Posted on November 1, 2017
CREDO Mobile stands with Planned Parenthood’s #BusinessForBC campaign
As the Trump administration rolls back the Affordable Care Act’s birth control benefit, allowing employers to discriminate against women, CREDO Mobile remains dedicated to providing no-cost birth control coverage for our employees.
So that’s why we’re proud to be part of Planned Parenthood’s #BusinessForBC campaign which calls on employers to publicly commit to providing their workers with birth control coverage.
Affordable, accessible health care, including contraception, is not only critical for personal health, but also to supporting equal opportunity. CREDO Mobile will always work to ensure gender equality in our company, and we will never stop fighting for the rights of women across America.
In fact, CREDO is currently fighting to protect women’s access to birth control through grassroots activism. In the past few weeks, CREDO has collected more than 77,000 public comments from our members opposing the Department of Health and Human Services’ new rule that guts the Affordable Care Act’s birth control benefit.
Since our founding, we’ve supported organizations on the front lines of protecting women’s health, and, as Planned Parenthood’s largest corporate donor, CREDO has donated over $3 million to the organization, in addition to other reproductive rights organizations.
As Planned Parenthood CEO Cecile Richards put it, “As employers do make [this] pledge, it’s a way of normalizing…such a fundamental right. Politicians are far behind — certainly where women are, but also where a lot of businesses are.”
We stand with Planned Parenthood, and we encourage other businesses to do the same.
Posted on November 1, 2017
Vote now for these great progressive groups in November
Each month, CREDO members help decide how we donate tens of thousands of dollars to three great nonprofit groups fighting for our progressive values. This month, you can help fund organizations fighting for human rights, climate justice and economic equality by voting for Amnesty International USA, Earthjustice and the Economic Policy Institute. Learn more about each of these causes, and then cast your vote for one, two or all three by November 30.
Amnesty International USA
Amnesty International is a global grassroots movement and one of the world’s foremost defenders of human rights. With millions of activists worldwide, the organization works tirelessly toward fair treatment for people everywhere.
In addition to helping its ongoing work to ensure the fair treatment and release of prisoners of conscience around the world, funding from CREDO members will help Amnesty International USA fight for the rights of human rights defenders in the United States, ensuring that the right to peaceful protest is protected as well as on the rights of immigrants and refugees, particularly children and families held in detention centers indefinitely as they seek asylum in the United States.
Posted on October 30, 2017
Tuesday Tip: How to choose a cell phone
Tips for Choosing the Right Cell Phone
Your phone is just about the most useful thing you own. So when you’re buying a new one, it’s essential that you choose the right one – and the right plan to go with it. Here’s our advice.
Posted on October 17, 2017
New video: Jane Kleeb of the Bold Alliance visits CREDO headquarters
Jane Kleeb, founder of the Bold Alliance, joined CREDO for a special conversation to discuss how the organization tackled the Keystone XL pipeline and its recent work with CREDO and other environmental groups on the Solar XL project. CREDO has donated over $72,000 to the Bold Alliance throughout the history of our partnership. If you missed the live broadcast on Facebook, you can watch the full video here.
LIVE NOW: The Bold Alliance live at CREDO headquarters
CREDO welcomes Bold Alliance's Jane Kleeb to discuss how the Bold Alliance tackled Keystone XL and their recent work on the Solar XL project.
Posted by CREDO Mobile on Tuesday, October 17, 2017
Posted on October 12, 2017
Tuesday Tip: How to use your phone as a personal Wi-Fi hotspot
These days, almost any smartphone can also work as a personal Wi-Fi hotspot. That means you can use it to connect a laptop, tablet or another phone to the internet, same as you’d use the Wi-Fi connection at your local cafe.
But often better, for a couple of reasons. If the cafe is crowded and its Wi-Fi connection is slow, using your phone as a hotspot will deliver faster internet, as long as your cellular connection is good. Plus, your personal phone hotspot is usually more secure than the public networks at cafes, airports and hotels.
How to do I turn on my personal wifi hotspot?
On an iPhone, go to Settings > Cellular. Tap Personal Hotspot then toggle the slider on. You can set up your Wi-Fi password here. Then, on your laptop, find your phone and connect using the password you just set up.
The hotspot process for Android devices varies from one device to another. Generally, you can go to Settings > Connections > Mobile Hotspot and Tethering. Then toggle on Mobile Hotspot. Set your network name and choose the security. Make sure to enable security and set a password to be safe. Then, on your laptop, search for the hotspot and connect using your password. Find instructions for your specific Android device in our support section.
Can I call and text while my phone is a hotspot?
You will receive calls and texts while your phone is a personal hotspot. You may experience connectivity interruptions during phone calls, depending on the quality of the cellular network connection.
Do hotspot connections use a lot of data?
You can consume a lot of data if you use mobile hotspot frequently. Make sure to monitor your data usage and adjust your monthly data plan anytime to avoid overages. Mobile hotspot can also be a drain on your phone’s battery. If possible, plug in your charger while using hotspot to avoid running out of juice.
I’m already a CREDO Mobile customer. Does hotspot come with my plan?
If you’re on a Shared Data Plan, the mobile hotspot option is automatically included. If you’re on an older CREDO Mobile plan (hasn’t changed since August 26, 2014) you might or might not have mobile hotspot. Check Member Services to find out which services are enabled on your smartphone.
How much does personal wifi hotspot cost?
If you’re on a CREDO Mobile Shared Data Plan, mobile hotspot usage counts toward your monthly data allotment, same as regular internet browsing or using apps. It’s a good idea to turn off mobile hotspot when it’s not in use to avoid overages. If you’re on an older CREDO Mobile plan and you have signed up for hotspot, this will be billed separately from your regular data charges, at $20 for the first 2GB. Mobile hotspot usage over 2GB is billed at $10/GB.
Personal wifi hotspot is a handy smartphone feature that enables you to access the in more places and often more quickly and securely. Give it a try next time you’re on the go.
Posted on October 12, 2017
Tuesday Tip: How to block a phone number
Scammers, telemarketers, robocalls. There are a lot of different reasons why you might want to block certain numbers. Luckily, there are ways to do it on Android and iOS phones. They take a bit of tapping, but it’s worth a few minutes’ trouble to block those annoying calls.
Do not call list
If you’re not already on the National Do Not Call Registry, this is the first step you should take to cut down on unwanted calls. Registrations on the registry don’t expire, so if you’ve registered already, no need to do it again. If you don’t remember whether you’ve registered or not, go to the registry site and you can check to see if you have. You’ll be asked to give an email address to confirm your registration, or you can call 1-888-382-1222 from the phone you want to register.
Your phone number will be added to the registry in 24 hours, but it will take up to 31 days for all sales calls to stop. If calls keep coming after 31 days, you can file a complaint. Even if your number is registered, some organizations may still call you, including charities, political organizations and phone surveyors. For a list of who may still call you, read the registry FAQs.
Android
The method for blocking calls will vary according to your device and the version of Android you’re running. Some versions of Android Lollipop and older Android versions don’t include the call-blocking feature. But stock Android devices running Android 6.0 Marshmallow and subsequent operating systems do let you block numbers from within the Dialer or Phone app.
(Don’t know your phone’s operating system? Open Settings, tap About Phone or About Device, then tap Android Version to display your phone’s version.)
If you’re running Marshmallow or Nougat, open the Dialer, go to your recent calls, find the number you want to block and select Block/Report Spam. (If you don’t want to report the number as spam, you can uncheck that box.) Then tap Block.
If you’re running Lollipop, open the Phone app and select Call Settings > Call Rejection > Auto Reject List. Type in the number or search for it, select it and you’re finished.
If you use Messenger for messaging, tap the name or number that sent you the message on your message list and select Block/Report Spam. To block numbers within Contacts, open Messenger, select Menu > Blocked Contacts > Add a Number and enter the number you want to block.
iOS
When you block a number from sending you texts, FaceTime or voice calls, that number will be automatically blocked from doing all three.
To block a number that called you, open the Phone app and select Recent. Find the number you want to block and click the I in the circle next to it. You’ll then see information about the call and actions you can take. Scroll down and select Block this Caller.
If you’re blocking a number in your Contacts list, go to Settings > Phone > Call Blocking & Identification > Block Contact. This will bring up the list. Scroll through and select the numbers you want to block. You can also block a number via Settings > Messages > Blocked > Add New.
If you’re getting texts from a number not in your Contacts list, iOS requires that you add the number to your Contacts list before you can block it. Tap the number/image at the top of the screen, then Create New Contact and follow the steps above. If you have an older version of iOS, tap the I in the circle at the upper right of the screen, then tap Block this Caller > Block Contact.
To block people on FaceTime, open the app, find the most recent FaceTime call you had, then tap the I in the circle next to it. You’ll see information about the call and actions to take. Scroll down to Block this Caller. If it’s a person already in your Contacts, go to Settings > FaceTime > Blocked > Add New and select the name you want to block.
Phone blocking
Many manufacturers include an option to block numbers that is integrated into the phone. Here are brief instructions for several popular manufacturers. These will work with most but not all phones made by these manufacturers.
Samsung
Open the Phone app and then open the Log. Select the number you want to block, then More > Block. You can select Call Block and Message Block. If the number is in your contacts, open the Phone app, select More > Settings > Call Blocking and add the number to be blocked.
HTC
Open the Phone app, select Call History, choose the number, then select Block Contact or Block Caller.
LG
Open the Phone app, select Menu > Settings > Call Reject > Reject Calls From and add the number.
If you prefer video instructions for call blocking, there are many YouTube videos that will show you how. Just search your operating system or your phone model.
Posted on October 12, 2017
What is 4G LTE (and why you should care)
4G LTE. You’ve seen the billboards and the TV commercials and the ads on the side of the bus. But you might not know exactly what it means—and how it can make a difference in your daily life. If you have a moment, we’ll explain.
What is 4G LTE?
For you, personally, 4G LTE means a much faster phone. It means watching movies anytime and video chatting on the go. Fewer frozen videos, failed text messages and garbled calls.
OK, that’s the fun way to describe it. Here’s the geeky version. Technically, 4G LTE means two things:
What does 4G mean?
4G means the fourth generation of technology for cellular networks, after 3G, which is what we used in the old days, back before 2010.
What does LTE mean?
LTE means Long Term Evolution, which is a complicated process for delivering high-speed data to phones and other mobile devices.
Together, they make 4G LTE, which opens the door for you to do what you need to do in a faster, more efficient, more enjoyable way, in your business and personal life. See if your zip code is covered on CREDO Mobile’s nationwide 4G LTE network.
Posted on October 10, 2017
Resisting Trump’s racist war on Dreamers
If there’s one singular issue that solidified Donald Trump’s core racist base during his campaign — and now his occupation of the White House — it’s his blind hatred of immigrants. From his absurd proposal to build a wall on our southern border to his dangerous attempts to ban Muslims and refugees from entering the country, Trump’s continued hatred for immigrants and people of color is a constant and real threat to tens of millions of people in our country.
Trump’s latest cruel and heartless attack on immigrants is his recent order to rescind the program known as DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. DACA has allowed hundreds of thousands of immigrant children and young adults who were brought to the country by their parents, known as Dreamers, the ability to obtain driver’s licenses and work permits and live safely in the only country many of them have ever known.
Trump’s cowardly and wildly unpopular decision to end DACA has put more than 800,000 immigrants at risk of deportation and proves how deep-rooted his racism really is. Going after immigrant children and young adults is just another way to advance his white supremacist agenda and terrorize immigrant communities.
But CREDO and our members are resisting Trump’s dangerous attacks on immigrants and Dreamers. Dreamers embody the spirit of the United States in a way that small-minded xenophobic Republicans like Trump will never understand, and CREDO is standing up against the Trump administration’s racist campaign to deport hundreds of thousand of young undocumented immigrants.
Here are some of the ways we are fighting back:
- More than 175,000 CREDO members recently called on Congress to restore and expand DACA by passing clean legislation without any poison pills from extreme right wingers.
- More than 125,000 CREDO members have signed a petition calling on Senate Democrats to “block all legislation that would criminalize immigrants and ramp-up deportations.”
- Since Trump took office, CREDO has been fighting for immigrant rights at the state and local level and run grassroots campaigns in support of stronger protections for immigrant communities in California, New York, Texas, Los Angeles and Chicago.
- Through CREDO’s monthly donations program, CREDO members have donated more than $700,000 to leading immigrant rights groups.
Restoring DACA will not protect all immigrants from Trump’s hate, but it would bring us one step closer to reaching that goal.
Posted on October 10, 2017
VICTORY: California enacts landmark legislation to protect immigrants
We just threw a huge wrench in Donald Trump’s deportation agenda.
Thanks to the relentless activism of our friends at the ICE Out of California Coalition and tens of thousands of CREDO members, Gov. Brown signed the California Values Act (S.B. 54) into law last week.
S.B. 54 is the strongest statewide policy to protect immigrants from deportation in the country. It makes clear that Californians will not be bullied into scapegoating and criminalizing our immigrant neighbors, friends and family members.
Activism works, and it’s important that we celebrate this win and let everyone within our social networks know that our resistance to Trump’s xenophobic administration is getting real results. Help us strengthen our movement by spreading the good news on social media:
Click here to spread the news of our victory by sharing this graphic on Facebook.
Click here to retweet this news on Twitter.
Click here to like the graphic on Instagram.
You can also just forward this email to your friends and family.
The strongest version of the California Values Act would have cut off data sharing between the state and federal immigration enforcement, but California leaders caved to pressure from law enforcement and took that provision out at the 11th hour. Together, we forced state lawmakers to hold the line and stopped them from watering down the bill even more.
The version of S.B. 54 that Gov. Brown signed still significantly improves immigrant protections in the state. It restricts the collaboration between local police and immigration agents and serves as model legislation for other states resisting Trump’s anti-immigrant regime.
California is leading the way because people like you are stepping up. More than 63,000 CREDO members joined you in signing our petition and nearly 5,000 called the governor, key legislators and law enforcement officials to get the California Values Act over the finish line.
Thank you for speaking out to protect immigrants. When we show up for each other, we are unstoppable.
Posted on October 6, 2017
Activism works: CREDO members helped to defeat Trumpcare again
Progressive grassroots activists, including hundreds of thousands of dedicated CREDO members, saved health care coverage for tens of millions of Americans – yet again.
Despite right-wing extremist Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s best efforts, some Senate Republicans realized that the latest version of Trumpcare – the so-called Graham-Cassidy legislation to strip health care and critical protections from millions – was too cruel to support.
This victory would not have been possible without the massive resistance of CREDO activists and our friends in the progressive movement across the country who signed petitions, made phone calls, attended rallies, planned events and took part in acts of civil disobedience to ensure Trumpcare remains stalled in Congress.
In just the last few months, the opposition to Trumpcare by CREDO and its members has been incredible:
- CREDO members made more than 80,000 phone calls and generated more than 800,000 petition signatures.
- Dozens of CREDO members in key states created short video testimonials urging their Republican senators to oppose Trumpcare.
- CREDO’s series of anti-Trumpcare videos featuring progressive champions have been viewed more than 20 million times and shared on Facebook more than 400,000 times.
- CREDO placed billboards in strategic locations in key states to pressure senators to oppose Trumpcare.
- CREDO covered the Washington and state offices of key senators with Snapchat geofilters calling on the senators to block Trumpcare.
Unfortunately, we know that right-wing Republican extremists will never give up on their cynical efforts to steal our health care. We will stay vigilant to ensure that any future effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act is met again with unwavering grassroots resistance.
