Posted on November 7, 2017
How to choose a cell phone plan
Shopping for a cell phone plan can be as difficult as choosing a new car. How fast do you want to go? Do you want to buy, lease or pay installments? There are a lot of options out in the market, and they change often.
Posted on November 6, 2017
More companies should take a stand in the age of Trump
The morning after the election one year ago, I shared the same sense of dread that parents, teachers and so many business leaders experienced: I feared for the future of our country. But more immediately, I worried about reassuring those who looked to me for leadership. As the CEO of a company with progressive advocacy and philanthropy at the core of its business, I knew my team would want to know how we would respond. How would we lift our team’s spirits, convince them that they could still make a difference and give them a reason to continue fighting for what they believe in when Donald Trump’s victory seemed to represent such a profound rejection of those values?
Posted on November 2, 2017
CREDO and Bold are fighting dirty oil pipelines hand in hand
What began with an activist taking on a dirty oil pipeline in deep-red Nebraska has grown into a multi-state coalition of unlikely allies successfully fighting Big Oil interests.
In 2010, Jane Kleeb founded Bold Nebraska in the hopes of transforming the political landscape of a fiercely independent and populist state, and through hyper-local organizing and bringing together diverse communities – including farmers and ranchers, landowners, Native people and tribal leaders, progressive activists, rural and urban voters, and local politicians – to fight for a common goal, she helped to lead a massive grassroots movement resulting in President Obama suspending construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. Now, as president of the Bold Alliance, she is helping organize resistance across multiple rural states to protect our air, water and land from destructive fossil fuel development.
This October, CREDO was honored to welcome Jane to our headquarters for a special conversation about her work with Bold.
Since 2013, CREDO members have voted to donate more than $72,000 to the Bold Alliance, and CREDO Action has been a proud ally in the fight to stop dirty oil pipelines like Keystone XL and Dakota Access. Earlier this year, CREDO joined our allies 350.org, Indigenous Environmental Network and Oil Change International to help Bold launch the the Solar XL campaign, a project to build solar arrays on the proposed route of the Keystone XL pipeline in Nebraska.
Posted on November 2, 2017
Our October grantees thank you for your support
Each month, CREDO members vote on how we distribute funding to three amazing organizations. Those small actions add up – with one click, you can help fund efforts to keep fossil fuels in the ground, protect the rights of people with disabilities and provide disaster relief to areas across the world where aid is most needed. Just last month, over 68,000 CREDO members voted to distribute our funds to 350.org, ADAPT and Mercy Corps.
These donations are made possible by CREDO customers and the revenue they generate by using our services. The distribution depends entirely on the votes of CREDO members like you. And for that, our October grant recipients thank you.
350.org
“Many thanks to CREDO members for supporting 350.org’s work! Your support enables 350.org to do the hard-hitting work needed to solve the climate crisis.” To learn more, visit 350.org.
ADAPT
“Thank you for your continued support. CREDO members are ensuring that Disabled people can live our lives in our homes and our communities with our families and friends. This grant will ensure that ADAPT is able to continue to fight so that no Disabled person is forced into an institution.” To learn more, visit adapt.org.
Mercy Corps
“Mercy Corps is grateful for CREDO’s partnership – your ongoing support is helping realize the incredible power of human potential in more than 40 countries around the world.” To learn more, visit mercycorps.org.
Now check out the three causes we are funding in November, and cast your vote to help distribute our donations.
CREDO members who use our products are the reason why we are able to make these donations each month. Learn more about CREDO Mobile, the carrier with a conscience.
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.
