From September 1, 2005 you'll be able to get your credit report for free no matter where you live in the United States. (Consumers in Western states were able to order their credit reports under the federal law beginning December 1, 2004.)

In case you are not aware, a recent amendment to the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) has required each of the consumer reporting agencies to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months, from www.annualcreditreport.com. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, also has a brochure, Your Access to Free Credit Reports that explains your rights and how you can order a free credit report annually.

If you have already ordered your freebie, and you are still working on some issues or need an updated report for any reason, contact one of the three repositories:
For a fee and as often as you like (don’t forget to order your FICO score as well):

Identity theft is the fastest growing, and most disruptive crime in America. If you have been a victim, please visit this government web site to learn more about what you can do. http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft

Consumer Credit Counseling
Before you join a CCC organization, check them out. Read the Federal Trade Commissions concerns about the industry at
http://www.ftc.gov/os/2004/03/040324testimony.htm

Check out whichever CCC organization you choose with the BBB (Better Business Bureau), Verify their non-profit status with the IRS, etc.
Consumer Credit Counseling Services that can be found in most U.S. cities or on-line at www.cccs.org or www.nfcc.org.
Alternatively, just type credit counseling into Google, and pick one near where you live.

We do not recommend any one service over the other. We only recommend that you do your homework. Talking about homework ...

Financial Education
Teach yourself and your children about the basic principles of money.
Web sites that will help develop a greater understanding of the basic principles of finance: www.jumpstartcoalition.org

The National Endowment for Financial Education can be found at www.nefe.org.
NEFE also has a teen resource bureau www.ntrbonline.org

No financial lesson is complete without learning to save. The US Treasury explains 'Savings Bonds for Kids' at http://www.publicdebt.treas.gov/sav/savkids.htm.

If they want to learn more about saving and investing, check out this web site for kids http://www.investoreducation.org.