TaxMama’s Tax Quips – Personal Violations
2007-07-30 by
Hi! It’s TaxQuips time from TaxMama.com.
Today TaxMama is hot under the collar – and not just because the temperatures are over 100 degrees F. You know me. I am usually easy-going, generally amused, and often passionate. But, I don’t really lose my temper all that often. Today, when I saw the mail, I lost it.
Have you ever gotten anything like this in your mail?
We got a postcard from a Farmers Insurance agent, offering to sell us homeowners insurance.
You’ve gotten lots of those, right? What’s the big deal? Why is TaxMama in a fury?
Well, this postcard showed our:
- Property Address
- The year it was built and the size of the house (sq ft).
- It showed the “full replacement value” of the dwelling (actually at least 40% – 50% less that it would really cost in today’s building materials market)
- The value of personal property
- And more
On a postcard.
For anyone to see.
How do you feel about having all of your information laid out in public like that?
It’s bad enough that they pull some of this information of the property records without asking our permission. But, do you really think this should be printed on postcards.
I’d love to hear from you. Please post your replies at TaxQuips, or at The Tax Insider, where you’ll find a copy of my letter to Farmers Insurance.
Perhaps I’m over-reacting. Do you think it’s the heat? Or would this get you incensed, too?
[Note: For a list of Federal Consumer Privacy Laws – see http://www.consumerprivacyguide.org/law/ – there’s nothing about this.
For links to legislators: http://taxmama.com/Articles/calltoaction.html ] (see links below)
And remember, you’ll find answers to lots of questions about privacy issues and other tax information, free. Where? At TaxMama.com
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