How To Put A Freeze On Your Credit Report

Request A Credit Freeze With Each Credit Reporting Agency

If youve made the decision to freeze your credit reports, then its essential to do so with all three of the major credit bureaus. There is no single, centralized source where you can freeze all three of your credit reports at once.

Think of a credit freeze like a lock on a door. If you have three doors to your home but you only lock one, a burglar can still enter. You have to lock all three doors individually if you want to be secure.

Thankfully, credit freeze requests are fairly easy, and the process can be completed online by creating an account with each credit reporting company. If you cant use the online method for some reason, you can also call or mail in your request.

How A Credit Freeze Works

A credit freeze protects you by blocking access to your . When someone applies for credit using your personal information, a lender or card issuer typically checks your credit before making a decision.

If your credit is frozen, the potential creditor cannot see the data required to approve the application.

You can use a PIN or password to unfreeze your credit when you need it.

Unfreezing Your Credit Is Simple

Online toolsas well as phone and mail-based optionsmake it easy to unfreeze your credit file in a timely, secure manner. Whether you need to temporarily thaw your credit file or permanently unfreeze it, you can work with each bureau to make your report available to external parties when the need arises.

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How Do I Unfreeze My Credit

You can unfreeze your credit by going to the same credit bureau websites that you accessed to freeze your credit, or by calling the numbers listed above. There will be the option to temporarily lift a freeze for a set amount of time, which can be used if you need to apply for a credit card, mortgage, loan or other financial product.

You also have the option to completely remove the freeze, which we don’t recommend doing unless you don’t have a finite timeline on when your credit will be pulled. If you remove a freeze, reinstate it once the application process is complete.

When you unfreeze your credit, you typically have access to your credit report within an hour, but it may vary. We’ve tested this for all three credit bureaus and were able to apply for a credit card within the hour.

The Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act set an official timeline for when credit freezes need to be removed, after a consumer’s request:

• Requests by toll-free telephone or secure electronic means: One hour after receiving the request for removal.
• Requests by mail: Three business days after receiving the request for removal.

How To Get Free Security Freezes Online

To establish your security freezes, you will need to contact each of the three credit bureaus online:

Be prepared to provide detailed information about yourself, including:

• Your Full Name
• Your Date of Birth
• Your Social Security Number

You can establish and manage a security freeze by mail or phone, as well as online.

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Who Can Still Access My Credit Report

There are still a few people or entities who can access your report.

• You.
• Your current creditors or debt collectors working for them.
• Government agencies who have a court order, a subpoena, or a search warrant.

So, thats Freeze-My-Credit-Report 101. If youre worried about your identity and think you want to freeze your report, contact the three credit reporting bureaus. Your personal identifying information is valuable. Be sure to protect it.

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How Do You Lock Your Credit At Each Bureau

Unlike a credit freeze, which you can add and remove from your account as needed, a credit lock requires you to enroll in a program. To make a credit lock most effective, enroll in the programs at all three of the major consumer credit bureaus Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

Locking your credit costs nothing at Equifax and TransUnion if you enroll in their separate locking programs, but if you choose to use their joint program that locks both at once and also includes theres a fee. Theres no free option from Experian, but its credit lock program also comes with additional features like credit monitoring that may make the cost worth it to you.

To enroll in a credit locking program, youll fill out an online form that requires personal information like your name, address and Social Security number, and then youll answer some identity-verification questions.

Heres how each bureaus credit locking program works and how to enroll.

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When Credit Freezes Work Best

It may make sense to freeze your credit when you want a high level of protection, youre willing to live with the tradeoffs and you continue to monitor financial accounts for problems that credit freezes cant prevent.

Freezing your credit is one of the most powerful ways to protect your credit. But a freeze makes it hard to use your credit and you might need your credit information available more often than you realize. As a result, its crucial to understand the conditions that work best with credit freezes.

No need for credit: When you dont plan to use your credit for anything in the foreseeable future, freezing your credit may be an excellent idea. If you dont need that information available, why leave it out there? For example, if you recently bought a car and you dont plan to move or buy property any time soon, there arent many reasons for new inquiries into your credit.

For children and incapacitated consumers: You can also freeze credit for children under the age of 16 and incapacitated people under guardianship. In many cases, those individuals arent applying for loans or using their credit frequently, so theres no need to make it available to the world.

Occasional unfreezing is easy enough: Even if you plan to use your credit soon, its relatively painless to freeze it and temporarily unfreeze whenever you need it. In many cases, you can temporarily remove the freeze online, by phone, or by mail, and you choose how long the lift should last.

How To Freeze Your Reports

If you would like to place a security freeze on your credit reports you must request a freeze from each of the three consumer reporting agencies with the indicated information. For one individual, three requests must be made. For spouses, six requests must be made. Parents may also want to consider placing freezes on behalf of their minor children.

Write to the addresses listed below, call using the automated system, or log online and provide the following documentation:

Equifax Security Freeze

• Include name, current and former addresses for the last five years, Social Security number, and date of birth.

What should I do if I think Im an identity theft victim?

What is a security freeze?

A security freeze tells the consumer reporting agencies not to give access to your consumer reporting file or your credit score unless you have provided authorization. Placing a freeze can prevent criminals from using your credit record to open new accounts. If your credit reports are frozen, even someone with your name, date of birth, and Social Security number will be prevented from opening new accounts in your name.

How long will the security freeze remain on my credit report?

A security freeze will remain on your credit report until you request its removal.

Can I open new credit accounts if my files are frozen?

What will a creditor who requests my file see if it is frozen?

Will a freeze lower my credit score?

Can I order my own credit report if my file is frozen?

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How Do I Lift Unfreeze Or Thaw My Credit Freeze

Once youve frozen your credit, you may find that you need to apply for a loan or open a new line of credit.

In that case, youll need to unfreeze your credit with one or more of the credit bureaus, depending on which one your lender uses.

Here are some important things to keep in mind when you go to lift your credit freeze:

• If you unfreeze your credit online, you dont need the PIN that you set up when you froze your credit.
• If you choose to to have your freeze lifted, you will be asked for your PIN, but if you dont remember it you can still unfreeze your credit by answering some challenge questions.
• If you request to lift your credit freeze by mail, you will be required to provide some documentation to prove your identity.

If you are having issues unfreezing your credit or retrieving your PIN, your goal at that point is to gain access to your account. Heres how to get in touch with a live person at the major credit bureaus.

Why Do You Need To Protect Your Credit Report

Your credit report shows patterns of payment that help lenders and creditors decide whether or not they want to issue a loan or line of credit to you. It contains a lot of sensitive personal identifying information that identity thieves can steal. They can do a lot of damage to your financial health in a very short time, which you may have discovered the hard way if youve ever been the victim of identity theft.

Bottom line: its important to know how to protect yourself from identity theft.

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Freeze Your Credit With Experian Equifax And Transunion

Youll need to contact each of the three major credit reporting agencies individually to freeze your credit with them. You can do this online, via the phone, or through the U.S. mail.

The quickest and easiest way to freeze your credit is online. Heres how:

• Date of birth
• Social Security Number

You will also likely be asked some questions about prior places of residence and credit accounts you may have or have had in the past. This is all to ensure that you are actually the one requesting the freeze.

How To Do An Equifax Credit Freeze

If you want to put a freeze on your Equifax credit report, you can visit their website or contact them by phone at 800-349-9960. Youll need to give your Social Security number, your address, and the state you live in. A PIN to unfreeze your account will be mailed to you.

To freeze your credit by mail you will need to include copies of documents that verify your name and address. And then mail it to:

Equifax Security Freeze Atlanta, GA 30348

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Shortcomings Of Freezing Your Credit

So, why wouldnt you freeze your credit? There are several limitations and drawbacks, and its crucial to understand those as you make your decision.

Limited protection: You can prevent identity thieves from accessing your credit reports which goes a long way toward avoiding problems but thats it. A credit freeze does not prevent anybody from using your credit card number, hacking into your bank account, or doing anything else they can accomplish without a credit inquiry.

Even if you freeze your credit, some forms of theft are still possible, and you need to monitor your accounts for signs of fraud.

More PINs: When you freeze your credit, you receive a PIN that you must provide whenever you want to lift the freeze. Thats one more PIN that you need to remember or keep accessible in secure storage. You may need to dig up the PIN on short notice to apply for a loan, rent an apartment, buy insurance, or complete other tasks.

Numerous freezes required: Freezing your credit at the three major credit reporting agencies is a good start. But there are other reporting agencies, and businesses might use those data sources instead of the major credit bureaus. For example, identity thieves might be able to open mobile phone accounts in your name even after you freeze your credit at the major credit bureaus. To prevent problems, you would need to freeze your credit at those agencies, as well.

When Should I Freeze My Credit

If you’ve been a victim of identity theft, you have more than one option to consider when it comes to protecting your credit. In many cases, a security alert may be sufficient. Learn more about other differences between a credit freeze and fraud alert.

When you place a fraud alert, also known as a security alert, on your credit report, you can add a telephone number so lenders can call you when they receive an application and verify that it’s you who is applying. You also can request additional free credit reports when you add an initial security alert or victim statement. Reviewing your report can help you determine whether or not you are a victim and help you take appropriate action.

In more extreme cases in which you’re experiencing ongoing fraud attempts, you may feel a security freeze is necessary.

It’s worth considering taking action to protect your credit if:

• Unexplained bills or collection notices are mailed to your address, in your name or under another’s name.
• New inquiries or credit accounts appear on your credit report, indicating activity with lenders or other companies you don’t recognize.
• Your bank or credit union notifies you about fraudulent activity on an account.
• You receive notification that you are or could be the victim of a data breach.

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What Is A Credit Freeze And How Does It Work

A credit freeze is a free service that restricts access to your credit file. When you freeze your credit, you prevent anyone who might have access to your Social Security number or personal information from accessing your credit report. The purpose of a credit freeze is to prevent new accounts from being opened using your information.

When you freeze your credit, you’ll need to complete the process with all three credit reporting agencies: TransUnion, Equifax and Experian.

Little Secrets To Easily Freeze Your Credit Files By Phone Or Online

You have two primary options for freezing your credit files with the three major credit bureaus. You can do it by phone or online, whichever youre more comfortable with.

Below are instructions for doing it by phone. Heresa link to a U.S. PIRG staffers step-by-step accountof freezing her files online for the first time.

To freeze your credit files by phone:

Experian: 1-888-397-3742

Equifax: 1-800-685-1111

Before you embark on your freeze journey, you should make sure you are ready. You can do all of the tasks through the automated operator you don’t need to talk to a live person. Here are some important tips:

1, Dont try to multi-task. Its not difficult to freeze or thaw your files. But you shouldnt do it while youre watching TV or cooking dinner. You need to focus and follow the prompts in a timely fashion. You should be able to complete all three bureaus in 15 to 20 minutes if you dont make mistakes or miss your prompts and need to start over.

2. Have a pen and paper next to you.

3. Have ready :

4. Dont get confused or talked into a fraud alert or a lock. You want a FREEZE.

5. Dont have your phone on speaker. The computer often picks up background noise and proceeds as if you gave a wrong response. Or it hangs up on you. This is extremely frustrating. (At least one of the credit bureaus recommends you not use a cell phone. Thats unrealistic, though, considering about half the adult population has only a cell phone — no landline or VoIP line.

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Who Can Access My Credit Once It’s Frozen

When you freeze your credit, you limit who has access to your credit report. Fraudsters won’t be able to open new accounts in your name regardless of whether they have access to your social security number and other personal information.

Any banks that you already have relationships with will continue to have access to your credit report. For example, if you request a credit limit increase with the Citi® Double Cash Card, Citi may review your credit report.

Debt collectors and marketers will also have access. If you want to stop getting prescreened credit offers, opt out by going online or calling 888-567-8688.

You’ll still have access to your credit and can check your credit report for free.

How Long Does It Take To Lift A Credit Freeze

If you make the request online or by phone, the three major credit bureaus are required to lift the freeze within an hour. The request can be done by mail, but note that this is a longer process. The credit bureaus, however, are required to remove the freeze within three business days of receiving notice.

If you are making the request on behalf of a minor, note that submitting a request to lift a credit freeze can only be done by mail.

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