Credit Freezes Now Free Nationwide

If you’ve ever been worried about your financial security you’ve probably thought about putting a freeze on your credit. Now you can do so without a fee.

As of September 21 credit freezes across all three credit bureaus are now free in all 50 states. The new federal law came in to effect following some scary data breaches in the last decade, most notably the 2017 Equifax breach, which leaked the personal information of millions of Americans.

The law does away with fees associated with issuing a credit fee. Though freezes were never pricey, charging $10, $20 or $30 likely put off a lot of people who could have benefited from the additional security. The law also applies to fees applied when you lifted freezes as well.

How Do I Put A Freeze On My Credit?

The process of freezing your credit has not changed with the law - you still have to contact all three bureaus separately with the request. You can usually request freezes from all three, TransUnion, Equifax and Experian online. If you don’t feel comfortable entering your personal information online you can also request freezes through the regular mail or by phone. You will likely have to provide some identifying information including your social security number.

In most cases once your credit is frozen you will be issued a PIN through the mail from the credit bureau that you will keep secure and use only with that bureau whenever you are opening new credit or making any other changes to your credit.

How Do I Un-Freeze My Credit?

When you are satisfied that your credit has not been compromised you can easily remove the freeze. Removing a freeze is just as it was before - minus the fee. To get rid of a freeze you simply contact the credit bureaus like you did when you applied but this time you will provide them with the PIN you were issues when the freeze was enacted.

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.