Clothes shopping 2007 Macy's by Phil Whitehouse on Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Shopping_at_Macy%27s_(2111009785).jpg

Some Holiday Shopping Tips from the Federal Trade Commission, Better Business Bureau

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The gift-giving season is just around the corner, and the gift-buying season starts, oh, any minute now. The Federal Trade Commission have some earlys gift for you — tips to help you shop wisely and protect your personal information. — This article (above the line near the middle) comes from a recent post on the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Information blog. Colleen Tressler, the author, is a consumer education specialist at the FTC. The rest of the article (below the line) is from the Better Business Bureau.

Consumer and Finances
Family Emergency Scams

FTC: Here’s One Kind of Fraud to Warn Your Relatives About This Thanksgiving

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Whether it’s a spare can of cranberry sauce or an extra turkey platter, thoughtful Thanksgiving hosts make contingency plans for the holiday. This year, if the dinner discussion veers into controversial territory — like the pumpkin pie vs. pecan pie debate — here’s a suggested topic of conversation you can have at the ready. — This article is from a post by Lesley Fair on the Federal Trade Commission’s Consumer Information blog. Fair is an attorney in the FTC Division of Consumer and Business Education.

Consumer and Finances
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How to Avoid Job Scams During the Holiday Season

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Are you among the many people who look for seasonal work over the holidays? The National Retail Federation predicts that retailers could add as many as 650,000 new temporary positions over the 2018 winter holiday season. Many consumers are scrambling to apply but some of those postings may not even be real. During the holiday season, scammers look to take advantage of those seeking temporary work. In 2017, over 2,400 employment scams were reported to BBB Scam Tracker. — an announcement from the Better Business Bureau

According to the BBB Risk Index, the employment scam is the third riskiest scam for all consumers.

Consumer and Finances
Trinity College 910-2-16

If ‘The College Board’ Wants Your Credit Card Number by Phone or Email — Hang Up/Don’t Reply

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Recently, the Federal Trade Commission staff heard about scams targeting parents of high school students preparing for college. The scammers claim to be from The College Board — the organization responsible for the PSAT and SAT tests. — Ari Lazarus is a consumer education specialist at the Federal Trade Commission. This article is from a blog post at the FTC’s Consumer Education blog. They call or email you, asking for credit card numbers so they can send PSAT prep materials that the student has supposedly requested.