The United States Coronavirus Stimulus Checks and latest Child Tax Credit

 

Important Information about the First Coronavirus Stimulus Checks

There are important things you need to know regarding the US Coronavirus Stimulus checks.

Question: When did the first stimulus checks come out?

Answer: The first U.S. stimulus checks were issued on April 11, 2020.

Question: How much were the first stimulus checks?

Answer: The first U.S. stimulus checks were $1,200 for individuals with an Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) less than $75,000 and $2,400 for couples with a combined AGI less than $150,000. Each qualifying household could also claim an additional $500 for up to three dependants under 16 years old.

Note: Those that filed direct deposit on their 2018 and 2019 U.S. tax returns to the IRS received their stimulus payments first via direct deposit.

U.S. Coronavirus Stimulus checks

The U.S. Treasury Department announced on Monday, April 13 that tens of millions of Americans will receive the payment by Wednesday, April 15, and that most eligible Americans would receive Economic Impact Payments also known as stimulus checks within two weeks of this date. These payments were made possible due to the CAREs Act.

Source: CNBC

Important Information about the Second Coronavirus Stimulus Checks

Question: When did the second stimulus checks come out?

Answer: The second U.S. stimulus checks were issued on December 29, 2020.

Question: How much were the second stimulus checks?

Answer: The second U.S. stimulus checks were $600 for individuals with an Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) less than $75,000 and $1,200 for couples with a combined AGI less than $150,000. Each qualifying household could also claim an additional $600 for up to three dependants under 16 years old.

These payments were made possible due to the Covid-19 Relief bill.

Important Information about the Third Coronavirus Stimulus Checks

Question: When did the third stimulus checks come out?

Answer: The third U.S. stimulus checks were issued on March 13, 2021.

Question: How much were the third stimulus checks?

Answer: The third U.S. stimulus checks were $1,400 for individuals with an Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) less than $75,000 and $2,800 for couples with a combined AGI less than $150,000. Each qualifying household could also claim an additional $1,400 with no limit on dependant's age or number of dependants claimed.

These payments were made possible due to the American Rescue Plan.

Source: as

Important Information about the Child Tax Credit

According to CBS News, most U.S. parents received their Child Tax Credit the week of October 15, 2021. The monthly checks of $300 per child will continue through the rest of 2021, with up to $1,800 per child will arrive around the April tax time in 2022.

Source: CBS News

Have I Been Hacked: Why Do I keep getting a text with a Messenger Verification Code?

 

Messenger verification text

When Your Password Has Been Stolen...

You may be wondering the following questions:

Why do I keep getting a text with a Messenger Verification code? Have I been hacked?

The obvious reason that you are receiving a messenger verification code is that someone is trying to log into an account that is linked to your cell number that requires 2-Factor authentification, and you have this feature turned on. 

Wait. What is a Messenger verification code?

A Messenger verification code is a short numeric code, typically between 4 to 8 numbers sent to you via text, call or email by the website or app that you are trying to log into. Most of the time, you enabled this feature at some point for extra account security.

Every time they try to log into your account, even if they know your password, they must then enter the 2-Factor authentication code after that to successfully access your account.

When you receive a text message with a Messenger Verification code, it means that someone is actively trying to log in to your account with your password.

What you should do when you receive a text with a Messenger Verification Code

First, when you receive a text message with a Messenger Verification code, never reply or respond to the text. Sometimes, a "phisher" is trying to gain information, if it asks for a call to action. If a text message provides a number to call, never call that number. 

Next, thing about all of your online accounts (i.e. Facebook, Google, Microsoft, etc.)

Can you Remember which Online Accounts that you have 2-Factor Authentification enabled?

Can you think of any of your online accounts that you have 2-Factor authentification enabled?

This is the first place to start.

Consider changing the password on your accounts where this is enabled, and increase the complexity of your password. In today's world, you need all of your online accounts to have different passwords. You may need to use a secure password manager to store your different passwords.

If you cannot remember, which accounts have 2-Factor authentification enabled, it is a great practice to use this feature on all important accounts that you don't want to lose.

If you are receiving a Messenger Verification code, please share your experience in the comments section.