Coka Collins has received plenty of advice as she prepares for her freshman year of college at Louisiana Tech University this fall. But there's one warning particularly stamped in the 18-year-old Mansfield, La., native's memory: "No credit cards!" she said. "They can be tricky because you can spend on it, but you have to pay it back."

Collins' statement falls in line with one of the ABCs of good finances according to the Better Business Bureau and national nonprofit consumer credit counseling agency ClearPoint Financial Solutions. Both agencies have joined together to encourage parents to review with their teens the "ABCDs" before they head to college.

"Parents typically take the time to discuss the risks of illegal drug use and other personal safety issues. We hope they will also remember to advise their college-bound son or daughter how to manage finances responsibly," said Andy Fisher, CEO of the BBB of Central Louisiana. "That way when they graduate in a few years, they'll have a head start on the road to financial stability."

That's what Collins' guardian, Tina Cotton, had in mind when she warned her about credit card spending and other points.

"If she learns not to be wasteful at an early age, it can help her throughout life and keep her from getting into a financial bind," she said.

Throughout Phillip Homza's teen years, his parents, Wayne and Lynn Homza of Shreveport, La., groomed him on the importance of managing money properly by helping to start a checking account at age 14, followed by a savings account shortly after.

"I just think it's important. They're lifelong lessons because quite soon, we hope, he will be totally responsible for his own finances," Lynn Homza said.

The BBB and ClearPoint Financial Solutions' ABCDs include:

A IS FOR ACCOUNT AWARENESS