divider
Money Matters
divider

Free Credit Freezes For Everyone

15 Oct 2018 by: Matt Showley 

Since the Equifax data breach in 2017, news headlines have highlighted how important it is to monitor your credit score. Now, the credit reporting agencies are making it easier to be proactive when fighting credit fraud. As of September 21st, a new federal law allows you to freeze your credit file for FREE at each of the three credit agencies.

A credit freeze is a way to shut off your credit and prevent it from being used. A thief with ill intent will be unable to open any kind of credit line in your name. Your credit will “thaw out” only when you contact the credit reporting agencies and request that they unfreeze your credit. This requires that you establish either a password protected account or a PIN in order to verify your identity with the reporting agencies.

A credit lock, not to be confused with a credit freeze, is another way to close off your credit from being used. The lock differs from the freeze in a few ways. It normally costs an upfront fee or a monthly fee to turn on the lock and maintain the lock. The credit lock is supposedly faster when locking and unlocking your credit report but with the proper planning, a freeze may still be a good option. The new regulations surrounding the timing of the credit freeze options offer similar benefits, protection and options for free.

The new federal law relating to a credit freeze allows you to call each agency and request that they freeze your credit. If you make this request over the phone, each agency is required by law to establish a freeze on your credit within one day of receiving your request. If you call to remove the freeze because you want to establish another form of credit, they must remove the freeze within one hour of your phone request.

A credit freeze is a proactive measure to block unwanted credit lines from opening without your authorization. If you have already had your identity stolen, you can follow the link here to take you to a blog, written by CCMI, with steps on how to proceed.

If you are trying to prevent this type of credit fraud in the future, and do not need to setup new credit or finance a home or car in the near future, you may want to consider setting up a credit freeze. You would do this by calling the each of the 3 major credit reporting agencies listed below and asking for a freeze to be placed on your credit.

Equifax

https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/

800-685-1111

Experian

https://www.experian.com/freeze/center.html

888-397-3742

Transunion

https://www.transunion.com/credit-freeze

888-909-8872

During the process, if you have not already done so, you will set up an account with each agency and you will establish a PIN number. This PIN will be the key to unlocking your credit in the future. Make sure to keep this PIN somewhere safe that you will remember, because going through the identity verification process with each credit reporting agency can be very time intensive.

For more information, you can visit any of the credit reporting agencies online using the links provided above, or you can call CCMI and we would be happy to discuss a few of the benefits and drawbacks with you.




CCMI provides personalized fee-only financial planning and investment management services to business owners, professionals, individuals and families in San Diego and throughout the country. CCMI has a team of CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNERTM professionals who act as fiduciaries, which means our clients’ interests always come first.
How can we help you?

Matt Showley is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and Accredited Estate Planner®️ who advises individuals, families, and business owners on portfolio management, financial planning, tax and estate planning, real estate, cash-flow modeling, and education planning. In addition to his role as principal and owner, Matt continues to oversee the firm’s operations and work with new and existing clients. Matt joined CCMI in 2006 and has contributed significantly to the firm’s wealth management and financial planning processes and client relationships.

More by this Author
Below are additional articles written by this author.

High inflation over the last few years has caused many retirees and pre-retirees to be concerned about outliving their savings. With shifting market conditions, increasing…

As you approach retirement, you’ve likely considered whether you have enough savings, developed an efficient withdrawal strategy, and thought about travel and hobbies you’ll pursue…

As you embrace retirement, crafting an estate plan is pivotal to protect your legacy, assets, and loved ones’ futures. An estate plan is essential to…