Posts

What's in a tenant screening?

A tenant screening usually involves checking the things explained on this page. The specifics can vary depending on the landlord, property management company, and state laws — but these are the standard categories you're likely to encounter as an applicant. This applies primarily to the USA, though the general process is similar in most other countries. Credit Score and Credit History This helps landlords assess how well an applicant manages their finances, pays bills and loans, and whether they have any outstanding debts or judgments. Outstanding debt to a previous landlord is especially likely to raise a flag. Most landlords look for a minimum credit score, though what that threshold is varies. Some smaller private landlords may weigh other factors more heavily if your score is lower than ideal. Worth knowing as an applicant: under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), landlords must get your written consent before pulling a credit report, and if they deny your application b...
Post a Comment
Read more

What's in a background check for a firearm license?

The specifics of a background check for a firearm license can vary depending on the jurisdiction, but in the United States the process runs through a federal system that most buyers encounter without necessarily knowing much about it. Here's how it works and what gets checked. How the Process Actually Works When you purchase a firearm from a licensed dealer (known as a Federal Firearms Licensee, or FFL), the first thing you fill out is ATF Form 4473, officially called a Firearms Transaction Record. This form captures your name, address, date of birth, and identification details, and includes a series of eligibility questions you answer under penalty of federal law. Providing false information on a 4473 is a federal offense carrying up to ten years in prison. Once the form is completed, the dealer submits your information to the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System, known as NICS. The check runs your name and identifying details against three databases: ...
Post a Comment
Read more

What does a background check for a job involve?

The specifics of what a background check for a job entails usually varies depending on the employer, industry, and the nature of the position being applied for. Normally, a background check for a job may include the following checks, when applicable. Criminal History This involves looking at an applicant's criminal record to see if they have been convicted of any crimes. How far back that search goes depends on the state. A common misconception is that background checks are automatically limited to seven years. The federal Fair Credit Reporting Act does restrict certain negative information to seven years for many positions, but that limit doesn't apply to jobs with a salary above a certain threshold (currently $75,000 or more), and some states have their own rules that differ from the federal baseline. A few states are more restrictive, others less so. Worth knowing as an applicant: a growing number of states and cities have "Ban the Box" laws, which prohibit em...
Post a Comment
Read more

Some Reddit alternatives that aren't necessarily dead

Reddit has been in slow-motion controversy for a while now. The big flashpoint came in 2023 when the company started charging for API access, effectively killing off most third-party apps that many users preferred over the official client. Thousands of subreddits went dark in protest, and users started seriously asking: what else is out there? The irony is that, at least for now, most people are still on Reddit. It's still the closest thing we have to a searchable, categorized archive of human knowledge and weird niche hobbies. But if you're tired of feeling like the platform is working against you (with changes that restrict moderators, harvest data from countless ad tech partners, and gradually sand down what made it good), these are the real alternatives people are using. Fair warning: none of them will feel like home on day one. And yes, some of them are small enough that "not dead" is doing a lot of heavy lifting — but that's exactly why the title says what i...
Post a Comment
Read more

What are some good alternatives to Twitter?

Image
Twitter Alternatives: A Comprehensive Overview When it comes to Twitter alternatives, there are countless options. So, what are the good ones? This post explores some popular options. If you feel something is missing or disagree, leave a comment—feedback makes the world a better place! This post may also receive updates in the future, so consider staying tuned. Mastodon What it is: A decentralized, open-source social media platform. Part of the Fediverse, where users can choose servers (or instances) based on their interests or values. Why it's great: No central ownership. Customizable communities. Moderation varies by instance. Best for: People who value decentralization, niche communities, and an ad-free experience. Downsides: Relatively few users compared to larger platforms, making it harder to find people you know or influential accounts. While its user base has grown since Elon Musk acquired Twitter, it still has room for improvement. Bluesky What it is: A decentralized pl...
Post a Comment
Read more

How to find out who owns an email address.

Image
The video above gives a quick look at three free options — SpyTox, ThatsThem, and SpyDialer — showing the kind of results each one returns. Here's a sample of what ThatsThem results can look like: 2025 update: A few more options have emerged since this was first posted, and the Google removal tool mentioned in the 2022 update has expanded significantly. More on both below. For a broader look at public records resources beyond email lookups, there's a dedicated post on that here . Free Ways to Look Up an Email Address Owner The approach shown in the video (searching ThatsThem by email) still works. ThatsThem searches public records and can return a name, location, and phone number associated with an email address at no cost and with no account required. Results are better for addresses that have been used publicly in some way, thinner for purely private addresses. A few other options worth knowing about: SpyTox — one of the three shown in the video. It sear...
1 comment
Read more

Credit scores, reports, and ID theft protection

In this section we'll be exploring sites to look up credit reports and scores. Free sites are ideal for most people if they're looking up their own so we'll cover most of that before anything else. Keep in mind that you can't legally look up someone else's credit report, or credit score without proper authorization. How about a site that lets you check your credit score for free without even needing a credit card? There is a fair enough chance that you already know of it before landing on a blog like this. It's a site which lets you do all that, and can also help protect you from identity theft. Scroll down to Getting Your Free Credit Report to immediately find out more about this site. Now, here are a few facts to know about id theft. A large percentage of id theft is through someone you know, and children are especially vulnerable to it. Hopefully you already know that you should destroy any personal information about yourself before discarding it. Even...
1 comment
Read more