Stuff to Blog About and More: Happy New Year!

An estimated 100 million viewers watched as the crowd in Times Square witnessed the dropping of the ball to mark the new year.

And the weather in Times Square could have been better as there was a winter weather advisory in effect. for much of the day

The 2009 ball weighed 11,875 pounds It included 2,668 Waterford crystals, 32,256 Philip Luxeon Rebel LEDs and has a palette of more than 16 million colors and billions of patterns available.

Sen. Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton helped New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg push the button for the ball drop at 11:59 p.m.

They wer joined by the Jonas Brothers, Ludacris, Taylor Swift, Parachute, the USO and Lionel Richie. And, as is tradition, confetti in Times Square and fireworks in Central Park helped continue the celebration after midnight.

Stumble It!

FTC: Your Rights: Credit Reporting

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation's consumer protection agency, has prepared a brochure, Your Access to Free Credit Reports, explaining your rights under the FCRA and how to order a free annual credit report.

A credit report includes information on where you live, how you pay your bills, and whether you've been sued, arrested, or filed for bankruptcy. Nationwide consumer reporting companies sell the information in your report to creditors, insurers, employers, and other businesses that use it to evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment, or renting a home.

How do I order my free report?

You can order your free annual credit report online at annualcreditreport.com, by calling 1-877-322-8228, or by completing the Annual Credit Report Request Form and mailing it to: Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281.

When you order, you need to provide your name, address, Social Security number, and date of birth. To verify your identity, you may need to provide some information that only you would know, like the amount of your monthly mortgage payment.

A Warning About "Imposter" Sites

The FTC advises consumers who order their free annual credit reports online to be sure to correctly spell annualcreditreport.com, or link to it from the FTC's website to avoid being misdirected to other websites that offer supposedly free reports,but only with the purchase of other products. While consumers may be offered additional products or services while on the authorized website, they are not required to make a purchase to receive their free annual credit reports.

For more information on free annual credit reports, read Your Access to Free Credit Reports.