Page 10 - Martin Downs Bulletin - July '20

Page 10, Martin Downs

Financial Focus

Protect Yourself Against by scammers, so, if you don’t recognize the name of the messages carefully, you can usually determine if there’s
something off about them. For example, no legitimate
company or group that’s requesting your information, do
Financial Scammers some research to make sure it’s legitimate. business will tell you, via this type of message, that you
• Review your credit reports. As mentioned above, have to “correct your account” by providing additional
By Bryce Buchanan, the fraudulent opening of new accounts is a big source information. And if you do hit the link provided and it
Edward Jones of financial scams. To be sure nobody has opened new takes you to a third-party site, you can be pretty sure it’s
It’s unfortunate but accounts under your name; try to review your credit bogus.
true: During this period of reports at least once a year. You can get them for free at • Resist “act now” offers. If you get an offer via
economic uncertainty, one AnnualCreditReport.com. phone or online urging you to “act immediately” on an
of the busiest “industries” • Follow up on fraud. If you’ve already been victimized investment opportunity, discontinue the communication.
has been financial by having new accounts opened in your name, contact one No reputable financial advisor will ever try to force you to
scamming. But it goes on of the three major credit reporting agencies (Experian, take such swift action, and if an investment is legitimate,
even during normal times, Equifax or TransUnion) and place a 90-day fraud alert it will be available tomorrow, next week and next year.
so you’ll want to know on your credit file. • Use your shredder. You probably have the option to
what to look for and how You might also want to file a complaint with the Federal “go paperless” with all your financial services providers,
to defend yourself. Trade Commission, print it out and file it with your local but, if you still do receive paper documents, be sure to
For starters, just how widespread is financial fraud? law enforcement agency. And it’s also a good idea to shred them when they’re no longer needed.
Consider this: In 2019, more than 3.2 million fraud cases contact the fraud department of the financial companies You save and invest for years to help achieve your
were reported to the Federal Trade Commission, with where the thief has opened a fraudulent account in your long-term goals. Don’t let any of your efforts be undone
identity theft being the most common type of fraud, name. by financial fraudsters.
accounting for about one-fifth of the overall cases. And • Be alert for suspicious links. “Phishers” have gotten This article was written by Edward Jones, member
fraudulent new accounts (mortgages, student loans, car quite good at sending out messages that look like they’re SIPC, for use by your local Edward Jones financial
loans and credit cards) amounted to about $3.4 billion in from reputable businesses. But if you examine these advisor.
2018, according to a study by Javelin Strategy & Research.
To prevent yourself from being victimized, consider the
following suggestions. They are certainly not exhaustive, Louis Vuitton Wine?
but they should prove useful.
• Watch out for unsecure websites. Make sure a
website is secure before entering any payment or personal ‘Where Fashion And
information. Look for sites that start with HTTPS, rather
than those with just HTTP, which are not secure and can
be hacked. But even a site with HTTPS can still be used Wine Merge ...’

By Laura Berrio, Perignon, Veuve Clicquot, and Belvedere Vodka, along
Freelance Writer/ with many other “luxury brands.”
Blogger Other fashion companies have followed the same
When I think of Dom path. Ferragamo and Bulgari have vineyards and estates
Perignon, Veuve Clicquot, in Southern Tuscany. One of the Guess brothers, who
and French wine, I picture cofounded the company, has a 55-acre Napa vineyard and
a small family-owned winery. Chanel bought St. Supery vineyard and winery in
business with fields of old Napa.
vine grapes. In reality you With all of these “luxury” brand companies lending
have to look to the fashion their name and efforts to making great wine and
industry to find the owner. Champagne, it has me thinking of other fun potential
Captain’s was established in 1980 servicing Wine and fashion are ventures. …
Palm Beach County and is a privately two of life’s greatest pleasures! What goes better than a • AVEDA could make an organic wine
owned and managed company. glass of wine and a fashion magazine? You don’t have • Rolex could make Champagne to rival Dom Perignon
Captain’s is committed to providing to look far to find brands like Louis Vuitton, Chanel, • YSL could make a wine that has anti-aging beauty
dependable, reliable and professional Ferragamo and Diesel in the wine business!
ground transportation to and from all properties
South Florida Airports and Seaports. PBCVH212 In the past you could buy a Louis Vuitton wine The list is endless, but one thing is for sure, more and
To reserve your vehicle: carrier … but now you can buy their wine and more companies are entering the world of “wine” and
561-798-2180 or 800-634-7890 www.captainsairport.com Champagne to go in them. In 1987 Louis Vuitton and changing our perception of our everyday glass of wine
Moet Hennessy merged and formed LVMH. LVMH to that of a “lifestyle” choice.
now owns over 60 subsidiaries, including Dom ~Cheers!

Palm City Auto rEal EstatE

Lube & Services

Treasure Coast Real Estate Replacing a roof, and what material to use, is often a

The DiTerlizzi Family of Companies Report combination of personal taste and cost. There is no right or
wrong answer.
Composite shingles are normally the least expensive and
Celebrating Our 30th Year Hurricane Season And Rain Prompts clay barrel tile is the most expensive. A metal roof is slightly
Homeowners To Examine Roofs
more than composite shingles and considerably less than either
concrete or clay tile.
By Jim Weix From a purely practical aspect, a metal roof is likely the
.00
$10 off The housing market seems best choice. The cost, design life and durability are far greater
than any other material.
to be recovering nicely after
our “full Service oil Change” the pandemic shutdown. A This was more than obvious if you saw aerial photos of the
Enjoy by 7/31/20. low inventory of existing Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian. About the only thing left
homes, and a strong buyer standing were the buildings with metal roofs.
Complete Auto Repair market, seems to have If you presently have a composite shingle roof, replacing
prevented any major sales
it with clay or cement tile will likely require reinforcing your
• Brakes • Diagnostics price reductions. roof structure to handle the extra weight. If you replace it with
• Tune-ups • Oil/Lube However, we are seeing composite shingle or metal, you should be fine. The same holds
true if you are replacing a concrete or clay tile roof.
more and more roof issues
• Air • Tires when buyers have a home Another option, if you want the look of a cement or barrel
Conditioning • Tire Repairs inspection. tile roof, but the durability and long life of metal, is a metal
Although many homes had new roofs installed in 2004 roof that is the shape and color of barrel tile. This will be more
DiTerlizzi family after the hurricanes, those replaced with composite shingles expensive than a flat metal roof.
Will the material that you use make a difference in your
are nearing the end of their design life and showing signs of
owned since 1990 wear. Homeowners that had a metal roof installed are having home value? Probably not. However, a roof that needs
few issues, as the design life is 50 to 70 years. replacing will almost certainly lower your home value and
772-223-LUBE (5823) Homes built during the ’90s with clay or concrete tile roofs make it harder to sell.
are now at the end of their design life. Although the clay or
Jim Weix is a broker associate with The Keyes Company. Jim
concrete tiles may look fine, it is the underlayment that has has 24 years of experience selling real estate full time. If you
3584 SW Armellini Ave., Palm City
Located in the “Pure” gas station reached the end of its design life. It is this underlayment that have questions or want the services of an experienced expert,
helps keep water out. you can reach Jim at (772) 341-2941 or jimweix@jimweix.com.