Is Mobile Banking Safe???

With banking services no longer confined to in-branch facilities, we can now access our accounts by telephone, online, and more recently by mobile phone. Although the convenience this provides us makes it an attractive option, it may also have safety implications.

How does it work?

Mobile phone banking can allow you to access your current account in two princi
ple ways.

• By receiving text message alerts. Some banks will send you free text messages which are designed to alert you to different aspects of your account. For example, you can request to be sent an alert if you are nearing your overdraft limit, or to be notified of your weekly balance. Other banks offer this useful current account facility but currently charge for the privilege.
• By enabling you to transfer and manage your money. Some banks offer more than just text message alerts, and allow you to actively manage your money from your mobile. Your phone must be able to access the internet, and you’ll usually have to download software that will connect you to the service. When you have done this, however, you’ll be able to check that payments have been made successfully and even move money between accounts, just as you would with regular online banking.

What are the potential safety hazards?

One thing to consider is that when using your mobile phone to connect to the internet you are opening up the possibility of viruses or hackers being able to access your phone, just as when using a computer to connect to the internet. Therefore your personal information and even your banking details could be at risk when used in transactions between your phone and a wi-fi internet network.
Additionally, by using your mobile phone to type in passwords, PIN codes and other sensitive data, you could potentially be exposing yourself to the risk of others seeing that data, just as with typing your PIN at a cash machine or at a checkout.
There is of course also always the danger that someone could steal your mobile phone and thereby access files and data that are stored on it – particularly if it is not properly security-protected.

How can I make mobile banking safe?

Anti-virus software
Just as you would protect your computer from external risks with anti-virus software, you can do the same with your mobile phone. This is particularly important if you intend to use your phone to regularly connect to the internet to check your bank balance or make money transfers.
It is recommended that you buy an anti-virus software pack such as those available from Norton or Kaspersky, as these will be able to delete spam messages and block malware from entering your phone.
Stick with text message alerts
If you would like to use your phone for mobile banking but are worried about the security implications, you can reduce the risk by only using text message alerts. As these are simply texts sent to you from your bank as with any other messages you might receive, there is next to no risk of fraudsters being able to access your information.
The data that is sent to you in these texts is not enough for fraudsters to access your bank account should your phone be stolen, and information about your account won’t be stored on your phone, making this the safest form of mobile banking.
Lock your phone
To greatly decrease the risk to your phone with minimal effort, you can set up a PIN code to lock your phone. This should be available from the security section of your phone’s menu, and allows you to protect your phone with a unique pass number. It’s advisable not to use the same PIN that you use for your bank account, as this could be stolen in other ways.
When you have PIN-protected your phone you’ll be asked for this number every time you switch your phone on, meaning nobody will be able to access your data without the unique code. You can further protect your phone by making sure not to store any sensitive data on your SIM or on your phone such as your internet banking username or password.
Don’t fall for spam
Although investing in anti-virus software is a good step towards reducing the risk of spam messages as these will often be automatically deleted, remember never to download attachments from unknown senders on to your phone.
Also, remember that your bank will never ask you to provide your security details via email, so if you receive a message asking you to do this, mark it as spam and send it to your junk folder. See our guide on phishing for more information on how to protect your personal information online.

Tip Ironing

Ironing actually begin in the washer and dryer

• Your washer and dryer can work to eliminate wrinkles before you even plug in the iron. Always refer first to specific washing and drying instructions on garment care labels.
• Wash synthetics made of nylon, polyester and acrylic and washable woolens in hot or warm water using a permanent-press cycle to help remove and reduce wrinkles.
• Wash bright colors and lightly soiled fabrics in cold water to minimize washer wrinkling (and save hot water).
• Shake out items taken from the washer before placing them in the dryer to prevent them from balling up and wrinkling.
• While LG dryers have very large capacity, you should avoid overloading — it prevents proper tumbling, causing clothes to dry slower and wrinkle.
• Don't over dry clothes — this not only causes them to shrink, but increases static cling. Excessive heat can also set wrinkles.
• Hang up or fold clothes immediately after removing them from the dryer. If you leave them in a heap, they will wrinkle.

Recovering After Pregnancy

Getting rest

The first few days at home after having your baby are a time for rest and recovery — physically and emotionally. You need to focus your energy on yourself and on getting to know your new baby. Even though you may be very excited and have requests for lots of visits from family and friends, try to limit visitors and get as much rest as possible. Don't expect to keep your house perfect. You may find that all you can do is eat, sleep, and care for your baby. And that is perfectly okay. Learn to pace yourself from the first day that you arrive back home. Try to lie down or nap while the baby naps. Don't try to do too much around the house. Allow others to help you and don't be afraid to ask for help with cleaning, laundry, meals, or with caring for the baby.

Physical changes

After the birth of your baby, your doctor will talk with you about things you will experience as your body starts to recover.

• You will have vaginal discharge called lochia (LOH-kee-uh). It is the tissue and blood that lined your uterus during pregnancy. It is heavy and bright red at first, becoming lighter in flow and color until it goes aware after a few weeks.
• You might also have swelling in your legs and feet. You can reduce swelling by keeping your feet elevated when possible.
• You might feel constipated. Try to drink plenty of water and eat fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Menstrual-like cramping is common, especially if you are breastfeeding. Your breast milk will come in within three to six days after your delivery. Even if you are not breastfeeding, you can have milk leaking from your nipples, and your breasts might feel full, tender, or uncomfortable.
• Follow your doctor's instructions on how much activity, like climbing stairs or walking, you can do for the next few weeks.

Your doctor will check your recovery at your postpartum visit, about six weeks after birth. Ask about resuming normal activities, as well as eating and fitness plans to help you return to a healthy weight. Also ask our doctor about having sex and birth control. Your period could return in six to eight weeks, or sooner if you do not breastfeed. If you breastfeed, your period might not resume for many months. Still, using reliable birth control is the best way to prevent pregnancy until you want to have another baby.

Some women develop thyroid problems in the first year after giving birth. This is called postpartum thyroiditis (theye-royd-EYET-uhss). It often begins with overactive thyroid, which lasts two to four months. Most women then develop symptoms of an underactive thyroid, which can last up to a year. Thyroid problems are easy to overlook as many symptoms, such as fatigue, sleep problems, low energy, and changes in weight, are common after having a baby. Talk to your doctor if you have symptoms that do not go away. An underactive thyroid needs to be treated. In most cases, thyroid function returns to normal as the thyroid heals. But some women develop permanent underactive thyroid disease, called Hashimoto's disease, and need lifelong treatment.

Regaining a healthy weight and shape

Both pregnancy and labor can affect a woman's body. After giving birth you will lose about 10 pounds right away and a little more as body fluid levels decrease. Don't expect or try to lose additional pregnancy weight right away. Gradual weight loss over several months is the safest way, especially if you are breastfeeding. Nursing mothers can safely lose a moderate amount of weight without affecting their milk supply or their babies’ growth.
A healthy eating plan along with regular physical fitness might be all you need to return to a healthy weight. If you are not losing weight or losing weight too slowly, cut back on foods with added sugars and fats, like soft drinks, desserts, fried foods, fatty meats, and alcohol. Keep in mind, nursing mothers should avoid alcohol. By cutting back on “extras,” you can focus on healthy, well-balanced food choices that will keep your energy level up and help you get the nutrients you and your baby need for good health. Make sure to talk to your doctor before you start any type of diet or exercise plan.

Be Debt Free???

Are you in debt? Do you want to be debt free? Do you think that being debt free is getting to be too hard for you or is impossible? Well, maybe this guide will help you.

1. Assess your problems. If you are in debt, figure out how much money you owe. Who do you owe it to? Is it the bank, a car dealership, or simply a friend that you lost a bet to? If it is just $0-100.00's look for a job to work and as soon as you get your paycheck, pay-up your debts. If it is a little bit more, keep working until you have worked it all off. If you need more than a few hundred dollars, you can either work it off, go to step two, or both! If you are deep in debt, you may need help. Churches and economic assistance will have information of where you can go.
2. Change your behavior. If your debt is a result of overspending (for example, you buy mass quantities of everything and/or buy things that you want, but are not necessary for living), do some budget planning. Get a friend who can save and doesn't have the spending habit. Bring him/her along when you need to purchase something. That person will be able to provide some advice to you.
3. Itemize your highest interest debts (generally credit cards, then car payment, then mortgage, etc.) and make minimal payments on everything but one, which you choose to pay off first. If one debt has much higher interest rate, pay that off first (This is called "Laddering", and may be more cost effective). If interest rates are similar for your debts, pay off the one with the lowest balance first ("Reverse Laddering"). This will allow you see your progress faster, and will make you feel good after each smaller debt is payed off. Review your finances thoroughly, crunch the numbers, and see which method would be the most effective for your situation.
4. After debt 1 is paid off, put the payment amount that you used to get it paid off in record time into the next highest interest (or lowest balance) debt, and so on. The new extra money that you put forth into the next debts is called your accelerator margin and you continually build it. Those of you who own Transforming Debt into Wealth know exactly what I mean. You are compounding the money that you are using to pay off your debts. These two steps are IT in a nutshell...except it assumes you have some cash flow.  
5. Prevent debt. Every paycheck, put aside some money for bills, food, and other needed necessities of living, and some money aside to save. Also put aside a little money for non-necessities; it is important to be able to buy things you want without going into debt. Keep saving money, and paying off bills so that you can pay off your debt.
6. Starting without a plan makes the job of getting out of debt so much harder and so its probably helpful to have some form of a guide
   

How to take care of your favorit leather bag

Treated well, a leather handbag can last forever.  Most higher-end leather bags are not treated.  This allows the bags to age gracefully with the character expected from an expensive bag, making them distinct and unique.  So, here are a few tips from MMC Style to help you care for your special handbag.

1. Look after your bag and store it in its dust bag cover or use a natural fiber soft pillow cover.  Never use a plastic bag.
2. Stuff your seasonal bags with your soft-knit scarves or gloves, but make sure to not overstuff the bag.
3. If the weather is really bad and raining, consider using a less special handbag.
4. Keep your cometic products and pens in pouches inside the bag to avoid any staining.
5. Handle your bag with clean hands.
6. Avoid handling the special bag after applying beauty products, face foundations or hand creams.
7. Apply a good quality leather protector spray to clean dry leather.  This can keep the leather from drying out and cracking over time.  It will also reduce the tendency of the leather to stain.
8. Clean your bag if it gets dirty by simply wiping it with a soft, damp cloth.
9. Avoid using a leather cleaner that contains oils to clean natural leather (leather that is dyed rather than painted), as cleaning oils can trap moisture and dirt, staining the leather.  Ink marks, grease and oil stains are unfortunately not removable and should be left alone.
10. If the bag is stained, take it to a professional leather cleaner who will have the expertise to remove the stain.

Wishing you many happy times with your special leather bag,

How to Caring of Your Shoes

 

Emergency Measures and Long-Term Care for Shoes:
Shoe trees: Shoe trees are crucial. They allow your recently worn shoes to contract and dry out to their ideal shape — but only if you choose the less decorative unvarnished ones. Varnished trees look posh, but they don't properly draw moisture — i.e., sweat — out of the leather. Top marks go to unfinished cedar models with a split toe and a fully shaped heel: These ensure the closest possible fit between shoe and tree. Also, there's no need to own a pair of trees for each pair of shoes. The vital time for using them is the hour or two after you have removed the shoes from your feet. After that, the shoes will have returned to their natural architecture and the trees can be removed.
Repair work: Invest as much care in choosing a cobbler to resole or reheel your shoes as you did in repurchasing them. And to prevent permanent damage (or, at least, the outrageous repair costs), have all work done before it's absolutely necessary.
Suede: Suede shoes are in a category of their own, since you cannot polish away any scuff marks. Use a suede eraser (basically a brick of crumbly rubber) to rub away small blemishes. Then use a suede brush to restore the nap, or fuzz, of the leather.
Wet shoes: Stuff soaking-wet shoes with newspaper and dry them away from direct heat. Direct heat can dry the leather too fast, causing it to crack — and once that happens, nothing can save your shoes.
Salt stains: The traditional remedy for road-salt stains is a little vinegar and water, applied sparingly.

What to Do When You're Soaking F**king Wet:
You were caught in a downpour on your way home from work. Act fast and do as follows.
Stuff your shoes with crumpled-up newspaper and dry slowly, away from direct heat. Before they're entirely dry, insert cedar shoe trees to make sure they dry out evenly and maintain their shape.

What to Do About Smelly Shoes:
Prevention: Wash your feet more often and wash your socks even more often, and don't wear the same pair of shoes every day. (Ideally, have three interchangeable pairs of dress shoes.) Also, try inserting unvarnished cedar shoe trees into just-removed shoes. They'll absorb perspiration, deodorize the shoes, and straighten them out after daily wear.
Cure: Change your insoles, or better, take your shoes to a cobbler to have the insoles replaced. Beyond that, contact your local exorcist.

How to Polish a Shoe:
1. Wipe your shoes down with a damp cloth to remove superficial dirt and stains.
2. Wet the welt brush and scrub out the entire welt strip.
3. If the shoes need it, apply sole-edge dressing — carefully. If you get it on the uppers, it will stain them permanently. Let edge dressing dry before going any further.
4. Apply polish, using a circular rubbing motion. You don't need to slather it on. You don't need to be gentle. And the more you rub, the better. Let the polish dry. It should take about five minutes.
5. Buff the entire shoe with a polishing brush. For extra gleam, hold the shoe between your knees and buff the toe vigorously with a lint-free cloth.

Polishing: The Materials:
You'll need the right tools — just a few, but each with a crucial purpose.
Shoe polish: Kiwi wax-based polish is as good a brand as any other. (Cream polishes, applied with a brush, may be easier to use, but they won't give you the same shine.) And you don't need every color under the sun. Black, of course; a chestnut or darker brown; and something middling or neutral for light-colored shoes.
Welt brush: Looks like a toothbrush (and you can use one in its place). It's designed to get the grit out of the welt, the seam where the shoe's upper joins the sole. You'd be amazed how much dirt gets in there.
Polishing cloth: In lint-free cotton or linen. Use the same one for putting on the polish that you use for buffing, regardless of the color you're using. And hang on to it: The longer you use the same cloth, the more it becomes suffused with rich oils and dyes.
Polishing brush: To get the high shine out of the shoe once you've got all that wax into the leather. Horsehair is recommended.
Sole dressing: The edge of the sole takes a scuffing from doorjambs and sidewalks. Restore the pristine look of your shoes with an edge dressing, applied with a small craft brush or a cotton swab.

How to Whiten Your Shoes:
Leather sneaker:
For scuff marks, try swabbing with nail-polish remover and then wiping clean. If the whole shoe starts yellowing or darkening, spray with a 50/50 mixture of water and lemon juice and let sit in the sun for a full day.
Canvas sneaker:
The 50/50 mixture of water and lemon juice works for canvas, too, but for more serious stains, mix a tablespoon of baking soda with a touch of water and rub the sticky paste onto the offending spots. Wipe dry. Or try a whitening polish like Hollywood Sani-White.
Leather shoe:
For lighter scuff marks, lightly rub a pencil eraser against the area. Still dirty? Hollywood Sani-White and similar polishes work, too. But if the shoes were never white to begin with, try slapping on a fresh coat of matte white latex paint.

Shoes as Investments:
Cheap shoes are a false bargain. They're made of glue, rubber, and low-grade leather, which often bears scars from shrubs, trees, and barbed wire (the normal hazards of bovine life), and which is rejected out of hand by reputable shoemakers. Good shoes begin with great leather, period. Be prepared to pay for it. Of course, once you have invested your hard-earned cash in a quality pair, you're going to want to hang on to them. Put a little time and effort into looking after them and they'll last longer than any three pairs of cheap clodhoppers.

Best Bags 2013

June 18 marks one of the best retail holidays of the year: National Splurge Day. And with all the beautiful bags available for Spring 2013, we can't think of a better way to spend this day than looking through the dizzying array of colors and shapes, varying from sleek and simple to festooned with appliqués and visual effects. Mulberry's Willow bag, for example, has a minimal shape that nonetheless makes a bright splash in mint green, while Sophia Webster's Azealia Striped Python Clutch explodes with a variety of candy hues.