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Just like picking paint and furniture, it’s important to spend time choosing the best plants for your interior space. Not only should you be considering the care your new plant friends will need, but also how they will impact your space as they grow to their full forms. Below are several tips for picking the best houseplants.

Understand sun exposure. The quickest way to shrivel a houseplant is by giving it the improper amount of sunshine. Take the time to get to know the sunniest and shadies areas of your interior, and pick plants that thrive in that environment.

Consider maintenance. If you’re choosing houseplants that need a good amount of TLC”water, trimming, etc.”make sure you have the time in your schedule and bandwidth in your brain to take this on. If not, pick a plant that needs minimal attention, like a succulent.

Pick proper containers. Learn the root length of the plant you’re choosing, and how big it’s likely to grow, pick a container that can accommodate it”consider drainage, too!

Choose plants that compliment your space. Have tall ceilings? Consider a plant that grows tall, not wide like a palm. Looking to make your room look a little wild? Pick a climbing plant, like a golden pothos or some form of ivy.

Consider color. While varying shades of green can feel gorgeously lush, no need to stop there! Add color to your interior botanics, like orchids, peace lilies or prayer plants.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Protecting children is a constant responsibility for parents and guardians alike, and many are unaware that they also need to be protected from identity theft.

Identity thieves often apply for government benefits, open bank and credit card accounts, and apply for a loan in the name of the victim, even a child. They often do this long before the child is old enough to open a credit card themselves, destroying a child’s credit history.

If your child is getting mail such as bills for products they didn’t receive, an IRS notice that income taxes haven’t been paid, or you or your child are turned down for government benefits because the benefits are being paid to another account linked to your child’s Social Security Number, then they may be the victim of identity theft.

To protect them, make sure you’re not carrying around their birth certificate or Social Security Card. Keep these locked in a fire-proof safe at home and have your home computer updated with virus protection software.

Also, be cautious about who you give your child’s identifying details to. Ask why the information is needed before giving it out. Ask if you can use a different identifier, or use only the last four digits of your child’s Social Security Number.

Your child shouldn’t have a credit history at all before age 14, so any signs of credit history could mean fraud. Check with the three main nationwide credit reporting companies to make sure a credit history doesn’t come up. You can also get a report every 12 months from annualcreditreport.com.

One misconception about helping a child build credit is to open a credit card in their name and pay it off on time for years. Called “piggybacking,” this practice was eliminated in 2007 by the three major credit bureaus because it was being exploited by people looking to boost their credit scores.

A credit card account can’t be opened for a young child, such as age 5 – 10, as a way to build their credit history early. This could open the door to identity theft, and creating a credit file could give a family member or stranger a chance to steal the child’s credit identity.

Adding a young child to a parent’s credit card account as an authorized user is also a bad idea. A clean credit history”meaning no use of credit at all”is best for a child when they do get a credit card someday.

What you may want to do”if you’re comfortable with it”is add your child at age 15 or so as an authorized user to your credit card, as this can boost their credit score if you have a good credit record.

Make sure they understand how a credit card works, and keep tabs on their charging activity. You can also add them as a user while not allowing them to use the card, or to only use it when you’re shopping with them.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

A garage is an excellent place for storage, but things are often put there and forgotten. This can result in a disorganized mess that makes it difficult to find room for vehicles and other important items. If your garage could use some organization, you need a strategy.

Get Help and Make a Plan
First, realize that organizing a garage is a task that will take a lot of time and effort. Set aside at least two consecutive days and find people to help you. Dividing the work among several people and multiple days will make it more manageable and less stressful, which means you will be more likely to get it done.

When organizing your garage, you need a plan. You can work out the details and make changes along the way, but having a general idea of what should go where and which items you can get rid of will help you avoid feeling frustrated and overwhelmed.

Look around and take stock of what is in the garage. Make a list of categories that you can use to organize items. You will want separate areas for tools, car care equipment, paint, seasonal items, sports equipment and other belongings. If any items can be safely and conveniently stored inside the house, that will make it easier to organize the rest of your possessions in the garage.

Decide where to put each category of items based on how often you use them. Frequently used tools should be stored in a toolbox or hung on a wall. Lawn and garden equipment should be easily accessible. Seasonal items can be put in an out-of-the-way place where you can still get to them without too much trouble.

If the garage does not have shelves or cabinets, installing some can make organizing much easier. You can purchase shelves and cabinets at a home improvement store and install them yourself or assign the job to one of your helpers.

In the process of organizing the garage, you will likely come across things that are broken or that you no longer use. Either throw them out or donate them. If you have a lot of trash, consider renting a dumpster. Designate an area for items to donate.

Make Sure Everyone Is on the Same Page
Communication is vital when working with a team on a large project such as organizing a garage. Before you get started, discuss the plan. Listen to others’ suggestions, make any changes you consider reasonable, then settle on a final plan and be sure that everyone understands it. Making signs to indicate where various types of items should go can help the group avoid confusion, arguments and wasted time.

Get Started
Looking at a messy garage every day can be frustrating and overwhelming. The problem won’t take care of itself, so the best thing is to come up with a plan and tackle it head-on. Get some friends or family members to help you make the process more manageable.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Victims of identity theft or fraud may feel they dont have many options to protect themselves. An easy stopgap, however, is to place a fraud alert on your credit report.

A fraud alert can be placed fairly simply. Contact one of the three major credit bureaus to ask that they place a fraud alert on your credit report, giving potential lenders and creditors notice that someone may be trying to fraudulently use your identity to apply for credit. The three main credit bureaus are Equifax, Experian and TransUnion”the one that you report the problem to will notify the others.

It alerts them that they should do more thorough vetting, including calling to check if youre really at a store trying to take out new credit, and verifying your identity before extending credit in your name.

Two Types Available
An initial fraud alert lasts 90 days, after which the credit bureaus will automatically remove it from your credit report. You can then request another 90-day fraud alert if you think youre still at risk for identity theft. You can also request that the 90-day alert be removed early if you no longer need it. You must notify each bureau separately to have them remove it.

The second type is an extended fraud alert that can last up to seven years. It can only be placed on your credit report after your identity has been stolen and youve filed an identity theft report with the Federal Trade Commission. You may also need to file a report with local police.

An extended alert requires creditors to contact you in person or through your designated contact method to make sure youre the person trying to request credit. You can still open a new account after the creditor contacts you.

This type of alert isnt the same as a credit freeze, which is also called a security freeze. This prevents lenders from checking your credit to open a new account, effectively preventing new account openings.

Keep in mind that a fraud alert can be a red flag for lenders, and theres no guarantee it will stop identity theft. After filing a fraud alert, get a free copy of your credit report from each credit bureau and check it for warning signs of fraud. These include accounts opened in your name that you dont remember opening, or charges on your credit card that you dont recognize.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

If youve ever noticed a rise in interest rates in the news or saw your credit card bill get a little higher, theres one federal agency that you can look to: the Federal Reserve Board.

When the Fed raises interest rates, most borrowers with car and home loans wont see their rates change because theyve locked in rates. People getting new loans, however, will see the higher rates, as will credit card users.

For a U.S. household with the average credit card debt of $10,995, a .25 percent hike in interest rates will make carrying a credit card balance a bit more expensive.

Technically called the federal funds rate, the interest rate the Fed sets is the rate banks use to trade federal funds. It is almost exactly correlated with the prime rate, which is what credit card companies typically charge their largest, most credit-worthy corporate clients.

From there, a change in the prime rate follows with credit card interest rate changes that consumers see. Credit card interest rates will usually increase during a day of increased federal funds rates, and usually by the same amount.

Carrying a credit card balance, also known as revolving credit, is where credit card users will feel the pain of a Fed interest rate hike. An estimated 40 percent of credit card users carry a balance from month to month, and should see their costs climb immediately after a Fed rate hike.

Most credit cards have variable interest rates. As banks see their borrowing costs rise, they raise rates on credit cards.

If the Fed increases interest rates during the middle of a credit card billing cycle, for instance, customers may not see the increase until their next statement is due. But their rate may rise on new purchases immediately.

Credit card minimum payments are typically set at 1 ” 2 percent of the principal balance, plus any interest accrued during the billing period. Rising interest rates will increase the accrued interest and minimum due, though not dramatically.

A .25 percent increase in interest rates causes the minimum amount due on a credit card to jump by $2 for every $10,000 of credit card debt. Thats not a lot of money, but two or three more Fed rate jumps in a year and it can add up.

Published with permission from RISMedia.