Reviewing your credit report may be one of the most important tools for your financial health and protecting your identity. The Fair Credit Reporting Act allows you to get a copy of your credit report from each of the 3 credit reporting agencies and review your credit history. There are many companies which claim to offer you a free report report, but the Federal Trade Commission authorizes only one: annualcreditreport.com. Beyond helping you monitor for identity theft, your credit report can also be accessed by creditors, employers, or others to find out whether you pay your bills on time, to verify your address, and to check your employment history. It’s important to review your report regularly to make sure there are no errors, and the Fair Credit Reporting Act allows you to dispute any inaccurate information that might appear in your history.

For John Walsh and the AMW Safety Center, our most important work is trying to protect children. When Roberta R. from Arizona asked John about a video she was forwarded featuring an child she thought was in danger, he knew immediately where to send her: NCMEC’s Cybertipline.

The Cybertipline, run by the National Center For Missing and Exploited Children, is a 24 hour hotline accessible by phone or online, where you can always report any and all crimes against children whether they happen online or not. John Walsh and NCMEC have a zero tolerance goal for crimes against children, but they want you to get involved too and help make a difference for exploited kids.

Just a quick note this month to let you know about two important online resources I’ve recently discovered.

The first is 4NetSafety. It’s a great website that’s full of information about staying safe online. It’s aimed at both kids and parents, and its goal is to open the lines of communications about internet safety between young people and adults. It’s also got a special section for educators. 4NetSafety was put together by our friends at Sprint in partnership with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the NEA, and it’s well worth checking out. Continue reading John Walsh: Some Great Resources For Your Kid’s Online Safety »

For online teens, being net-savvy is not just a useful skill, but also a weapon against the dangers of the Internet. Unfortunately, far too many predators use technology to target our children. Waqas Rehman was one of those low-lifes, who police say took advantage of a 12-year-old girl.

In the wake of this painful ordeal, Nicole and her mother Jaemi Levine have been working together, using their first hand experience to help teach kids and teens about these dangers and how to avoid them Continue reading Spreading The Word To Teens About Online Safety »