How to freeze your credit (free, ten minutes)
A credit freeze stops anyone opening credit in your name. It is free by law, and you can lift it whenever you like.
What a freeze does
When your credit is frozen, lenders cannot pull your file — so a criminal with your Social Security number still cannot open a card, a loan, or a phone plan in your name. It does not affect your score, your existing cards, or your bills.
Do all three
Freeze at each bureau separately. You will make an account with each — keep those passwords somewhere safe:
- Equifax — equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services
- Experian — experian.com/freeze
- TransUnion — transunion.com/credit-freeze
When you need credit yourself
Unfreeze ("thaw") online in minutes, either for a time window or for a specific lender, then it refreezes on its own. Plan ahead when you are buying a car or signing a lease.
Freeze, not "lock"
Bureaus also sell a "lock" product. The freeze is the one guaranteed free by federal law. You never need to pay to protect your own credit.
Not sure how exposed you are? Our free check shows which leaks your email is in — about one second, and you keep the answer. And if you are in the middle of something right now, a person answers at contact@protectindiana.org.