There are this week’s five things you should know.
01. Free or discounted coupons for some expensive prescription medicines
It might already be common knowledge but I still wanted to raise some awareness for the people who could use all the help they can get paying for meds . GoodRx is great if you aren’t insured and still need important but expensive medications. It can even help you find the stores close to you.
If you’re in Texas, TexasDrugCard offers a similar benefit.
Similarly, there is Needymeds.org which provides links to and information on patient assistance programs.
02. Homeowners Insurance is not a home warranty – understand the difference
A friend called me for financial advice:
“My old roof has some small leaks here and there and has been leaking on and off for a few years – I think I will just call my insurance company, pay my $500 deductible and get a brand new roof!”
No.
A home warranty means: Your stuff works, they promise it works. If it stops working, they will fix it.
A home insurance policy means: If something sudden and unexpected happens, they will cover it. For example, if a tree lands on your roof, they will pay to repair it.
Understanding the difference between a home warranty and home insurance will help you pick the right coverage. FYI: Home warranties are rip off scam. They are almost never really worth it. Between the annual premium ($500-$1000) and the service call fee of $75-$150, it rarely pays off. Even if a major system fails, such as the furnace, they will send the repair guy with the cheapest Chinese knock off machine they can get, something most people will not want in their house.
03. ™ means “unregistered trademark” and you don’t have to register to use it.
A lot of people believe that you have to register a trademark to use the (TM) symbol. You only have to pay up to use the (R) symbol.
A ™ serves as notice to the public that the words or symbols are an unregistered trademark. In contrast, trademarks granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) may have the ® symbol next to the trademark. The USPTO prohibits a common law, unregistered trademark owner using the ® in the trademark.
A significant distinction of an unregistered trademark is that the trademark owner does not receive as much protection as the owner of a federal or state registered trademark. For example, in the United States a trademark registered by the USPTO can enforce the trademark in all U.S. states, sue for damages (including lost profits), and significantly, recover attorneys’ fees and costs incurred in protecting the trademark against infringement. If a trademark owner registers in a state, the trademark owner can enforce the trademark throughout the entire state, and receive similar statutory remedies.
04. How to identify bed bugs accurately
Bed bugs are making a resurgence in recent years and it is important to be able to identify the insects life stages to quickly mitigate an infestation.
It is just as important to not misidentify other similar looking invertebrates as it causes undue stress and unnecessary financial loss in hiring exterminators.
Bed bug identification resources:
Note: Flattened body, rusty brown colored (less so in younger nymphs, which are more translucent). Thin 4 segmented antennae. 11 segmented abdomen. Short legs (6 of them) and reduced wings incapable of flight.
These are insects or other invertebrates commonly misidentified as bedbugs!
Not bed bugs.
- Carpet beetle larvae (Dermestidae) and adult
- Bat bug (Cimex adjunctus pictured)
- Cockroach nymphs
- Tick (nymphs)
- Woodlouse
- Kissing bugs
- Booklice/barklice
- Smooth spider beetle
- Drugstore beetle –
Note: If it has wings or more than 6 legs, it is not a bed bug. Do not mistake antennae for legs, look at the illustrated guide to avoid confusion.
05. Don’t blur sensitive information
Blurring is usually a REVERSIBLE operation, so blurring sensitive information in pictures you share online is not going to stop anyone determined to read it.
To securely remove sensitive information, just add a black rectangle over it and save it in a format that doesn’t contain a history/layers(e.g. jpg or png). That way there is no way of retrieving the data ever again.
