A credit freeze limits access to your credit report and can make it harder for an identity thief to open a new account in your name. The Federal Trade Commission says freezes are free, do not affect your credit score, and remain until you lift them.
Contact all three bureaus
A freeze at one bureau does not freeze the other two. Use the official Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion freeze pages linked by the FTC. Create strong, unique credentials and keep recovery information somewhere secure.
Plan before applying
When you legitimately apply for credit, you may need to lift a freeze temporarily. If the lender tells you which bureau it will use, you may only need to lift that freeze; otherwise plan for all three.
A freeze is not complete monitoring
Continue reviewing credit reports and statements. If identity theft has already occurred, use IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan.
Before a future application, use the Application Eligibility Timeline and read our verification methodology.
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