Social Security Hack: 3 Steps To Take Now!

With the media firmly focused on the U.S. presidential election, you may have missed the news about a massive data breach…

A hack that probably exposed your name… current and previous addresses… even your Social Security number!

The immense size of this breach makes it very likely that you or someone you love WILL be affected.

So in a second, I’ll tell you what you need to know — including the simple steps you can take today to start protecting yourself.

But first, let’s look at our Top Stories and the Reader Forum.

Your Top Stories & Analysis of the Week:

• “Musk Interviews Trump” (Election Insider — The Rundown, Matt Insley) In case you’ve missed it, The Rundown has a new mission. It’s focused on the presidential race — and how it will affect your wallet. And the big news last week was Elon Musk’s chat with Donald Trump on the X platform (formerly Twitter). Matt runs down some of the highlights, as well as a misstep or two. Then he quotes Jim Rickards on the correlation between gold and the S&P 500, especially during market downturns.

• “It’s the Economy, Donald” (Rude Awakening, Sean Ring): People keep telling us they’re tired of politics, yet Sean’s latest election take is once again our most-liked e-letter of the week. This time he describes the biggest mistake Donald Trump is making right now. Kamala Harris has a lot of personal flaws… but focusing on them instead of the issues could end up costing Republicans the White House. Sean explains exactly what undecided voters need to hear.

• “It Just Takes Balance” (Jim Rickards’ Strategic Intelligence Pro, Jim Rickards): Thinking about the election or the data breach might take a toll on your mental health — to say nothing of what a major disaster would do. As Jim recently told his Strategic Intelligence Pro readers, your state of mind could make a terrible situation even worse. So Jim shares some life tips that can help you keep an even keel, no matter what gets thrown your way. This was Jim’s most-liked story last week, filled with beneficial ideas. So I went ahead and unlocked it for you.

Remember, we publish tens to HUNDREDS of stories. The write-ups and presentations above are our TOP ones for the week — including one that had been roped off from the public. If you want to stay ahead of the pack, make sure you’re caught up now.

And if you’d like to nominate any of our stories for next week’s “Top 3,” just let me know at concierge@paradigmpressgroup.com.

The Reader Forum:

First from the mailbag today, Jim T. asked me to pass along a question to Sean Ring. And after Sean responded in Friday’s Rude Awakening, Jim writes again to say:

I always appreciate when you… respond to feedback. That makes me feel that I am at least contributing to the conversation.

No problem, Jim!

I always say that we’re trying to build a community, so back-and-forth conversation is vital. I’m glad Sean was able to answer. And I think all of Sean’s members will benefit from the discussion you inspired.

I’ll also take any opportunity to keep conversations going.

For example, I’ve gotten a lot of feedback about my “bait-and-switch” response in last week’s Reader Forum.

Paul C. says:

I appropriately deserve the “tough love” you dispensed to another reader with your cookies, cupcakes and brownies analogy. I admit that I should have known better!... Us Cajun Frenchmen in Louisiana call the unexpected free 13th donut in a dozen… lagniappe. Including introductions to the many channels of knowledge Paradigm Press produces, lagniappe is added free of charge as a gift to new subscribers, and not an unethical bait-and-switch sales technique.

Thanks for the reply, Paul!

A prominent member of our industry used to refer to membership gifts as “gummy bears.” But lagniappe seems much more appropriate… assuming I can pronounce it correctly. (Maybe publisher Matt Insley should send me on a fact-finding trip to New Orleans?)

Above all, I’m glad you understand all the ways we try to add value to your membership. You not only get everything we promised… but you also receive insights into investments you might never hear about otherwise!

A few people weren’t as happy with my bakery metaphor, however. Ed. O. says:

Still bait and switch. I want details after spending valuable time listening for hours to what you did years ago, which has nothing to do with the latest thing you are peddling. It’s a daily occurrence. All I need is $3 or $4 million to purchase all your pay-for-play ideas.

Sorry, Ed, but I don’t see how this qualifies as “bait and switch.”

Unlike a lot of companies these days, we don’t rely on government bailouts to keep the lights on. We also don’t take money from big Wall Street firms in exchange for favorable coverage.

Instead, we have to reach out directly to the public — most of whom have no idea who we are. If a total stranger started giving you financial advice without explaining who he was or why you should listen to him, how long would you stick around?

We know from decades of bitter experience that most people tune out from the start. That’s why we work so hard to establish our team’s credentials before getting to their latest analysis.

I’ll also mention that our Omega Wealth Circle offers every service we offer — at a price that’s nowhere near $1 million.

If you don’t believe me, call 844-228-8835 to learn how to get a lifetime of our investment ideas at an extreme bargain price.

That wraps up this week’s Reader Forum.

As I said, your feedback is vital to our success… so please email me at concierge@paradigmpressgroup.com.

Questions? I’ll get answers! Comments? Let me hear them! Problems? I’ll try to solve them!

This is YOUR forum!

(And don’t forget, we also have a FREE library of introductory investment guides — covering everything from finding a broker to how to trade stock options — on our Wealth Desk. For customer service issues, please use our contact page.)

Now, here’s what’s happening around the water cooler this week…

The Water Cooler — Upcoming Events and More

Last December, hackers claimed to have stolen a large amount of information from National Public Data, a company that specializes in background checks.

National Public Data just admitted to the leak last week… after some 2.9 billion records appeared online.

“The information that was suspected of being breached,” the company says, “contained name, email address, phone number, social security number, and mailing address(es).”

In other words, everything someone needs to completely steal your identity.

Our team is just starting to dig into this story — looking for ways to help keep your data safe… not to mention identifying companies that offer long-term solutions.

For now, you may wish to freeze your credit.

In fact, Paradigm Pressroom’s 5 Bullets editor Dave Gonigam says he and his spouse have already taken this action.

“You have to do it separately with all three credit bureaus.” Dave reports. “And you have to set up an account with each one.”

In other words, you’ll need to visit Experian… TransUnion… and Equifax to completely protect yourself.

Yes, it will be a pain… but it’s better than the alternative.

“If you don’t do this,” Dave says, “someone ELSE can set up accounts in your name and go to town.”

We’ll keep following this story — so expect more tips and ideas throughout the week.