(NAPSA)—Packthe passports, crayons and bathing suits. Drop off the family dog at the kennel. Suspend newspaper delivery and have the neighbor pick up the mail. Now you’re ready for your summervacation, right? Wrong! What about your pay? If you’re not at work when payday comes, how are you going to receive your money? What if a bill, such as your car insurance or mortgage, comes while you’re away? Will you receive a penalty for paying it late? Ruin yourcredit rating? Not if you have Direct Deposit and Direct Payment to prevent these Payday Maydaysin yourlife. Sixty-one percent of consumers have already signed up for Direct Deposit through their employers. Last year, millions of taxpayers signed up for a Direct Deposit refund from the IRS. They re- ceived their refund three times faster than taxpayers who didn’t choose Direct Deposit. And seventy-five percent of all Social Security beneficiaries receive their benefits by Direct Deposit. Electronic payments are increasingly popu- lar, easy and offer consumers more benefits than paper payments. More Reasonsto Avoid the Payday Maydays In 2003, over 7 million con- sumers were victims of identity theft. By reducing the amount of mail with your personal information on it, you reduce therisk of becoming a victim. Studies have shown that electronic (or automated) bill payers are 10 percent less likely to have their identity stolen than those that pay by mail. Eight in 10 Americans admit that they’ve made a late payment NU Ox ole Se AY FE J - , of, @ With Direct Deposit and Direct Payment, money matters are han- dled electronically. in the past. Direct Payment may help you maintain a good credit score or repair yourcredit score by guaranteeing your recurringbills are paid on time. With Direct Deposit, there’s no risk of your check getting lost or stolen—your pay is in your account the day you get paid. Studies have shown that consumers with Direct Payment are able to save an average of $449 per month—that’s $139 more per month than non-Direct Payment users and Direct Deposit users can choose to have someof their payments transferred to a savings or investment account automati- cally, helping them to save more money. Since Direct Deposit places your payments directly into your bank account, you can have access to your money even if you aren’t at homeor at workto receive and deposit a check. Direct Deposit and Direct Payment are simple, safe and secure. And they can help you avoid the Payday Maydays this summer!
