Monthly Archives: December 2012

Online Shopping Sales Tax and ID Theft Protection

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ID protection for online shopping

ID protection for online shopping

Two things that probably do not enter your mind when shopping online are sales tax and ID theft protection. However, the experts at the Equifax Finance Blog think they should spring to mind with every item your ‘click’ into your virtual shopping cart.

Currently, thousands of Americans have being clicking their paychecks away for this season’s latest holiday gifts. Many gifts are probably shipping from several states away as we speak. In their article, “

Online Shopping, Sales Tax, and You,” the Equifax Finance Blog experts want to remind you to look at your sales total before clicking ‘submit’ on your purchases.

If your total does not reflect a sales tax, it is a purchase that you will need to keep records of for you taxes due in the springtime. This is because many local governments are suffering from the lack of funds being collected in person at local businesses due to the overwhelming influx of online shoppers.

It may not seem like a big problem to some, but for many states who rely on the sales tax for governance funding (which is used for schools, highways, etc.), it is a real concern. If you haven’t been paying sales taxes for your online purchase, check out Governing.com and find out what you should have paid.

When tax season comes some individual tax returns may have a ‘Use Tax’ line on them. This line is where online shoppers will need to fill out their shopping payment information.

Being aware of your online shopping purchases can also become an identity theft solution for some shoppers, because comparing your purchase history plus bank statements regularly is always a smart idea!

For more information about taxes, credit reports,

ID protection and more, please check out the Equifax Finance Blog today!

Avoid a Design Crisis After Your Foreclosure Purchase

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Carolina real estate design

You just bought your first Carolina real estate foreclosure property, now what? Chances are you have a million thoughts running through your mind about all of the updates your new home needs. Don’t panic! By creating a design plan, you can effectively turn your home from shabby to shiny!

The first step is to make a list of things that clearly need some work. Next, make a design board. Gather inspiration and pictures from a variety of courses and paste them onto your board. You can get a sold vision of your home by thinking about your choices for cabinets, countertops, lighting, flooring,  trim, paint, appliances and more. Good sources of inspiration include new home construction models, the internet, magazines and more. Model homes are especially useful because all the design research has been done for you, and oftentimes the design trends used are ahead of the curve. You can also turn to larger companies such as PPG Porter Paints for ideas. They have color consultants around the world working to draw trends together for a global, well-rounded look.

Once your list and design board are complete, it’s time to get to work. Consider what items are most important and what can wait? That hideous bathroom may be unbearable, but the flooring throughout your main living areas are seen by more people.

Having a design board and a list will not only help you prioritize, but also stay on track. Even though you probably can’t afford to do everything all at one time, you’ll be able to rely on your research to complete your transformation seamlessly over a period of time.

Tessa Jones is a South Zone Color Consultant with PPG Porter Paints