by Todd Hicks

Created on: February 23, 2009   Last Updated: September 19, 2009

Are you someone who is extremely trusting of everything and everyone you come into contact with? Are you aware there are con artists out there waiting to pull a scam on you if you mess up? Do you like to protect your personal well being, finances and property? You will learn personal finance and consumer protection tips.

Never sign a contract or document without thoroughly reading it first. Even if the document directly pertains to another person, you could be affected somehow once you sign your name. If the person giving you the document presses you to quickly write your signature, stand your ground and let him or her know you never sign anything without reading it first.

There are three good reasons why you should read the fine print, or completely read a web site's terms and other informational pages, before making a purchase or submitting a form online. The first reason is you should learn everything you can about a product or service that interests you to make sure it is a perfect fit for you and to prevent having what is called "buyer's remorse".

The second reason why you should read the fine print on a web site is you have to know what you are getting into. For example, a site might offer a free trial for a product or service while revealing on the policies page that if you do not cancel your free trial after a certain period of time, your credit card will be charged a set amount each month.

The third reason why you should read the fine print on a web site is to be assured you are not breaking the law. For example, there was a case last year or the year before that in which Lori Drew harassed Megan Meier, a teenager who later committed suicide in Missouri, on myspace.com. Because Lori did not read the terms before signing up for an account, she did not know it was against My Space's rules to harass other members. Because Missouri authorities could not charge her with online harassment, Los Angeles officials charged her with unlawfully accessing My Space's computer database.

Do not be anyone's co-signer for anything. If that person does not make the obligated payment, you can be liable.

Always read the labels and instruction manuals for products you buy and closely follow the instructions. It is crucial to completely know how to use the product wisely and prevent harming yourself and others.

Never pay to find a job directly. If a job advertisement asks you to make an investment to get more information or a job offer, ignore the ad. Do not reply to ads that do

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