Now that that college student of yours is into the swing of things on campus, it's time for Mom and Dad to do a little teaching of a course not offered in any school's curriculum...prudent use of credit.

Colleges and universities are becoming very popular places for ID theft. It's easy for a thief because too many students are far too careless with their account numbers.

Remind your child to never leave a statement sitting out unattended in their dorm room. The wrong eyes could see it.

Also instruct them to never give their account number to a friend to make an online purchase. They should do it themselves.

And when the monthly statement arrives in the mails, they should review all the charges listed to be sure there are no fraudulent ones.

Their credit scores will be as important then they graduate as their test scores are now. Help them excel in both. Life in the real world is stressful enough without battling the loss of one's identity.