Financial Business and Consumer Solutions (FBCS) was founded in 1982 as Federal Bond Collection Services and currently has over 100 employees. Based in Pennsylvania, the name was later changed in 2014. The company is a licensed debt collection agency offering specialized solutions for creditors across various product verticals to meet their diverse needs. Such creditors include those playing in healthcare, consumer credit, utilities, auto, and education services.

Teleperformance began its operations in 1910 in Paris, France, as a customer service management company. The company founded its United States division in 1993, which is situated in Salt Lake City, Utah. It generates an average of $602 million in annual revenue.

Norton LifeLock is a global player in consumer cyber safety with a growing portfolio designed to ensure users are confident in their online privacy, security, and identity theft protection. In January 2023, the company announced that many customer accounts were affected in a breach.

When a data breach happens, criminals may instantly expose millions of personal, financial, and medical information. They can then use that compromised data to break into other systems, help commit consumer frauds schemes, or be sold to the highest bidder. If that compromised information also contains personally identifiable information (PII), those exposed may fall victim to identity theft.

When consumers get online, they enter a vast environment of potential threats. These threats may be after money, information, or network access, and cybersecurity defenses work to prevent these valuables from falling into criminals’ hands.

Cyber attacks are a growing threat to all industries, nations, and people. They occur with increasing frequency, with the last year reporting 3,205 data compromises and over $12.5 billion in projected losses, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The more often data breaches occur, the more at-risk individuals and organizations become. There are many ways to help prevent and defend against data compromises, but some of the most effective methods also hinder consumers.

Inspect your credit card, and you’ll likely find interesting—and crucial—elements of the plastic rectangle. The front might display the provider’s name, a chip, some digits, or an entire card number; the back might hold much the same, along with a signature, when necessary, and a “valid thru ” date. All the information on a credit card is necessary to conceal, but when data breaches happen more often than ever, it’s a matter of time before every card is online.

Credit and debit cards have become the most prominent form of wealth access in the last decade. Once consumers pulled out thick wallets of cash—they now pull out thin clips of cards—if they bother using a card, not a watch or cellphone. Credit cards are necessary in modern life because they allow individuals to access their money instantly and because they can be better protected than physical money.

In early 2023, the FBI made a public service announcement warning that scammers had been targeting owners of timeshares in Mexico; they reported an estimated $39.6 million in losses involving only Mexico timeshares. Worldwide, countless more scammers are influencing consumers into signing binding contracts and pushing them into an endless cycle of issues. When created, timeshares and vacation clubs were exclusive, high-end vacation options. Each offered a unique option to those who purchased the services.

The sun produces enough energy every 90 minutes to power the world for a year. Despite this, in 2020, only around 0.2% of solar’s potential power production was utilized. Many organizations and nations have planned to move toward solar power. Still, consumers must have individual wealth, knowledge to vet potential installation companies, and wisdom to recognize and avoid potential traps.