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ByJenniferCooper SocialSecurityManagerin Redding Asiftheholidaysweren't exciting enough, it's No- vember and that means election month. Current and future election hope- fuls are prepping speeches and rallying every resource available for the big win. Even if you aren't run- ning for office, you can win big, too, by planning for retirement. When you decide to retire, the easiest and most convenient way to do it is right from the comfort of your home. Go to www.socialsecurity.gov where you can apply for re- tirement benefits in as lit- tle as 15 minutes. Usually, there are no forms to sign or documents to send — af- ter you submit your elec- tronic application, you're done! In addition to using our website, with its world- class customer service, you can call us at 1-800-772- 1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), or visit the Social Security office nearest you. Which- ever way you choose to ap- ply, be sure to have your bank account informa- tion handy so we can set up your payments to be de- posited directly into your account. When you're ready to start receiving Social Se- curity benefits, the age you choose to retire makes a difference in your bene- fit amount. The full retire- ment age (the age at which 100 percent of retirement benefits are payable) has been gradually rising from ages 65 to 67. You can re- tire as early as age 62, but if benefits start before you reach your full retirement age, your monthly payment is reduced. Find out what your full retirement age is by typing in your year of birth at www.socialsecu- rity.gov/pubs/ageincrease. htm. You'll also want to join the more than 20 million other people who have set up a secure online my So- cial Security account. You can use my Social Secu- rity to get a copy of your Social Security Statement. Use the Statement to check your earnings record and see estimates of the retire- ment, disability, and survi- vor benefits you and your family may receive. Visit www.socialsecurity.gov/ myaccount. SOCIAL SECURITY Em po we r yourself, elect to r et ir e on lin e CONTRIBUTEDPHOTO TheRedBluffGardenClubishostingitsannualHoliday Scholarship Boutique 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. through Saturday, Dec. 5, at the Frontier Village shopping center, 645 Antelope Blvd., Ste. 11 in Red Bluff. Wreaths and arrangements are available. For custom orders, call 527-2226. GARDEN CLUB Wreaths, arrangements at boutique The Internal Revenue Service, the states and the tax industry urge you to be safe online and re- mind you to take impor- tant steps to help protect yourself against identity theft. Scammers, hackers and identity thieves are look- ing to steal your personal information — and your money. But there are simple steps you can take to help protect yourself, like keep- ing your computer soft- ware up-to-date and giv- ing out your personal in- formation only when you have a good reason. We all have a role to play to protect your tax account. There are just a few easy and practical steps you can take to pro- tect yourself as you con- duct your personal busi- ness online. Here are some best practices you can follow to protect your tax and fi- nancial information: 1 Understand and Use Security Software. Se- curity software helps pro- tect your computer against the digital threats which are prevalent online. Gen- erally, your operating sys- tem will include security software or you can ac- cess free security software from well-known compa- nies or Internet providers. Other options may have an annual licensing fee and offer more features. Essen- tial tools include a firewall, virus/malware protection and file encryption if you keep sensitive financial/tax documents on your com- puter. Security suites often come with firewall, anti-vi- rus and anti-spam, paren- tal controls and privacy protection. File encryp- tion to protect your saved documents may have to be purchased separately. Do not buy security software offered as an unexpected pop-up ad on your com- puter or email. It's likely from a scammer. 2 Allow Security Soft- ware to Update Au- tomatically. Set your se- curity software to update automatically. Malware — malicious software — evolves constantly and your security software suite is updated routinely to keep pace. 3 Look for the "S" for en- crypted "https" web- sites. When shopping or banking online, always look to see that the site uses encryption to protect your information. Look for https at the beginning of the web ad- dress. The "s" is for secure. Unencrypted sites begin with an http address. Ad- ditionally, make sure the https carries through on all pages, not just the sign- on page. 4 Use Strong Pass- words. Use passwords of at least 10 to 12 charac- ters, mixing letters, num- bers and special char- acters. Don't use your name, birthdate or com- mon words. Don't use the same password for several accounts. Keep your pass- word list in a secure place or use a password manager. Don't share your password with anyone. Calls, texts or emails pretending to be from legitimate compa- nies or the IRS asking you to update your accounts or seeking personal financial information are generally scams. 5 Secure your wire- less network. A wire- less network sends a sig- nal through the air that allows you to connect to the Internet. If your home or business wi-fi is unse- cured it also allows any computer within range to access your wireless and steal information from your computer. Criminals also can use your wire- less to send spam or com- mit crimes that would be traced back to your ac- count. Always encrypt your wireless. Generally, you must turn on this fea- ture and create a pass- word. 6 Be cautious when using public wire- less networks. Public wi- fi hotspots are convenient but often not secure. Tax or financial Information you send though websites or mobile apps may be ac- cessed by someone else. If a public Wi-Fi hotspot does not require a pass- word, it probably is not secure. If you are transmitting sensitive information, look for the "s" in https in the website address to ensure that the information will be secure. 7 Avoid phishing at- tempts. Never reply to emails, texts or pop-up messages asking for your personal, tax or financial information. One common trick by criminals is to im- personate a business such as your financial institu- tion, tax software provider or the IRS, asking you to update your account and providing a link. Never click on links even if they seem to be from or- ganizations you trust. Go directly to the organiza- tion's website. Legitimate businesses don't ask you to send sensitive informa- tion through unsecured channels. To learn additional steps you can take to pro- tect your personal and fi- nancial data, visit Taxes. Securit y. Together. (https://www.irs.gov/In- dividuals/Taxes-Security- Together) Also read Pub- lication 4524, Security Awareness for Taxpayers. Each and every tax- payer has a set of funda- mental rights they should be aware of when deal- ing with the IRS. These are your Taxpayer Bill of Rights (https://www. irs.gov/Taxpayer-Bill-of- Rights ). Explore your rights and our obliga- tions to protect them on IRS.gov. TAX TIPS Ways to protect your computer online You know the feel- ing when reach into the pocket of a coat you haven't worn for awhile and pull out a $20 bill? What would it feel like if you pulled out hun- dreds of dollars? And what if you found money like that month after month? It's not magic — it can be done. Pinholes in your financial life can turn into massive money-gush- ers. Patching these holes is the key to improving your income. The problem is that it's easy to ignore the tiny cracks. We're busy — there's the mortgage or rent, car payment, credit cards, insurance, college savings, carpools, vaca- tion plans, retirement ac- counts, work benefits; kids, dog, guinea pig. So the little stuff happens without our noticing. We think: What's the harm in picking up dinner from the drive-thru again? Our lives are so busy and we have to eat. Why go to the trouble of scoping out the sales before I hit the supermar- ket? It's just easier to buy what looks good that the kids will eat. Why pay more than the minimum payment this month? It won't make that much difference in the long run and besides I need to start Christmas shopping. Those three small, seemingly innocuous money issues — everyday financial decisions that pop up regularly — can end up costing thousands of dollars a year. Consider the following: It will cost at least $25 to feed a family of five at any junk food drive-thru. The food will be mar- ginal in taste and nutri- tion. You could prepare a much tastier and much more nutritious meal at home for just $10. Easy. Do the math. If you do that twice a week, you're letting $780 leak out of your life (52 x $15 = $780) every year. If you are diligent to buy your supermarket food items only when they are on sale (don't worry, everything goes on sale in a typical supermarket in a 12-week rotation), you'll cut your grocery tab by at least 50 percent! The dif- ference between full price and sale price is stunning when everything in your cart is on sale. It'll take you 10 years and cost you an addi- tional $10,000 in inter- est alone on a $10,000 credit-card balance if you pay only the minimum amount required. See how easy it is for slow leaks to turn into big money blowouts? Then imagine those lit- tle leaks draining money from your bank account a dozen times over, month after month. When it comes to your finances, those seemingly undetectable cracks in your checking account, credit-card debt, food tab and other household ex- penses can seriously side- line your dreams. I'm honored that you've chosen to let me help you patch them up. Would you like to send a tip to Mary? You can email her at mary@ everydaycheapskate. com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, 12340 Seal Beach Blvd., Ste. B-416, Seal Beach, CA 90740. EVERYDAY CHEAPSKATE Like finding money you didn't know you had Mary Hunt Offer Expires 11-30-2015 Call for details (530) 529-1220 100 Jackson St. Red Bluff $28 A Month Enrollment, Plan Changes, Income & Subsidy Modifications 805 Walnut Street CornerofWalnut&Jackson Red Bluff 530-840-6611 Lic# OK13422 ENROLLMENT Service Assistance CertifiedInsuranceAgent Round Up Saloon Round Up Saloon 610WashingtonSt. (530) 527-9901 Come join us for BBQ & Football on Sunday's LIVE MUSIC CALL FOR DATES 365-7194or365-4322 OPEN 7 DAYS 6am-10pm 8080 AIRPORT ROAD Your full service: Meat Department, Deli & Groceries www.kentsmeats.com On-site HARVESTING CUTTING & CRYOVACING LIFESTYLES » redbluffdailynews.com Friday, December 4, 2015 » MORE ATFACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A4