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Freeze out the Bad Guys! Have You Frozen Your Credit Reports?

Started by Leigh, September 10, 2018, 02:57:24 PM

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Leigh

 The Economic Growth Regulations Relief and Consumer Protection Act, otherwise knows as the Frank Dodd rollback, is making it FREE to freeze all three of your credit reports. (oh my heavens if there was EVER a need for an abbreviation!!)  :P

If you haven't done this yet, do it now. Do it! Do it now!

Nothing will lock down your credit files faster than a good solid FREEZE. NO bad guy seeking to steal your identity in order to open credit lines will be able to get into your files.

States were charging fees for this but beginning Sept 21 of this year, Experian, Equifax and Transunion will now be required by federal law to offer you free freezes, and thaws on your credit reports.

Some states are already offering it for free. Check it out and see.  I know Georgia is.

Also, a parent or guardian will now also be able to freeze the data file of a minor. You will need to know their dob, social security number. If a data file does not exist for the minor (which it most likely should not!) they will create a file and freeze it.

Once you freeze ALL THREE credit reports (you do have to contact all three...it will literally take five minutes per), then store the PIN number as you will need it should you ever apply for a line of credit. You will then thaw the credit files so a creditor can check your credit worthiness.

Freezing your credit files is like putting a lock down on Identity theft. Do it now before it happens to you. And don't forget to do it for your elderly loved ones! 

(The Economic Growth Regulations Relief and Consumer Protection Act will also increase the time a fraud alert will stay in place. It was 90 days but will change to 365 days. You only have to alert ONE of the credit reporting agencies and they are required to contact the other two)

Sydney

Thanks for the heads up on this! I've put a freeze on my account before due to some security breach at a vendor I've used (drawing a blank on which one). Glad to hear they're making it easier to do this across all 3 reports without fees.

Good suggestion on doing so for minors as well. Is there any downside to having a data file created if they don't have one already? Sounds like it's better to have one and freeze it versus not do anything and risk an identity thief opening a line of credit without knowing.

Leigh

Good morning!
Good for you for freezing your credit!
A minor should NOT have a financial data file. They don't have loans or credit cards which makes them the perfect victim for ID theft.
A shiny, perfectly pristine clean slate just waiting for some thief to snatch their ID and open an account!

Did you know that 25% of all children will be victims of ID theft before they are 18? A common venue is called 'Familiar Fraud' where the child is known by the thief - a father, uncle, mother, grandparent. This is why I tell clients going through an ugly divorce to make SURE their credit files and the children's credit files are locked solid. I've heard more than one tale of an angry soon to be ex-spouse opening credit cards in the spouse's and children's names.

Okay, back to your comment!  Again, the children should not have a file. They haven't been our wheeling and dealing with creditors, so the credit reporting agencies (CRA) are having to create a file, then freeze it. I wouldn't expect this to go 100% smoothly but they are all suppose to be doing it now and it's the best way to keep your child's pristine financial slate truly clean and free from fraud.

myamnesia

I was listening to a story about this on the news this morning and will most definitely be freezing my kids' credit TODAY, it's a no brainer.  I would be more pissed if my kids' credit was stolen than my own!

How easy is it to unfreeze credit? We're currently buying properties in the mid west and it would be a pain to freeze & unfreeze each time we apply for a mortgage.

Leigh

It is as easy as picking up a phone.

Just make sure you have the PIN number safely stored in a file you can access.

It took me 5 minutes to set up a freeze at each CRA (credit reporting agency) and less than that to thaw. You usually have a choice to either thaw for a range of dates, or allow access to a chosen creditor. I usually thaw for a date range since I can never get a definitive on which of the CRA the creditor intends to use.

And good for you for freezing your child's credit!