Equifax Extends Free Credit Freezes

Still contemplating freezing your credit after the Equifax breach last year? Well now you've got another shot to do so without a fee.

Equifax has announced that they will offer free credit freezes for all customers until June 30, scrapping the planned end date of January 31 due to demand. The normal credit fee costs around $10 but can vary by location. 

Late last year credit giant Equifax announced that a major security breach exposed personal information for nearly 150 million Americans.

If your information was compromised in the hack freezing your credit can be one way to safeguard against fraudulent accounts being opened in your name. Even if your information was not released you can still place a freeze as a precaution if you feel unsettled.

If you choose that route to safeguard your credit then you have to follow-through. If you freeze your credit at Equifax you still need to initiate a freeze at the other major credit companies Experian and TransUnion, which still may carry some kind of fee. Just contacting one will not protect you as much as you may think and since they don't communicate, you have to make sure it's done yourself.

Once you place the freeze you will be issued a PIN by snail mail so that you can thaw your account in the future. Luckily freeze PINs were not included in the breach.

Freezing your account can help but if your personal information was stolen but you are vulnerable to problems in more than just your financials. 

For a more comprehensive solution consider a service like LifeLock that monitors all activity carried our in your name. We wrote a post a few month ago outlining the services they offer and what that means for you to help you determine if that is something you should consider.

We're here to help you rebuild and understand your credit. Give us a call to get started or learn more about what we can do for you 1-800-431-0449.