How To Freeze Your Transunion Credit Report
TransUnion offers a three-step process on its website to freeze your credit.
The website includes information about freezing the credit of a loved one, including a minor or dependent, spouse, deceased relative, or parent. TransUnion has a mobile app to freeze or lift your credit on the go.
Be sure to opt out, if you dont want to receive unsolicited offers of credit or insurance.
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Can i still apply for credit if i have a freeze? If you apply for a loan or a credit card, forgetting your credit is frozen, your application likely won’t be approved. The online options may be the easiest . In my case, i received my pins when i placed the freezes online.
However, the three credit reporting agencies allow voluntary credit freezes. If you apply for a loan or a credit card, forgetting your credit is frozen, your application likely won’t be approved. You can view the status of your security freeze, and also temporarily lift . Creditors typically won’t offer you credit if they can’t .
The quickest and easiest way to unfreeze your credit report is to contact the credit bureau you used to freeze your credit either online or by . What is a credit freeze & credit freeze lift, how to do a credit freeze, credit freeze pros & cons, & how to do a credit thaw. I didn’t pay to lift my credit freeze, as this service is free to . In some instances, you can ask a creditor .
Lifting Your Credit Freeze
Lifting your credit freeze, whether temporarily or permanently, requires contacting credit agencies through the websites, by phone, or by mail. Its free to lift a credit freeze.
Heres a tip if you need to temporarily lift a credit freeze if youre applying for credit or a job. Ask the business which credit bureau it plans to contact. That way, you can lift just one credit freeze instead of all three.
Whether you decide a credit freeze is a good idea for you or not, its smart to take other steps to help protect against identity theft and fraud. For instance, its a good idea to monitor your credit reports. That way, you can see if your credit report contains any suspicious activity and take steps to dispute it and have it removed.
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Why Doesnt Everyone Freeze Their Credit
While freezing your credit wonât guarantee safety, itâs a pretty strong defense against identity theft. But remember â you still need to unfreeze your credit if you legitimately want to apply for a loan or line of credit. While itâs not a heavy burden, it does add extra steps anytime you do something that requires a credit check.
Reasons For Freezing Your Credit
Also known as a security freeze, a credit freeze keeps lenders, creditors, businesses and others from gaining access to your credit report. If someone needs to check your creditfor instance, if you’re buying a car and want to get an auto loanyou must personally lift the credit freeze and give permission for the creditor to see your credit report. Because companies need to see your credit report to extend credit, a credit freeze helps to keep thieves from opening fraudulent accounts in your name without your knowing about it.
People may place a credit freeze on their report for many reasons. Some do it after having suffered fraud or identity theft. Some do it to gain peace of mind after being notified that data they shared with a business, such as credit card information or Social Security numbers, has been breached in a hacking attack. Others do it as a pre-emptive measure to protect themselves or their children.
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How A Security Freeze Works
- Once youve placed a security freeze on your credit, a creditor who asks to see your file will see a message that your file is frozen. The creditor will not see your credit score, and may treat your application as incomplete but not rejected.
- Government agencies collecting child support payments or taxes and your existing creditors or collection agencies acting on their behalf can continue to access your credit despite the freeze.
- Other creditors may also use your information to offer you pre-approved credit. You can stop most credit offers by calling 5-OPT-OUT or visiting www.optoutprescreen.com.
- You will still be able to get a free copy of your credit report annually from each credit bureau.
Pin Vs Password: Which Is Safer
When it comes to securing your information, a password has the potential to be more secure than a PIN number, because a password is a code that uses letters, symbols, and numbers, rather than just numbers. However, a password is only safe if you create a strong one and dont use it for accessing multiple sites, says Al Pascual, vice president and head of fraud and security at Javelin Strategy, a California-based independent digital financial advisory firm.
People very rarely follow password hygiene because they have too many digital accounts and find it impractical to remember a wide variety of strong passwords, says Pascual, who recommends that consumers use a password manager with two-factor identification to help keep strong passwords safe.
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How To Start A Credit Lock
Youll need to contact the three credit bureaus directly to initiate a credit lock.
TransUnion: You can sign up with TransUnions TrueIdentity service to gain access to credit monitoring services and credit locks.
Experian: Sign up for Experians credit lock service here.
Equifax: You can register for Equifaxs credit lock services here.
How much does a credit lock cost? The cost of a credit lock will vary depending on the credit bureau. Experian provides this service free for 30 days and then charges $19.99 a month after the tree trial ends. Equifax provides this service at no cost. You can get your credit locked for free at TransUnion, too, but youll first have to sign up for the free version of the bureaus TrueIdentity credit monitoring service. If you sign up for TrueIdentity Premium, which gives you free access to your credit report and credit score, credit locks are included in the $19.95 monthly price. Please keep in mind that the pricing listed herein is valid as of the date of publication of this article, but is subject to change over time.
Will a credit lock affect your credit score? Locking your credit will not help or hurt your credit score. You can also access your free credit reports from AnnualCreditReport.com even if youve locked your credit.
Requesting The Security Freeze
You will need to file a separate request with each of the major consumer reporting agencies, Equifax, Experian, TransUnion and Innovis.
- EXPERIAN: www.experian.com/freeze or call toll-free 888-397-3742.
- TRANSUNION: www.transunion.com/securityfreeze or call toll-free 888-909-8872
- EQUIFAX: or call the automated line 800-685-1111.
- INNOVIS: , or call toll-free 800-540-2505.
It is free.
You will need to provide your full name, date of birth, social security number and current and previous mailing addresses. You may also be asked to provide a copy of your drivers license and a recent utility bill.
- If you are a victim of identity theft, you will also have to provide a copy of the police report or affidavit of identity theft.
- For identity theft victims, the agencies must place the freeze within 48 hours after receiving the police report or affidavit of identity theft. For all other requests, the freeze must be in place within three business days.
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How Do I Set Up A Security Freeze
The process to place a security freeze requires that you directly contact each of the credit reporting companies. You can do so online or through the mail.
Types of information you should be prepared with:
- Your full name, including middle initial and suffix, such as Jr., Sr. II, III
- Social Security Number
Reasons You May Not Have A Medical History Report
Not everyone has a medical history report. Even if you currently have an insurance plan, you won’t have a report if:
- You haven’t applied for insurance within the last seven years
- Your insurance policy is through a group or employer policy
- The insurance company isnt a member of MIB
- You didnt give an insurer permission to submit your medical reports to MIB
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Important Things To Remember About Credit Freezes
First, freezing your credit doesnât mean you can stop paying off debts. Youâre still responsible for making at least the minimum payments on all your accounts every month.
Second, placing a freeze wonât hurt your ability to build credit with your existing accounts, but it also wonât keep your credit scores from going down if negative information is reported to the bureaus.
Freezing your credit might help protect your personal information, but it can also keep legitimate lenders from accessing your accounts. Every time you apply for a loanâincluding applications for credit cards, auto financing and mortgagesâyouâll need to unfreeze your account so potential lenders can review your credit. You may also have to unfreeze your credit if a credit check is required to rent an apartment or turn on utilities.
If you know which credit bureau a lender will use to review your credit, you may be able to avoid unfreezing at each bureau. But that information can be hard to track down.
Finally, credit freezes are just one way you might protect yourself. It might help to learn other simple ways to help prevent identity theft. You can also read up on other scams and how to report them.
Time Is Of The Essence
If you want to manage your report and have changes take effect quickly, the credit bureaus say that going online is the quickest method, taking effect almost instantly. Calling on the phone or requesting a freeze via snail mail will take longer. But even changes made online can sometimes lag.
The new law mandates that credit freezes can be lifted in less than one hour, but I recommend allowing a bit more lead time, says CreditCards.com industry analyst Ted Rossman. For example, if youre planning on car shopping soon, Id lift the freeze about three business days before applying for an auto loan. That gives you a grace period in case you hit an unexpected delay.
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Is There A Way To Speed Up The Process
An hour isnt long, but if you have an urgent need for a credit thaw because youre vying for a coveted apartment rental or applying for a loan to pay for an emergency vet bill, you may be able to speed things up by explaining the circumstances to a phone representative at the credit bureau. If you need to send in your request, you can pay extra for overnight mail.
You may also be able to prepare ahead of time to minimize any delays or problems. TransUnion, for instance, allows you to schedule the end of a credit freeze 15 days in advance.
The Bottom Line Unfreezing your credit is quick and free, but there are a few things to remember: You can specify how long you want the freeze to be lifteda day, a week, or moreor you can do it indefinitely. If you opt for a temporary lift and know which credit bureau your lender will contact, you can save time by making your request at that bureau only. If you dont know, make sure to contact all three bureaus. Dont confuse a credit freeze with a credit lock. A lock is similar, but it can be applied or removed almost instantly either online or through a mobile app offered by the credit bureaus. Unlike a freeze, its protections arent guaranteed by law, and there may be a fee. A credit freeze only prevents a thief from opening a new account in your name. It doesnt prevent him or her from making charges to your existing accounts. You still need to monitor all bank, credit card, and insurance statements for fraudulent transactions.
How To Freeze Your Credit
If you want to freeze your credit you can do so by contacting each of the three major credit bureaus. Here’s how to reach them:
- Equifax: Online at or by phone at 800-685-1111
- Experian: Online at or by phone at 888-397-3742
- TransUnion: Online at or by phone at 888-909-8872
To freeze your credit you’ll need to give each credit bureau your name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, and other identifying personal information. Experian and TransUnion require you to set a unique PIN to freeze and unfreeze your credit, though Equifax does not.
Freezing your credit is free, and you’ll need to do it with all three credit bureaus to lock down each of your credit reports. And again, the freeze will stay in place until you lift it.
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A Credit Freeze Doesn’t Affect Your Current Accounts Like Your Credit Card Accounts
A common misconception is that a credit freeze means you can’t use your current forms of credit, like a credit card. But your credit report isn’t accessed when you purchase something with a credit card. So, freezing your credit file doesn’t affect your ability to use your existing accounts. Freezing your credit also won’t prevent misuse of your current accounts. If the thief stole your credit card information, that person can use your existing credit card during a credit freeze.
How To Unfreeze Credit
Unfreezing credit, sometimes called thawing, can be done on a temporary or permanent basis.
Itâs free to unfreeze your credit, but the process is different at each bureau. Hereâs what they say:
- Equifax:You can manage and unfreeze your account in multiple ways. But it might make sense to use the same method you used to place the freeze. You can , call 888-298-0045 or use the same form to submit a request through the mail.
- Experian:Make sure you have the PIN you were given when you placed your freeze. Itâs crucial whether youâre removing a freeze online or over the phone . If you donât remember your PIN, youâll have to go through the verification process again. You can also submit through the mail, but youâll need to provide the same information and documents used to freeze your credit.
- TransUnion:The bureau says that the simplest way to remove a freeze is to do it online. You may also be able to do it over the phone or through the mail. Call TransUnion at 888-909-8872 to find out more.
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Why A Credit Freeze Is Typically A Better Choice
The credit bureaus tend to market credit locks as faster and more user-friendly than credit freezes, but in most cases, putting a freeze on your credit at all three agencies is the best way to protect yourself.
State law regulates credit freezes. Credit locks, however, are governed by a contract between you and the credit bureau. Contracts often have terms that arent favorable to the consumer, like arbitration clauses that prevent you from participating in a lawsuit. Also, if a thief fraudulently accesses your credit file while a freeze is in place, youll have better protection against liability under state law. Ultimately, state law will provide you with stronger protections than a contract that the credit bureau drafted. Also, as of September 2018, federal law regulates credit freezes as well.
Freezing and lifting a freeze is free, which is obviously cheaper than having to pay a monthly fee for a credit lock.
Timing And Cost Of Lifting A Credit Freeze
The Fair Credit Reporting Act requires that both freezing your credit and lifting a freeze be free.
In terms of timing, a credit freeze must be removed no later than one hour after a credit bureau receives your request by phone or online. If you mail in a request to have a freeze lifted, credit bureaus have three business days after receiving it to lift the credit freeze.
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How To Freeze Your Childs Credit
There are rules about how old you have to be to get a credit card. And because most children canât open an account on their own, people might think thereâs nothing to worry about.
But fraud and identity theft can still happen to children. And just because theyâre underage doesnât mean scammers canât use their information to open credit cards, bank accounts and more.
If your child is 15 or younger, you can freeze their credit as a precaution. Once they turn 16, they can do it themselvesânot that you canât help.
In cases where a scammer has already used your childâs information, the Federal Trade Commission says you should immediately freeze your childâs credit, among other steps.
If you decide to freeze your childâs credit, youâll again need to make separate requests to each bureau. Those requests have to be done through the mail. Between that and gathering paperwork, the process can take a little time. And if you have more than one child, youâll have to submit separate requests for each.
Hereâs how to get started with each bureau:
- Equifax has a dedicated page to answer questions about freezing your childâs credit report. It also has a minor freeze request form to help you get started.
- Experian also has a page that details the basics and a formal request form to help you get started.
- TransUnion provides step-by-step directions about how to freeze your childâs credit report and what to include with your request.
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