A Financial Story

Erin, Class of 2007

My parents were honest with me and let me know early on in High School that if I wanted to continue my education that they would be financially unavailable. Initially I had high aspirations to get as many scholarships as I could along with grants and other “free” money. The first semester I was at PSU I did the payment plan which my parents and I paid for. After that, I started looking into loans with NHHEAF and never turned back. Loans became more familiar to me as I took the time to look into them and ask questions.

Learn more about Erin's experience

Identity Theft...It Can Happen to Anyone

Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal information without your permission to commit fraud or other crimes. It is the fastest growing crime in America. According to the Federal Trade Commission the number of identity theft incidents has reached 9.9 million in a year.

There are a variety of methods criminals use to obtain your personal information. Some of the information they may try to steal from their victims include:

• social security numbers
• drivers licenses
• credit card numbers
• ATM cards
• telephone calling cards
• dates of birth

They use this information to impersonate their victims and spend as much of their money in a short amount of time as possible before moving on to the next identity theft.

Although creditors and banks usually hold you responsible for only the first $50.00 of fraudulent charges this may just the beginning of your credit problems. It may take months to years for one to regain their financial health after identity theft. In the meantime with ruined credit one may find it difficult to get credit, obtain a loan, rent an apartment or even get hired for a job.