Dear Liz: Last week I received my annual mortgage interest report.... The envelope was not sealed and my full Social Security number was exposed.... What do I need to do to protect myself from identity theft and are there any penalties my mortgage company could face?...

Few property viewings involve a warning to “ exercise extreme caution ” and tour your potential forever home “ entirely at your own risk ” – but not many homes are accessed by descending a 15ft vertical shaft using a rusty ladder. This is the journey awaiting bidders for a 122 sq ft nuclear bunker on the edge of Dartmoor – for sale at auction with a guide price of ￡12, 000. The living space has no windows, no mod cons and its creature comforts are a 70-year-old iron bunk bed, a tattered fire bla

Apparently the police had altercations with him over the years.... Why he was given back that gun?... We will want those answers.” Plymouth city councillor Nick Kelly said: “ I think the question that a lot of people are asking is how could a 22-year-old assistant crane driver with our largest employer, Badcock, have a gun, first and foremost....

Dear Liz: I volunteer for an organization that does background checks every two years.... A recent check found my name and Social Security number was used in Texas from 2019 to 2021.... Credit freezes typically won’t help with the many other types of identity theft, however.If you haven’t already done so, create a personal account on Social Security’s site to check your earnings record....

Dear Liz: We had big capital gains this year, and we owe taxes plus a penalty for not paying estimated taxes.... Apparently the mutual fund companies don’t automatically withhold the taxes. Answer: Our tax system is “ pay as you go, ” which means the IRS expects you to pay taxes as you earn or receive income.... If you fail to do so and your tax bill is more than$ 1, 000, you may face penalties.As you rightly note, though, you won’t know what your total capital gains or losses will be until ye