#Credit freeze lift equifax how to

You can contact each of the credit bureaus by phone to initiate a credit freeze:Īgain, the bureaus will ask for some information to verify your identity before processing the credit freeze. The bureaus will ask you to verify some information before processing your freeze request, including your name, Social Security number and birth date. Visit each credit bureau's website to initiate an online freeze. Online credit freezeįreezing your credit online is the fastest option, and it's easy to do.

#Credit freeze lift equifax how to

Decide how you want to initiate the credit freezeĪs you learn how to freeze your credit for free, you'll discover that the three bureaus, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, each offer three methods. Putting in the time to freeze all three will generally be the better option. You can choose to perform only one credit bureau freeze if you want, but this won't offer protection for your entire credit file. If you freeze your account with only one, the other two will not be locked. Next, contact each of the credit reporting agencies. Contact the credit bureaus you want to freeze your credit with This is why learning how to read your credit report is vital so you'll know how to identify fraudulent activity. Using a credit freeze is also wise if you see something on your credit report that shouldn't be there. You might also freeze it if you experience a breach of personal information like your Social Security number. You might freeze your credit file if you're a victim of identity theft, as identity theft credit freezes are very common. Most people freeze their credit for a particular reason.

Determine whether you need a credit freeze As a result, you can freeze your credit without paying anything, but the process requires several steps. In 2018, a federal law called the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act was passed to allow people in all states to freeze their credit for free. This is because lenders will likely deny approving your loan requests if they discover a credit freeze, even if they're legitimate requests. You can still apply for new credit lines after freezing your account, but you must perform the necessary steps for unlocking the credit freeze first if you want the lenders to approve your requests. Certain entities, including your current lenders and collection companies they hired, can still access your information after freezing your credit file. This label blocks most creditors from accessing your credit information, but it doesn't block everyone. This takes about 24 hours to take effect. Once you request them, the bureaus place a label on your file that tells them your file is frozen. You must request security freezes when you decide to freeze your credit file. What happens when you freeze your credit? If you use a credit freeze due to identity theft, it's important to report the identity theft to the appropriate channels, including the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and your local police. For example, they won't stop criminals from using your current credit lines and cards or trying to steal your identity.Īfter freezing your credit report, the report will remain locked until you unfreeze it. If they can't access your credit, they can't approve the credit lines. This is because lenders review credit files before approving loans, credit cards and credit lines. With an active credit freeze, a person can still apply for credit in your name, but the lender would most likely deny their application. The purpose of a credit freeze is to stop scammers and thieves from obtaining lines of credit in your name. A freeze won't affect your credit score or current credit lines. When freezing your credit, the credit bureaus place restrictions on your file, preventing anyone from seeing the information it contains. Freezing credit requires performing the necessary steps with each of these credit bureaus. There are three major credit bureaus - Equifax, TransUnion and Experian - and each has a separate credit file on you. What is a credit freeze and how does it work?Ī credit freeze allows you to block lenders from accessing your credit file. Continue reading to learn about credit freezes, what happens when you freeze your credit and how to do so. One part of monitoring it is learning how to freeze credit before you discover or suspect a problem. This means you must protect and monitor it to prevent and detect issues such as identity theft. Your credit score plays a role in your ability to get loans, credit lines and credit cards.