William Penn Life, 1999 (34. évfolyam, 2-12. szám)
1999-06-01 / 6. szám
WPA Q« The other day I called • the Home Office to find out my policy’s cash surrender value and who is listed as the beneficiary. I was told you don’t give out such information over the phone and that my request had to be in writing. Well, I am sending you my written request, but I still don’t understand why you couldn’t save everybody a lot of time and effort and just tell me over the phone. A# You’re right: it would be • easier to give out such information over the phone to any member who called. But, there’s a good reason why we don’t. All information concerning your WPA life insurance and annuity policies is strictly confidential. It is a confidence we are morally and legally bound to uphold. Moreover, it is a matter of trust. From the moment you signed your application, you put your trust in us that we would not share information about you or your policy with anyone but you (the policyholder) or those you have had legally designated (such as, someone to whom you have granted Power of Attorney privileges). Anyone can call us and say they are you, seeking confidential information about your policy. But, by putting it in writing, we can more accurately confirm the person making the request is indeed the policyholder. Our “put it in writing” policy not only protects you but also your beneficiaries. And it helps us maintain the trust you place in our Association. Verifying the accuracy of your credit card statements can save you money MOST OF US follow a four-step process when handling our monthly credit card bills. It goes something like this: (1) remove bill from envelope; (2) read credit card balance; (3) wince in pain; (4) write out check. The assumption we make is that the balance is correct that the credit card company has properly recorded all of our purchases and payments. But, like anyone else, credit card companies can and do make mistakes... mistakes which can cost you a lot of money. That's why it's critical you review your monthly credit card bills and statements. It's the only way to ensure that you are paying only for purchases you made, and any payments and returns you made have been properly credited to your account. Here are some ways to help you keep control of your account: © Pay early to avoid penalties for late payment. O Call the credit card company to challenge any inaccuracies, such as a purchase for which you have no charge slip or the omission of proper credit for merchandise you have returned. © Find the entry on the statement listing your last payment to the credit card company. Make sure that figure matches what is recorded in your checkbook. O Maintain separate monthly envelopes for each credit card to file charge slips for each month's purchases. Be very diligent with these charge slips. To each charge slip attach the store receipt showing what was purchased and where and when the purchase was made. © Upon receiving your credit card statement, verify the description and amount of each purchase. Then attach the charge slips to the statement and assign a date for payment on your calendar. 0 Be certain to record your account number in the lower left-hand portion of your check so that proper credit will be made to your account. Apply the same procedures in reconciling your monthly credit card statement as you do in reconciling your monthly bank statement. Verify: don't take anything for granted, jjypj^j Information for this article was taken from the CPA Client Bulletin published by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. 4 William Penn life, June 1999
