A credit freeze stops lenders from checking your credit report, so a thief can’t open new accounts in your name. It’s free, doesn’t affect your credit score, and you can lift it any time. You set it up separately at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.
Freeze vs. fraud alert
Blocks most new credit checks until you lift it. Free. Lasts until you remove it. You set it at each of the three bureaus.
Tells lenders to verify it’s really you before opening credit. Free. Lasts one year (seven years for identity theft victims). Placing it at one bureau notifies the other two.
How to freeze (about 15 minutes)
- Visit each bureau’s official freeze page: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion (links below), or call them.
- Create an account, answer identity questions, and confirm the freeze.
- Save your login (or PIN) in a password manager. You’ll need it to lift the freeze.
Lifting it when you need credit
Applying for a loan, credit card, apartment or a new phone plan? Ask which bureau the company checks, then lift (“thaw”) the freeze there temporarily. Online or phone requests are handled within an hour by law.
What a freeze doesn’t do
- It doesn’t stop someone using your existing cards; watch your statements.
- It doesn’t block existing creditors, debt collectors or some background checks.
- You can still check your own report for free at AnnualCreditReport.com.
You can also freeze a child’s credit for free, which protects them for years before they need it.
Quick tips
- Freeze at all three bureaus, not just one.
- Keep your bureau logins somewhere safe.
- After a data breach notice, freeze first, then change passwords.
Sources
- FTC: Credit freezes and fraud alerts
- Equifax: Credit freeze
- Experian: Freeze center
- TransUnion: Credit freeze
- IdentityTheft.gov
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