Annual Credit Report  www.annualcreditreport.com  You are now able to request a free credit report once a year from the three national credit companies all at one time, and you can do so over the internet.

If you want a little more information about the legitimacy of this site visit the Federal Trade Commission and read up on this new service. There’s only one online source authorized to provide you free reports from each of the credit companies and that is https://www.annualcreditreport.com. Beware of other sites that may look and sound similar. Unfortunately, while you can get your credit reports once a year for free, the reports will not include your credit score. If you want to know your credit score you still must purchase that from the credit companies.

American Consumer Credit Counseling (ACCC)  www.consumercredit.com  ACCC is a nationally recognized consumer credit (501)(c3) non-profit organization, helping people regain financial control through debt consolidation and credit counseling. The ACCC mission is to financially empower their clients to regain control of the quality of their lives through education and financial management.

CNN/Money's Credit Scoring  www.money.cnn.com/pf/features/scoring  Do you know what your credit score is? Do you qualify for the cheapest interest rates? If do not qualify for low interest rate loans, then you may have a low credit score. Take a look at this site to understand what credit scores are used for, how they affect you, and how to find out what your score is. Remember, if you have bad credit, only you can fix it over time. Do not fall victim to the spam emails or other invitations by companies or individuals who (for a small sometimes large fee) claim they can "fix" your credit problems. The only thing these businesses do is clean you of your hard earned money.

CNN/Money's Debt Reduction Planner  http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/debtplanner/debtplanner.jsp   If you want to get out of debt you need to have a plan. Go to this site to see how your rate of payment and interest rates determine when you will be debt free. Please look at just how much of your money goes towards just paying interest!

Credit Counseling Services  -  http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/Banking/Yourcreditrating/P38049.asp   Credit counselors are falling all over themselves to help you out of debt, but some do more harm than good. Here’s what you need to know, including whether you need it and the red flags for ripoffs.

Federal Information Center  www.consumerprivacyguide.org/  PrivacyResources; Here are some helpful links to Federal sites, along with informative sites from other non-governmental organizations, all grouped by subject, like Identity Theft; Computer privacy issues; etc.

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)  www.consumer.gov/idtheft/  This site is to the U.S. government's central website for information about identity theft. This site is maintained by the FTC. Information is constantly being added to the site, including government reports and Congressional testimony, law enforcement updates, and links to other sites with helpful information about identity theft.

IRS  www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=105077,00.html  Offers tax information and other related information.

Money.gov  www.mymoney.gov  Welcome to mymoney.gov, the Federal Government's website dedicated to helping Americans understand more about their money - how to save it, invest it, and manage it to meet your personal goals. As a first step, please send for the free "My Money" tool kit. It has information to help you choose and use credit cards, get out of debt, protect your credit record, understand your Social Security benefits, insure your bank deposits, and start a savings and investing plan. Just click on the Free "My Money" tool kit link above, fill out the order form it will bring up, and we'll be glad to send your "My Money" tool kit right away. Thanks for visiting mymoney.gov. This website is managed by the federal Financial Literacy and Education Commission.

Social Security Administration  www.socialsecurity.gov/reach.htm  This site offers provides information related to the SSA and related benefits. Visit this site to answer your questions or to learn more about the benefits and services offered through the SSA.