MAGAZINE - USAA

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F Y I Vacation-proof your home BEFORE SETTING OUT to see the Seven Wonders of the World — or your brother-in-law’s house for the holidays — mark off this checklist to help keep your own home safe and secure. Ask the post office to hold your mail. SLASH YOUR ENERGY BILL HERE’S HOW: ■ Replace incandescent lighting with Energy Star bulbs. ■ Find drafty windows, doors and baseboards and seal them with caulk. ■ Unplug coffee makers, DVD players, phone chargers and Stop newspaper delivery. Adjust your thermostat — in winter, no lower than 55; in summer, no higher than 85. Set automatic timers for your lights to mimic your normal patterns. Unplug sensitive appliances such as computers, televisions and microwave ovens. Turn off water supply to toilets and your washing machine. Let your security service and/or the local police know your house will be empty. Source: Institute for Business and Home Safety video games. They act as energy vampires — sucking up electricity, even when powered off. ■ If you’re replacing a fridge that’s more than 10 years old, consider choosing a new Energy Star model. ■ Choose flat-screen computer monitors, which are sleek savers. ■ Consider purchasing an LCD TV, which uses about half the energy of its plasma counterpart. Source: U.S. Department of Energy PHOTOGRAPHY: THIS PAGE: (TOP) IMAGE SOURCE, (BOTTOM) LAUREN NICOLE/GETTY IMAGES; NEXT PAGE: (TOP) MURIEL DE SEZE/GETTY IMAGES, (LEFT) VINCE PENMAN/ISTOCKPHOTO, (BOTTOM RIGHT) JON PATTON/ISTOCKPHOTO 8 USAA MAGAZINE WINTER 2008 USAA.COM
MORE THAN SENTIMENTAL VALUE PROTECT YOUR FAVORITE THINGS What’s on your holiday wish list? A painting by a favorite artist? Something sparkling and emerald cut? Make sure that such items don’t fall through any gaps in your insurance. A Valuable Personal Property insurance policy protects items that have coverage limitations or are not covered under a homeowners The pocket-size wonder is as much a mobile computer as it is a phone. We love the convenience of keeping up with family and friends. We love mobile banking and investing. And we love having everything in one device that goes where we go. But what do you do if your device is lost or stolen? “People don’t realize how vulnerable they are,” says Denise Richardson, consumer advocate and identity theft risk management specialist. “Most of us sit down at a restaurant and put the phone on the table,” she explains. “Thieves are waiting for you to look the other way, and when you do, your phone is gone.” or renters policy — from furs and jewelry to fine art. Have a special work of art, your grandmother’s silverware or another such item that you want to insure? With this kind of policy, you’ll get 100 percent replacement cost up to the amount you insure each item. 1 Log on to USAA.COM and enter keyword “VPP.” SMARTPHONE SAVVY USAA offers secure access to member accounts from mobile devices. But it’s wise to protect yourself, too, with tips from Richardson and consumer advocate and cell phone expert David Wood of ConsumerAffairs.com: DO ■ Keep a record of what’s stored in your device. ■ Note the phone’s make, model and serial number. ■ Password-protect your phone. ■ If your phone is lost or stolen, contact your service provider immediately and file a police report. DON’T ■ Store Social Security, bank account or credit card numbers in the device. USAA offers secure access to USAA accounts from mobile devices. Check out our mobile capabilities at USAA.COM/ Mobile. To make a transaction or take care of other business with USAA on a site created for mobile devices and computers with low bandwidth, visit MOBILE.USAA.COM. Conversion confusion? You probably know about the digital television conversion coming in February 2009, but here’s the lowdown. If your TV was manufactured before 2003 and you use an antenna to get a signal, you’ll need a converter box, costing between $40 and $70. You can apply for coupons, worth up to $40 toward the purchase of the box, on the official digital conversion Web site: dtv2009.gov. Cable and satellite customers can avoid the cost since providers will automatically convert the signal. But, in a service outage, the box allows you to get local stations, which could be valuable in an emergency. Newer TVs have the digital signal, so no conversion is needed. Did you know? If you need a tow truck after an accident, USAA can send one directly to the scene. Call (800) 531-8722 and we can get your vehicle directly to a repair facility — reducing the time you’re without it. If you can’t call from the accident scene, report the claim promptly so that USAA can move your car from a storage yard to a repair shop sooner rather than later. WINTER 2008 USAA MAGAZINE 9
Page 1 and 2: USAA.COM WINTER 2008 MAGAZINE A MEM
Page 3 and 4: MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT WE’VE
Page 5 and 6: Financial news mobile.usaa.com Head
Page 7: F Drawing it out An Air Force wife
Page 11 and 12: CTA HEAD My husband keeps CTA takin
Page 13 and 14: COMMON SENSE FOR UNCOMMON TIMES BY
Page 15 and 16: about capitalism and the capital ma
Page 17 and 18: PREP Sure, taxes are the last thing
Page 19 and 20: USE COMMON SENSE AND A LITTLE KNOW-
Page 21 and 22: ALL IN THE FAMILY It may not be eas
Page 23 and 24: transferring outstanding balances t
Page 25 and 26: member savings | Exclusive Products
Page 27 and 28: RETIREMENT security you deserve ann
Page 29 and 30: auto the right car for you USAA Car
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