Stuff to Blog About and More: Rosh Hashanah

Jewish people from around the world are observing Rosh Hashanah today.

Rosh Hashanah marks a new year in the Jewish calendar. According to the calendar, today marks the start of the year 5769. 5769 is a rough calculation of the beginning of the world, according to the book of Genesis

Rosh Hashanah is the first of the High Holidays. As part of their journey over the next 10 days, the Jewish people will focus on repentance that will conclude with the holiday of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the holiest holiday of the year.

To the Jewish people, the high holidays is a period of introspection. Followers will have a kind of spiritual stocktaking to review one’s moral failings and to resolve to live a better life.

Also part of the holiday, is the “memorial of blowing” the shofar, the ram’s horn. The shofar is a summons to spiritual re-awakening .

The Bible refers to the holiday as Yom Ha-Zikkaron (the day of remembrance) or Yom Teruah (the day of the sounding of the shofar). The holiday is instituted in Leviticus 23:24-25.

FTC: Your Rights: Credit Reporting

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, has prepared a brochure, Your Access to Free Credit Reports, explaining your rights under the FCRA and how to order a free annual credit report.

A credit report includes information on where you live, how you pay your bills, and whether you've been sued, arrested, or filed for bankruptcy. Nationwide consumer reporting companies sell the information in your report to creditors, insurers, employers, and other businesses that use it to evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment, or renting a home.

How do I order my free report?

You can order your free annual credit report online at annualcreditreport.com, by calling 1-877-322-8228, or by completing the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mailing it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

When you order, you need to provide your name, address, Social Security number, and date of birth. To verify your identity, you may need to provide some information that only you would know, like the amount of your monthly mortgage payment.

A Warning About "Imposter" Sites

The FTC advises consumers who order their free annual credit reports online to be sure to correctly spell annualcreditreport.com, or link to it from the FTC's website to avoid being misdirected to other websites that offer supposedly free reports,but only with the purchase of other products. While consumers may be offered additional products or services while on the authorized website, they are not required to make a purchase to receive their free annual credit reports.

For more information on free annual credit reports, read Your Access to Free Credit Reports.