Credit Freeze: How To Freeze Your Credit
I cannot believe it. The credit reporting agencies have finally done something that is good for us. According to Clark Howard, Transunion and Experian now allow you to freeze your credit online in a matter of minutes for all 50 states. He also states that Equifax is joining the crowd and by November 1st, you’ll be able to obtain a credit report freeze for all 50 states with them online. Today, Equifax allows you to create a security freeze online if you live in Georgia, Iowa, New Jersey, and Wyoming.
If you want to go ahead and freeze your credit, here’s the links:
Equifax: https://www.freeze.equifax.com/Freeze/jsp/SFF_PersonalIDInfo.jsp
Experian: https://www.experian.com/consumer/cac/InvalidateSession.do?code=FREEZE
TransUnion: https://annualcreditreport.transunion.com/fa/securityFreeze/landing
I decided to give it a try. Here’s my experience.
TransUnion: https://annualcreditreport.transunion.com/fa/securityFreeze/landing
TransUnion started me off with a nice page that requests I sign in or create an account. They also have a nice blurb regarding their credit freeze.
State Security Freeze. Ensuring the security of your data. Welcome to the TransUnion Security Freeze service. Now you can control who can access your credit report and when. You can prevent others from looking at your TransUnion credit report and help prevent identity thieves from getting credit in your name.
The signup process was only two pages. While they did use the opportunity to try and get me to opt into spam with credit education and “valuable product offers,” the box was unchecked by default. I did have to change my username after submitting as they didn’t tell me up front that it was already chosen by someone else. Next I had to go through a series of questions regarding my credit use. Be sure and have your information handy on accounts, addresses, etc. including the amounts you pay on them.
That was quick and painless, and the best part is it was free! Now it shows my Security Freeze Status is: Frozen! I like the choices they give you when you need to lift your credit. You can create a global lift for all lenders, a selective lift for only a specific lender (you give the lender a secret code), or you can remove the freeze completely.
Next stop is Experian. I sure hope theirs goes as easily as first one.
https://www.experian.com/consumer/cac/InvalidateSession.do?code=FREEZE
So far so good. They ask for some personal information. Unfortunately they charge $10, but the credit freeze is well worth it to ensure no one can take out credit in your name. Only AFTER they charge the money do they have you verify that you are who you say you are. Be sure and have your account info handy! They gave me a pin instead of letting me choose one I can remember. This isn’t quite as safe as that means I’ll have to document it somewhere, but it is a longer pin so it will be harder for someone to hack at their site. All-in-all, not too shabby! It was very quick and easy to do.
Next stop: Equifax. Clark said it was only good for a few states, but I’m not seeing that on the opening screen. Perhaps they already have it done for all states? The only way to find out is to try!
https://www.freeze.equifax.com/Freeze/jsp/SFF_PersonalIDInfo.jsp
The opening page states they specifically will not use my security freeze personal ID for marketing purposes; however, they try and get me to purchase their Equifax ID Patrol product rather than freeze my credit for only $14.95 per month. No thanks!
It isn’t very comforting seeing that their website comes up with some information being unsecure on the page they are requesting my Social Security number. I told it not to display the unsecure items, so at least I feel somewhat safe in putting my social in. And now, after doing that, another page comes up with the same warning about some parts of the page not being secure and telling me I must mail in the documentation. Bleh. Looks like my state isn’t in there yet.