But alas, the internet is still the wild, wild west with so many scammers and cons out there today that it is hard to stay ahead of the curve.  So here is a special holiday gift of warnings that may keep some of my friends out of trouble on line this holiday season.

Beware of QR Codes!  If you are like more than half of smart phone owners, you will use your phone for holiday-shopping activities this season.  Beware of the new trend whereby scammers are placing renegade codes on top of legitimate codes to compromise your smart phone’s security. If you are going to use your smart phone for holiday shopping, you MUST have enabled and updated security software.

Use Secure Websites!  Do not ever, ever, ever buy from a website if the ’S’ on ‘https’ is missing from the browser’s address bar!  The ‘S’ indicates the site is secure.  Do not provide your credit-card information to a website if the site is not secure.

Fake Shopping Websites:  Realize that you don’t know where a click takes you anymore.  It could take you to a fake site that looks just like that marvelous online retailer that you absolutely adore.  Double check it by not using the “click here” but actually typing the company’s web address directly into your web browser address bar.

Irresistible Online Deals (Coupons, Fraudulent Promos and Contests & Too Good To Be True Deals):  Scammers offer irresistible online coupons, free prizes, great deals and trips to far away places in order to trick people into handing over personal information.  The security guru’s at McAfee warn that one current coupon scam is to lure consumers with the prospect of winning a “free iPad.”  Newsflash:  iPads are not free and never will be so do not be click, click, clicking on those ‘phishing’ sites that promise such pie in the sky deals.  They only lead you to an e-mail spammer that is waiting to steal your identity.  Ditto on those online coupon codes that seek to obtain your personal information such as credit-card, passwords and other financial info.

The Hottest Trend Gift of the Year Right Here, Right Now.  Each year some toys and gadgets become one of those “hottest trend gifts” by virtue of selling out early. (this brings back memories to me of cabbage patch dolls).  Scammers play on your desire to give that really special gift and when supply runs out and demand goes up, they begin advertising on bogus websites and social networks, even when they don’t have any of those trendy items.  Once you pay for these gifts on credit card and never see anything in return.

So, be very, very careful this holiday season.  Very few people have money to throw away.  Plus there is the sting of being taken by a scammer.  One of those memories that keeps on giving and giving.

The Noticer is about an older man that mysteriously appears in people’s lives just when life’s problems seem to be overwhelming and the person being visited is at a most desperate point in their lives.  By asking probing questions the Noticer helps the person he visits to begin to see beyond the tunnel vision they have adopted to view their life through and begin desiring a broader perspective.  As mysteriously as the Noticer appears, he disappears after securing a promise from the visited person to read eight recommended biographies of influential, financially secure, highly successful persons.  And their quest for perspective begins.

For me, the story reinforced lessons that I have learned through my own life experiences.  If you are like me, you have had some life experiences that seemed overwhelming, to say the least.  My most desperate moments came as a result of being born into poverty and into a family, that more often than not, made very poor choices.  I learned, at a very early age, that I could accept the fact that my destiny was tied to my family or I could challenge it with every breath I took.

The change in my life circumstances was a long, involved and bumpy process.  However, I remember driving down A1A in Satellite Beach, Florida, in 1996 and having a revelation that had my birth and life circumstances been more of the normal existence that I had so often wished for, I would not have had the opportunity to learn many of the life lessons that had been so meaningful.  That was a major turning point for me; a very big Aha moment!  From that one glimpse of perspective, my journey became a quest to fully embrace life and seek greater understanding and wisdom.

Life is about how we choose to process the determining factors of our lives. Whether we choose to be happy or miserable all revolves around the perspective we choose.  What perspective are you choosing?

Cris Carter has been using, refining and retooling her legal tool belt for the past 30 years. Cris is presently the CEO of Cris Carter Law, LLC and Cris Carter Enterprises, LLC which includes Cris Carter MVP and Cris Carter TLC: Total Legal Connection. Cris well understands that “Knowledge is Power” and has effectively used her thirst for knowledge as she developed her reputation as a “legal eagle” initially, but then also developed her prowess as a financial advisor, speaker, writer and an expert on empowerment and motivation.

Cris’ clients describe her as sharp, quick, with amazing and often innovative problem solving abilities and readily admit that Cris is unlike any other attorney they have ever met. Cris attributes her success to teaching her clients to be proactive, understanding and analyzing the psychology and strategy of each possible approach and solution, while keeping her client’s need to be free of legal hassles at as minimal a cost as possible, as her hallmark.

Since Cris relocated from Florida to Colorado, she has immersed herself in the welcoming community of Colorado Springs including:

• Charter President of the American Business Women’s Association-Colorado Springs Women’s Express Network (CSWEN)
• Ambassador for the Alzheimer’s Association
• Board Member and Legal Consultant to the Senior Resource Council
• Founding Member of Woman to Woman.org, a mentoring program
• Facilitator of the monthly Women in Business Breakfast (WIBB)
• Woman of the Year in 2009 for CSWEN
• 2010 Nominee for the Athena award for outstanding achievement in career advancement, education, community involvement, and leadership.
• 2011 Nominee for ABWA’s Top Ten Business Women of the Year.

During the 30 years that Cris has been an attorney, the one thing that has been a constant, is her priority as a life long learner. It is that thirst for knowledge that has allowed Cris to become known as a “legal eagle,” a financial advisor, speaker, writer and an expert on empowerment and motivation.

For those of you that have not been on Planet Cris lately, I just returned from a 5 day trip to the 2011 eWomen Network International Conference in Dallas.   I am refreshed, renewed and spilling over with new ideas, fun topics and enthusiasm.  Yes, totally over stimulated!  And loving every minute of  it.  However, sometimes even I have to put aside the fun and get down to work as those clients with legal matters, do not take a break when I am out of state.  And then there are the new clients that seem to find me at such conferences that increase the workload I return home with.

As if the conference wasn’t enough in and of itself, the trip was amazing from the get go.  The TSA at the Colorado Springs airport are nice, polite and efficient.  I always wonder why TSA in Denver, Atlanta, Dallas and the like have to be so fussy and up tight.  So I took the time, to locate a TSA supervisor as I was departing and filled out a comment card letting them know how much I appreciated taking a trip from the Springs.  And from there on out,  I was on a mission to reward the many people that crossed my path based upon the excellent service, special occurrences, smiles and warm emotions they generated.

Last year I wrote a blog entitled “Shine Baby Shine!” on getting the most out of a conference experience.  You can go to my website and check that out if you like.  However, I forgot to mention in that blog that I plan to fly in at least a day early in order to connect before the masses ascend can be amazing.  I was able to lounge in the pool with the eWomen managing directors who shared the inside scoop as to changes in eWomen and the Conference.  I find it is so much easier to understand the significance of what is occurring around you once you have a blue print.

Congratulations to our own managing director, Marsha Rand, for receiving an award for the efforts she has made and the successes she has had since becoming the Managing Director in Colorado Springs.  My good friend Kate Keely at Century Link (f/k/a formerly known as Qwest) asked what was the number one most significant thing I learned at conference so I will be sharing that with you in my next blog. But for a glimpse of what that is you will need to check out my first video made by Scott Airmont & Paul Dale at Ivertising at www.criscarterlaw.kazzoepress.com.  Rest assured that I will be sharing you the one thing that is a constant with eWomen Network: they provide the resources that allow their members to CONTINUE TO  SOAR!

When? Friday, August 12 8:30 a.m to 6 p.m.
Where? Falcon Club, Air Force Academy
Cost? $89.00 until August 1st.
How? www.savvy.cswen.org/
Why? Learn from Dr. Mary Kelly, Wendy Mack & Carolyn Strauss (Speakers of National Prominence)

Choose from 10 workshops and 3 wisdom circles so you can focus on the parts of your business that need attention with fabulous presenters and expert speakers who will facilitate these hands-on workshops.

Estate planning is actually the protection of yourself, your family and your hard-earned assets from three fundamental risks: unplanned events, court intervention, and taxation.  The first step of estate planning starts with protecting your income, assets and lifestyle.  Then, your goal becomes to increase your income and assets.  Avoiding unnecessary taxation is the next step.  Both your life and the law change, so your estate plan must be able to meet those new challenges.

Long-Term Care costs are those that are incurred by an individual with a chronic or disabling condition that needs constant supervision whether in a nursing-home, at home, or at an adult day care facility.

Long-term care is usually very expensive, which is why most people need insurance. For example, in Colorado the average, nursing facility providing skilled care charges between $60,000 and $70,000 per year.

There are three methods with which to pay for long term care costs.  One can self insure whereby they save enough funds, separate and apart from what is needed for their daily needs in retirement, and pay for the cost of care from their own resources.

Provision by family is being used less frequently due to the financial burden and disruption of lifestyle that long term care places on the family.

Long term care insurance coverage offers more flexibility and options than most public assistance programs.  Most LTC insurance policies will cover only a specific dollar amount for each day you spend in a nursing facility or for each home-care visit. Thus, when considering an LTC insurance policy, read the policies carefully and compare the benefits to determine which policy will best meet your needs.

Since her arrival, Cris has immersed herself in the welcoming community of Colorado Springs. She has served in many different capacities including:

• President of the American Business Women’s Association-Colorado Springs Women’s Express Network
• Ambassador for the Alzheimer’s Association
• Legal consultant to the Senior Resource Council
• Facilitator of the monthly Women in Business Breakfast (WIBB)
• Member of the Cheyenne Mountain Newcomers Club
• Active participant of her local church
• Member of the El Paso County Bar Association

Cris enjoys reading, researching, hiking and biking. And, from time to time you might find her preparing a gourmet meal. Cris loves family time with her husband, Payton and her daughter and son-in-law, Carly and Grant Barron. With the birth of her first grandchild, Lincoln, in February 2010, Cris continues to love Colorado Springs and knows that life doesn’t get much better than this. Cris credits her relationship with God for allowing her all the wonderful things in her life for which she is extremely grateful for.