While most defenses aren’t foolproof, there are ways to safely protect your online identity. If you are aware of how identity theft works, that’s the first step toward protecting yourself. The second is to use common sense. Never post information on a site that doesn’t offer an encrypted safety feature, and always self-censor what you want to say before you post it.
Consider the other suggestions from BMW of Freehold below and then begin to put them into practice:
Keep your security software updated
New and damaging viruses are devised for success. To protect your personal information, your computer should have up-to-date spam filters, a secure fire wall, anti-virus and anti-spyware programs installed. There are a number of trustworthy online options for free, or you can buy a security package. Many programs can be set to perform security checks automatically once or twice each week. Don’t forget to respond to notices about updating your system. People who ignore them have suffered the costly consequences.
Understand privacy policies
Every site’s privacy policies are different, and it’s important to know how your personal information will be used. If the site doesn’t have a privacy policy, consider that omission a warning that any personal information you give them will be sold without your permission.
Use only secure online shopping sites
Never assume that the website where you found the perfect toy for your pet is secured for your safety. You’ll know if it is by looking at the URL address box for an “s” in https:// and a “lock” symbol in the lower-right hand corner on the payment page. When in doubt, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) suggests “right-clicking anywhere on the page and select ‘Properties.’ This will let you see the real URL (website address), and the dialog box will reveal if the site is not encrypted.”
Reputable sites also display the BBB seal of approval or other seals from well known endorsement sources. Do click on the seals to confirm authenticity.
Also pay attention to password strength suggestions offered by reputable websites. You want to keep your passwords varied and as complicated as possible to foil online identity theft.
Use credit cards for online payments
It’s recommended that you use credit cards for online payments on well secured sites. Did you know that, under federal law, you can dispute any charge if you don’t receive the purchased item or if there is any issue about returning the item? Shoppers have rights when it comes to disputing unauthorized charges and no liability when a credit card is stolen.
That good news doesn’t mean that you should ignore monthly credit card statements. Always scrutinize the charges for any unauthorized activity. If you establish an online account with password strength, you can check charges sooner rather than waiting for a mailed paper copy.
Watch out when using wireless connections
Whether you’re at Starbucks or at home on a wireless WiFi connection, your personal data, including your passwords, might be flying around “out there” and can be picked off by criminals that are eavesdropping experts.
Cyberspace is an excellent word for the unchartered universe you encounter when online. These suggestions for how to protect your online identity will help you explore safely. If you ever experience identity theft, you don’t want it to be because you failed to use common sense.
 Shiny chrome is out. Check what’s in.
When it comes to making your vehicle look its best, don’t overlook the importance of a sweet set of wheels. If you ask, we can help you take advantage of the latest trends.
Chrome is no longer the bling of choice. Way back in the 90s, bling was the thing, and the brighter the chrome on the wheels, the cooler the guy or gal driving would be. It wasn’t just rappers in music videos, like Wu-Tang Clan, sporting them either, although the wheels on the bus—the ones that go round and round— never quite caught on to the trend. According to the Specialty Equipment Marketing Association (SEMA), chrome wheels no longer dominate the market. The association asserts that “painted wheels are becoming more prevalent, and seemingly every wheel company now offers some variation on that theme.” If you’re looking to upgrade your wheel style, there’s sure to be an expert here who can match your vehicle with the perfectly colored wheels.
These aftermarket trends are sure to turn a head or two. Concave and colored wheels are an increasingly trendy option in today’s wheel market. Other notable trends, according to SEMA, include two-color wheels, larger sized wheels, and the ability to mix and match. Advances in manufacturing have led to a larger variety of styles on the market, “including painted, plated, machined and clear-coated products in high volumes with low and mid-range price points.”
The market is driven by three primary factors. Practicality, cost, and process complexity drive the wheel aftermarket. For that reason, steel and aluminum alloy wheels grab a large share of sales. These three things, however, shouldn’t minimize the importance of other factors, factors that include style and fit. In other words, you’re probably looking for a practical, affordable, well-made wheel that makes people give you and your vehicle a second look when they see you drive by. Chances are with today’s emerging technologies; it’s easier than ever to deck your car out with an affordable set of eye-catching wheels.
Although shiny chrome is no longer the hot look in wheels, the look of a new set of wheels on your vehicle is still hot. And if you like the shiny chrome look, just like any trend that look will be back some day. In the mean time, if you’re looking to stay in style, start sassin’ up your ride with less chrome, and more color and paint accents.
 One major cause of accidents, and financial distress, is not maintaining your vehicle properly. When it comes to driving, your vehicle’s tires are one of the most important parts to maintain. If you are looking to save money and increase your car’s safety, then you should consider regular tire balancing as well as alignment checkups. Here’s more info from BMW of Freehold.
One of the biggest reasons that you should make sure your vehicle’s tires are aligned is safety. Misaligned tires can cause a number of problems including pulling to one side, less control over your vehicle, and an increased rate of wear on your tires’ tread. Not only is this dangerous, but you will have to replace your tires much more frequently if the alignment is off, which will put a big hole in your wallet. Another thing to consider is that misaligned tires will negatively affect your vehicle’s fuel economy.
Balancing your vehicle’s tires is also very important. Think about everything your tires encounter on a day-to-day basis. Whether it is potholes, sticks or rocks, your tires go through a beating every day. Sometimes, certain tires will wear more than others, creating an imbalance in your vehicle. The result is often a slight shaking of the car, which will get worse with speed.
Even the slightest imbalance can cause big problems, which is why it is important to take your car into the shop and have its tires balanced every so often. The result is that no one tire will be worn to an exaggerated amount, and wear will occur more evenly on all four tires.
If you need your tires balanced, aligned or both, then don’t hesitate to contact your local dealership for friendly assistance. You won’t regret it and your car will thank you by running better than ever!
 At some point during your quest for success, you’ve learned that preparation was important. Now that you own a luxury vehicle, you want to make sure it’s prepared to provide maximum comfort, performance and status. Here are a few tips courtesy of BMW of Freehold to keep your luxury car in luxurious condition.
Follow a maintenance schedule. Those who built the car know how to best keep care of it. If you do not have maintenance book provided by our dealership when you purchased the vehicle, be sure contact the manufacturer and get one. Keep track of the maintenance as you would an investment.
Take care of the engine. The engine of a modern luxury car isn’t something a back yard mechanic should be tinkering with. There are simple things, however, that you can do to keep the engine running as intended. Check your fluids regularly or our dealership will do it during routine maintenance visits. This includes checking the oil and coolant along with looking for wear and tear on belts, checking battery health, and keeping an ear out for unusual sounds.
Inspect the tires. It doesn’t matter how good the engine’s running or how full your engine coolant tank is if the tires aren’t maintained. Tires that are working at maximum efficiency provide a smooth ride, probably one of the reasons you got a luxury automobile in the first place. It is important with many luxury cars that you use the tires made for that specific vehicle. If your ride seems less smooth than it should be, check for rough patches or bubbles on the tires. If you find any, get them replaced immediately.
Check the safety features. Luxury automobiles are known for their safety, so it only makes sense to make sure the safety features are at a luxury level of keeping you and your loved ones safe. Have your brakes inspected every time you bring it in for routine maintenance. A routine inspection of lights, air bags and other safety features is recommended.
Keep it clean. Of course, you’ll want to show off that good looking vehicle you’ll be driving around, which means you’ll have to wash it regularly. Don’t wait for a layer of grime to develop before you decide to get it washed. Get rid of tree sap, dead bugs, bird droppings and other common nuisances as soon as possible. And make sure you use car-washing products instead of household cleaners that can, at worst, damage your vehicle’s exterior and, at best, leave it looking not as clean as it should be.
Go to the experts. Unless you’re a mechanic trained in the highly technical features of a luxury automobile, we suggest you leave the difficult stuff to the highly trained experts at the BMW of Freehold service department. We’re here to help!
 Enjoy the performance of a Sports Activity Vehicle with the sleek styling of a BMW coupe
When it comes to designing and producing vehicles, automakers traditionally fit their cars within the constraints of preconceived classifications. BMW, on the other hand, is all but traditional. From the automaker’s rich racing history to electric sports cars and revolutionary safety technologies, it is constantly pushing the boundaries of how we conceptualize driving. BMW has challenged the status quo yet again with the recent announcement of its all-new X4 Sports Activity Coupe. Keep reading for the details on this upcoming model from BMW of Freehold. Continue reading →
Posted in BMW News
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Tagged bmw, concept, sav, x4
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 The start of spring is a great time to dust off your clubs and hit the green. As we know at BMW of Freehold, though, sometimes your game can use a little work after the winter months. One of the best places to start “digging” into your game is in your divots.
Your divot can showcase just how accurate your swing really was, or reveal possible weaknesses that are keeping you from reaching your full potential. When analyzing your divot, just remember “the three D’s”:
The divot can show you your swing’s direction at impact, so line up your club with the divot to see where your swing path is pointing. From there, you can experiment to see whether your positioning is faulty, or if your swing path itself needs tightening.
The depth of your divot reveals the angle of your swing. If the divot is especially deep, your swing is likely too steep and could also be following an outside-to-in path. If your divots tend to be shallower, your swing is either too shallow or coming too far from the inside. The depth can also signify an error in your ball positioning.
Note where your divot’s digging is deepest. Depending on whether the digging is more noticeable at the “heel” or “toe” of your divot, the problem could be a club that’s too upright or too flat, respectively. Check your angles on a lie board at your local golf shop to verify.
Your divot is also a great indicator of where your club is entering the ground in relation to the ball. Place a tee outside the path of ball so that you can measure the divot’s entrance. Keep practicing until your divot is following past the ball in the direction of the target.
At BMW of Freehold, one of the many things we love about BMW is the brand’s long and illustrious history. It’s easy to be amazed at all that BMW has accomplished since its humble beginnings–especially when watching “BMW Accelerated History: 10 Decades in 60 Seconds”. This aptly-named video serves as a (very) brief introduction to BMW. To learn more, visit our dealership today.
 The day you bring home your new car is well-worth celebrating. The day you trade it in for a new vehicle can be just as exciting, especially if you have maintained your vehicle well over the years. Here’s a guide from BMW of Freehold to show why proper maintenance is so important, both during ownership and when trading in.
Cost vs. Benefit. There are two primary reasons individuals don’t get proper maintenance on their vehicles: time and money. Those who don’t have enough time to keep their vehicle maintained will definitely not have enough time to get it repaired down the road. Those who are worried about the cost of maintaining a vehicle need to examine two things: the cost of getting a vehicle repaired due to a lack of maintenance, and the increase in resale value as a result of proper maintenance.
Documentation. So you followed your maintenance log that came with your vehicle, right? Great! You also documented each and every oil change, tune up, tire rotation, windshield wiper switch, and whatever else you could think of documenting, correct? Having this information on hand makes your vehicle much more attractive to buyers. If you tell a prospective buyer that you’ve meticulously maintained your vehicle, he or she will be more likely to believe you if it’s properly documented in a log book, especially when accompanied by receipts.
Recommended maintenance and what to record. If you haven’t kept a log, gather your receipts. If you don’t have receipts, go through credit card statements. Make sure your records are accurate. Here are some of the things you should document:
- Fluid changes
- Tire rotation
- Paint or body shop receipts
- Engine repair paperwork
- Car detailing receipts
- Inspection reports
- Smog certificates
Other recommended maintenance. Obviously, nobody wants to buy a car that doesn’t run well, but in your haste to document and maintain mechanical aspects of the vehicle, don’t neglect to maintain the exterior and interior. Unsightly blemishes on the exterior or a torn, ripped, or dirty interior can distract from your well-organized documentation as well.
Pre-sale preparation. In addition to routine cleaning of the car’s exterior and interior, there are a few things you’re going to want to pay special attention to when preparing a car for resale. Clean the windshields inside and out. Use a high-quality product to return the luster to vinyl surfaces and components on the inside. Vacuum the upholstery and carpets. Wipe down surfaces. If you’ve been doing this all along, you’ll have no problems when it comes to preparing the vehicle. Keep the exterior free of debris and give it a good detailing when preparing it for sale.
There are more factors than routine maintenance when it comes to maintaining a car’s value. Take note, however, that an improperly maintained vehicle will fetch less money, regardless of its make or model. Thinking about trading in your vehicle? Value your vehicle online with BMW of Freehold and AutoTrader.com.
 At BMW of Freehold, there are plenty of reasons we love BMW, and the automaker’s long and storied history is one of them. Now the original factory in Munich, where BMW manufactured airplane engines for two years before expanding, is taking on new life as the headquarters for BMW Group Classic.
BMW AG acquired over 13,000 square meters in the Milbertshofen district of Munich, which includes the site of the original factory. The site will now serve the mission of BMW Group Classic in handling archives and historical vehicles from the BMW, Mini, and Rolls-Royce brands. In addition to a customer center and the BMW company archive, the location will house the BMW Group Classic workshop.
Click through to Autoblog for the full details—and don’t forget to check out BMW of Freehold to see the latest models to come from the legendary brand.
Image: BMW Group Classic
 Many of us will never win a gold medal, play professional sports, or make the cover of a Wheaties box. That, however, doesn’t mean you can’t train like a champion. Following the health habits of the world’s top athletes is a great way to look and feel better. BMW of Freehold has some tips to help you get started.
Stress reduction. Stress can cause numerous negative effects, diminishing performance in all aspects of your life. One way to reduce stress, anxiety, self-doubt, and muscle tension while increasing endurance is breathing properly. The perfect breathing rate varies among individuals, but all can benefit from taking a deep breath, clearing the mind, and continuing to breathe deeply and relaxingly before training or competition. Top athletes also reduce stress by eliminating distracting, negative thoughts, which can be accomplished in a number of ways. Practice to find what works for you.
Eliminating excuses. Even professional athletes don’t want to go to work sometimes, and Olympians don’t always feel like training. So what’s the difference between top athletes and not-top athletes? Elite athletes train anyway. Keep in mind that most of the world’s top athletes aren’t getting paid millions of dollars a year. Most, in fact, have jobs, families, and school to worry about in addition to training.
Proper preparation. The world’s top athletes prepare their bodies before competition and training. This is done by warming up properly and getting into the right frame of mind. How an athlete warms up depends on the sport, but some routines—stretching, slowly elevating heart rate, and getting the mind right—are universal preparations done by elite athletes.
Proper nutrition. Despite ads featuring athletes chowing down fast foods and chugging sugary soft drinks, most of the world’s top athletes (including the ones who appear in these commercials) refrain from eating large amounts of foods high in sugar, refined carbohydrates, and bad fats. Because different sports require different muscles and muscle function, diets vary. Most, however, include large amounts of fruits and vegetables, protein, and complex carbohydrates. A top athlete must also monitor how much food he or she eats. If an athlete is eating the right foods, then it’s very unlikely he or she will eat too much. It’s when athletes eat unhealthy foods that they can gain weight and/or be undernourished.
Staying hydrated. The world’s top athletes keep their bodies functioning by drinking large amounts of liquids, mainly water. Because the body uses glucose for energy during periods of moderate or high-intensity exercise, many athletes drink sports drinks that contain sugar, salt, and other essential hydrating elements. When not training, the world’s top athletes drink mainly water and refrain from sodas (including diet sodas) and sugary drinks.
So what are you waiting for? Get out there and dominate! And if you’re in the market for a new vehicle to fit your active lifestyle, visit BMW of Freehold today.
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