Empowering the Mature Market: Older Americans scammed @ 3:1 rate

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March 14, 2012 admin Empowering the Mature Market, EtMM BLOG Posts: "Murph's Mind", My Other Passions, 0

You might wonder, as a licensed architect, where I got such a “side bar passion” for protecting yourself and your family with AFFORDABLE ACCESS to your LEGAL RIGHTS and IDENTITY THEFT PROTECTION???

Well, let’s start with my empty 401K. What was once a 6-figure balance (lost 1/2 to real estate investing in 2007 housing fallout, then that “201K” turned into a “101K” in 2008 stock fallout) was completely drained to $ZERO$ in a “retail” payment divorce, by a well known attorney in our county, to the tune of about $35,000 over 22 months of proceedings, all said. He did an amazing job IN court representing me and standing up for what was fair and equitable, but outside of court it was a struggle to get a phone call back in a timely fashion (creating much stress in trying to sort things out and understand my rights and where I needed to roll over vs. stand up for myself with my ex-wife). I’d call 2-3 times inbound per return call, because he was sought after, and therefore very busy. It was a horrible stress for almost 2 years of my life, both emotionally and financially. I was angry, hurt, confused, and ended up broke as a result of this “retail attorney” experience. It was definitely not a WIN for me… just for the attorney.

He wasn’t in any hurry to “wrap it up” or get things filed in a timely fashion, because every email or phone call was paying him $30 for 6 minutes (yes, $300 per HOUR in rural Kitsap County). I was paying for his car payment, fishing trips, stay at home wife and housekeeper, kids college tuition, and the mortgage on the beach house… why would he want my case over? There’s no incentive on his end to close my case and get through the process in a timely fashion, is there?

Enter LegalShield! In 2010, my Rotary president shared with me a plan she represents about “affordable legal access”. I was already well into things with my retail attorney, and I trusted him, so I didn’t switch my counsel for the divorce (now I wished I had). But I DID immediately see the value in the plan, and purchased it JUST for:

1. The protection of my children’s SS# from identity theft. She shared with me that
2. ID theft has been the #1 consumer complaint for 11 years straight, and
3. In 2010 it overtook the drug trade as the most lucrative illegal practice world-wide.
4. I heard stories of 9 month old babies that had 4 mortgages, and
5. A woman applying for a job at Walmart in Kansas City, who couldn’t be hired there because “she was working on aisle 9 already, on the clock” when they ran her SS#. Turned out 40 illegal aliens were using her SS# to work just in her own town (and of course not paying taxes to the IRS – HER problem)!

I then learned the the older american population is being scammed via phishing, email, phone calls, etc. at a rate of 3:1 (3 x as many 65+ year old people are scammed vs. the general US population). This is when I decided to share this product as a representative (like my Rotary President was), and share the information more publicly, as I am here via my blog. The largest growth portion of this illegal industry is MEDICAL I.D. theft. Someone can steal “you” for your medical insurance, to have a needed procedure they can’t afford! Then, by HIPAA compliance, the THIEF’s information is SEALED WITH YOURS, and their blood type etc. is “mixed in” with your own, in YOUR FILE. And you can’t access it w/out a court order!? What if you go to the E.R. in an ambulance, unconscious??? LIFE or DEATH becomes a realistic concern at this point… Scary stuff.

For me, the point of my LegalShield “Family, Life Events” plan purchase? I.D. thieves DO NOT wait until you are 18 years old to “borrow” your identity… They enjoy the “head start”, where your children may not be applying for a car loan or to rent an apartment for well over a DECADE. Only THEN will you (your children) find out their credit and/or identity is RUINED.

If you understand and share this concern with me, you’ll go HERE and take 20 minutes to watch an online video. This will allow you to get ALL the information you need to make an educated decision, like I did, about protecting my family.

“101 reasons you could use LegalShield”

To your SAFETY and your PEACE OF MIND,

Aaron

#AgingInPlace, #BabyBoomers, #Boomers, #Marketing, #The4Ps, accessible, affordable legal access, Aging in Place, amenities, Architecture, Baby Boomers, Counterclockwise study, Ellen Langer, Empowering the Mature Market, I.D. RESTORATION, identity theft, Legal Shield, LegalShield, Parents, Psychology of the Built Environment, Quality of life, Retirement housing, Silver Tsunami, Universal Design

“Got Parents?” CounterClockwise – Langer has me “thinking”…