If you or someone you know has difficulty managing money, chances are good that these bad behaviors were learned early in life. Unfortunately, poor financial decisions can negatively affect your credit scores and make it harder to obtain a mortgage, car loan or even a job. We want to raise everyone’s awareness of the importance of 3 good Credit Scores. Helping children become financially responsible can pay dividends as they grow up and start earning money and establishing credit of their own. Believe it or not, we weren’t born in tights with high credit scores on them. Growing up, our parents taught us the concepts of financial responsibility.

According to “Making the Case for Financial Literacy – 2011,” a report on JumpStart.org, more parents and teens are starting to understand the value of financial literacy.

• A 2010 survey by Visa revealed that 93 percent of Americans believe all high school students should be required to take a financial education class. However, only four states currently have a semester-long personal finance course in their curriculum.
• A 2010 American Express survey showed that 91 percent of parents with children ages 6 to 16 are committed to instilling lessons of financial responsibility in them. (Hopefully this leads to a whole new generation of people helping us spread the word about benefits of good credit!)
• A 2011 survey by the College Savings Foundation determined that 73 percent of high school students want to save money for college and 48 percent have already started putting away funds.
• A 2010 survey by the College Savings Foundation revealed that 76 percent of respondents say they take the time to teach their children how to be financially literate.

So, think of us as tiny angels on a kid’s shoulder, urging him not to listen to that little mischief-maker Billy Bad Score on his other shoulder. If you’re looking for sources of credit information, visit FreeScore.com. You’ll be able to learn about how credit scores are determined; how to dispute errors on your credit report; how the credit bureaus affect you; and more.  There’s even a Credit Score Predictor that helps users foresee what effect various financial decisions will have on their credit scores.

If you’re curious about what your credit scores look like, it’s never too late to find out. We help people discover their credit scores every day. By signing up for The Power of 3 from FreeScore, you can gain access to your three credit scores and reports from the three major credit bureaus. You’ll also receive 27/7 credit monitoring and automatic alerts that will help protect you from identity theft. And don’t forget to teach your kids to steer clear of that credit dunce, Billy Bad Score. Tell them to look up to us Good Score Guys as examples to follow.

The holidays are over, and everyone is settling back into a normal routine. Unfortunately, some people are still suffering the effects of a credit hangover caused by over-indulgence on gifts and New Year’s Eve celebrations.

According to research firm comScore, U.S. shoppers spent $35.3 billion online between Nov. 1 and Dec. 25. This number is a 15 percent increase over last year and doesn’t even account for everyone visiting brick-and-mortar stores. It also doesn’t account for everyone engaging in post-holiday shopping. Many people received tablets, e-readers, smartphones, gaming systems and other devices that require additional content. While the Digital Content & Subscriptions retail category averaged 2.8 percent of total e-commerce sales during this 56-day span, it accounted for a whopping 20 percent of sales on Christmas Day. People across the U.S. clearly threw caution to the wind in an attempt to fill up their new devices.

If this scenario sounds familiar, you may have a hangover that no amount of caffeine or cold showers can fix. Regaining control of your credit may seem like an ambitious New Year’s resolution, but it is possible. And it’s a lot easier once you uncover the mess that Billy Bad Score left in the wake of all your holiday revelry. Why live in fear of your credit card bill when you can use sound judgment and have us help you protect and manage your credit better? Checking your credit scores can be a sobering experience, but it’s the first step toward taking charge of your credit again.

When you use FreeScore’s Power of 3, you’ll have unlimited access to your three credit scores and reports, including monthly updates, so you can check for fraudulent activity and discrepancies that could make this a not-so-happy New Year. You’ll see the information that lenders see when evaluating your credit worthiness. You’ll also receive 24/7 credit monitoring and automatic alerts to help protect you from identity theft and save you from even bigger headaches if someone steals your personal information. There’s even a FreeScore app that allows you to check credit scores and reports on the go!

With these and other services from FreeScore, you can leave the credit hangover behind and focus on having a very happy New Year.