Credit freezes and fraud alerts are free: how to set them up before holiday shopping
A credit freeze stops thieves opening accounts in your name, costs nothing and can be lifted in an hour. Here's how to place one at Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, and how to freeze a child's credit.
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What's happened
Holiday shopping means more card payments, more online accounts and more data breaches to worry about. One of the strongest protections against identity theft is free by law: a credit freeze. Since September 21, 2018, the three nationwide credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, have had to place and lift freezes at no charge.
A freeze blocks lenders from seeing your credit file, so a thief can't easily open a new card or loan in your name. The CFPB says freezes "do not impact your credit scores in any way whatsoever." Your existing accounts keep working as normal.
Freeze or fraud alert?
- Credit freeze. Free to place and lift. It lasts until you lift it. You must contact each bureau separately.
- Initial fraud alert. Free, for anyone who thinks they may be at risk. Lenders must verify your identity before opening new credit. It lasts one year and can be renewed. Contact one bureau and it must tell the other two.
- Extended fraud alert. Lasts seven years, for confirmed identity theft victims with an FTC report from IdentityTheft.gov or a police report.
- Active duty alert. Lasts one year, renewable for the length of a deployment, for active duty servicemembers.
How fast it works
Under federal law, a bureau must place a freeze within one business day of a request online or by phone, or within three business days by mail. It must lift one within one hour for an online or phone request, or three business days by mail. You can also lift a freeze temporarily for a set period.
How to place one
- Equifax: online at equifax.com, through a myEquifax account, or by phone at (888) 298-0045.
- Experian: online with a free Experian account, by phone at 1-888-397-3742, or by mail to Experian Security Freeze, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013.
- TransUnion: online at transunion.com/credit-freeze, or using the contact options on its site.
Freezing a child's credit
Parents and guardians can freeze the credit of a child under 16 for free, at each bureau. You'll need proof of your authority, such as a birth certificate showing you're the parent, and proof of identity. Experian takes minor requests by mail, and Equifax has a Minor Freeze Request form. The freeze stays until you ask for it to be removed.
A worked example
This is an illustration, not a real case.
Chris freezes all three files on a Sunday evening, in about 20 minutes online. On Black Friday, a store offers 20% off a $300 purchase for opening its credit card, a $60 saving. Chris asks which bureau the issuer checks, lifts that freeze from a phone in the store, and it's off within the hour. Chris then sets the freeze to come back on.
What to do now
- Freeze at all three bureaus, and keep any PINs or logins somewhere safe. A password manager such as NordPass can help.
- Freeze your children's files too, if they're under 16.
- Plan ahead for store cards or loans, and lift only the bureau the lender uses.
- Check your credit reports for free at AnnualCreditReport.com.
- Keep watching your statements, since a freeze doesn't stop fraud on cards you already have.
FAQs
Is a credit lock the same as a freeze?
Not quite. The CFPB says locks "are no more effective than security freezes, which are free and which you have a right to by law."
Will a freeze stop a landlord or employer check?
The free freeze law doesn't apply to requests for employment, tenant screening or insurance, the CFPB says, so you may need to lift it for those.
Do I need to renew a freeze?
No. A freeze lasts until you lift it. A fraud alert is different: an initial one lasts a year, so set a reminder if you want to renew it.
Does a freeze hurt my credit score?
No. It doesn't affect your score, and you can still get your free credit reports.
Sources: FTC: what to know about credit freezes and fraud alerts, CFPB: what is a credit freeze?, 15 U.S.C. 1681c-1: security freezes and protected consumers, California Attorney General: freeze your credit, Equifax: credit freeze, Experian: security freeze center, USA.gov: credit freeze
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