Financial Literacy Resources

Credit Management Resources

Federal Trade Commission
The FTC offers consumer information on how to get a free credit report in their “Take Action” section. Federal Trade Commission Consumer Information
Annual Credit Report
Here is the site to obtain a free credit report from Equifax, TransUnion or Experian. Annual Credit Report

Online Self Paced Courses

American Financial Solutions
This course offers eight personal finance online courses with some homework assignments that you can take for free. This program is a good option for managing money and debt as well as credit management. Learning Center for AFS
FDIC Money Smart Program
This program offers sections on banking and credit basics, money management, saving, protecting your identity and privacy, consumer rights, credit reporting, responsible use of credit cards, using loans and purchasing large items such as a home. moneysmart
Here is the computer based, self paced option for Money Smart.
Building Wealth for students
This online course offers a basic guide to planning for financial future.

Building Wealth (English language version)

National Multiple Sclerosis Society offers – Financial Planning Workbooks & Related Resources
This site offers a financial planning workbook for people newly diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis covering a range of issues including money management, job development, assistive technology, benefits planning and special needs trust and estate planning issues. Website has a number of excellent articles on assistive technology selection and funding. Financial Planning

Resources for College Students

Missouri Department of Higher Education offers a financial literacy resource geared to college bound students. The objective is to help students better manage their finances, budget effectively, and borrow wisely. Student Loan resources

Missouri Attorney General Office Resources

Missouri Attorney General offers resources on rights and protection options.
Here is the link to learn more about identity theft.

General Resources

Show Me Loans Financial Smarts

Equifax Data Breach: What To Do

Recently Equifax reported a data breach on their website. Here are a few options that are offered by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

The FTC offers comprehensive resources regarding actions consumers can take after any type of data breach. FTC provides the following course of action to take moving forward. To help protect your information from being misused you can take the following steps through Equifax’s website: www.equifaxsecurity2017.com

Find out if your information was exposed. Click on the “Potential Impact” tab and enter your last name and the last six digits of your Social Security number. Your Social Security number is sensitive information, so make sure you’re on a secure computer and an encrypted network connection any time you enter it. The site will tell you if you’ve been affected by this breach.
Whether or not your information was exposed, U.S. consumers can get a year of free credit monitoring and other services. The site will give you a date when you can come back to enroll. Write down the date and come back to the site and click “Enroll” on that date. You have until November 21, 2017 to enroll.
You also can access frequently asked questions at the site.

Protecting Yourself From Data Breaches

Here are some other steps to take to help protect yourself after a data breach:

Check your credit reports from all three credit bureaus; Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. This is free by visiting annualcreditreport.com. Accounts or activity that you don’t recognize could indicate identity theft. Visit IdentityTheft.gov to find out what to do.
Consider placing a credit freeze on your files. A credit freeze makes it harder for someone to open a new account in your name. Keep in mind that a credit freeze won’t prevent a thief from making charges to your existing accounts.
Monitor your existing credit card and bank accounts closely for charges you don’t recognize.
If you decide against a credit freeze, consider placing a fraud alert on your files. A fraud alert warns creditors that you may be an identity theft victim and that they should verify that anyone seeking credit in your name really is you.
File your taxes early — as soon as you have the tax information you need, before a scammer can. Tax identity theft happens when someone uses your Social Security number to get a tax refund or a job. Respond right away to letters from the IRS.