Social Media - How to Use It Safely

May 15, 2018

Simple Steps Can Prevent Many Problems

Social media has become an enormous part of life for most people, and it has managed to be integrated in all aspects of our day-to-day routines. Unfortunately, now that so many people have put their entire lives out there for people to see, it has also become a significant safety issue. Whether it's a data breach or just over-sharing with potential strangers, there are many ways you are at risk with your social media habits. Stay safe with these tips. Watch Out for 3rd-Party Apps While this applies mainly to Facebook, it can also concern Google+ users too. Many apps and websites have capitalized on the widespread use of social media, and offer you the option to log-in with your existing accounts rather than create a new account specifically with them. When you decide to use your Facebook or Google+ credentials to log into another service, you are creating a link between them and your social media. You may be giving them access to a lot more than you realize. Be Cautious and Don't Overshare This can be a tough one when you've gotten into the habit of keeping in touch with your personal network by sharing everything. First of all, keep your social network safe by limiting how public it all is. Have your settings at "friends only" if you can, or at least limit your personal postings to a select group of followers. Try not to broadcast your life, especially if you have a large number of connections that you don't really know personally. Secondly, think twice before putting stuff out there to begin with. Photos of your vacation are fine, but don't broadcast to the world that you will be out of the country on specific dates. You don't want untrustworthy people learning that your home will be empty, do you? Highly controversial commentary can be found and read by anyone, and that may impact your professional image, even years after the comments were made. Use Tough Passwords It's tempting to create simple passwords to make life easier, and to possibly use the same passwords over and over. Both of these are bad ideas. If you use the same password for all your social media accounts, all it takes is one hack or data breach, and someone will have access to all of your accounts. Don't reuse passwords. Help prevent hacking by using strong passwords, at least 8 or 9 characters that include a mix of letters, numbers and symbols. If your account offers 2-factor security (where you have to answer an additional question to log in), you should opt for that. Take Care with Links Obviously, you can't avoid all the links that people share, but if you see someone in your network sharing a link without any context or that seems to hide its destination (like a shortened bit.ly link), you might want to think twice before clicking. A hacked account may send out malware links, and you can put yourself at risk when you click on them.

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Auto Rates and Finger Prints: Both are Unique to You!

By Jeff Ryan • April 7, 2026

Factors You Can’t Easily Control These factors are built into your profile, but still play a major role: Your location: Claim trends, traffic, and weather patterns where you principally drive. Your age and driving experience: Especially for younger drivers. Other drivers in your household: Their age and driving history. The vehicle you own: Unique to the Year, Make, Model, and Sub-model’s damageability and cost of parts/labor. These factors significantly influence price differences, but they don’t tell the whole story. Factors You Can Control This is where habits and wise decisions can make a real difference: Your driving habits: Minimizing tickets and accidents can have a direct impact. Your coverage choices: Liability limits, deductibles, and optional coverages can vary widely. Your insurance consistency: Avoiding lapses in coverage. Your annual mileage: How much and how often you drive. Discount opportunities: Bundling, pay-in-full, NYS defensive driving course. Your Insurance Score (Yes—You Can Influence It) Insurance companies use a credit-based insurance score as part of their rating process. While it’s based on financial behaviors, it is not permanent—and it can be improved over time. Simple habits like: Paying bills on time Reducing outstanding debt Avoiding excessive credit inquiries… can positively impact your score—and in turn, your insurance rates. Your insurance score is under your control and a worthy mid to long-term project in and of itself. For more information on what you can do to positively influence your score, see: Great 8 Tip #8 - What's Credit Got to Do with Insurance? How Can I Improve My Auto Insurance Score Why Comparing Rates Doesn’t Work When someone says, “I only pay…” , the uniqueness of their fingerprint is missing. What are their: Deductibles Driving history Insurance score Household profile Coverage limits: what they may be giving up in terms of protection. Price without context can be misleading and discouraging.