How to Freeze Your Credit

Identity theft is all too common; in fact, Consumer Affairs reported a nearly 382% increase in identity theft in 2023 compared to 20 years earlier. Freezing your credit through each of the three credit bureaus can help you keep your credit report and financial information secure. 

The three credit bureaus make it easy to freeze and unfreeze your credit, with options if you need to freeze their credit quickly or schedule a freeze for a later time. Here’s how it works.

What is a credit freeze?

A credit freeze is a security measure you can take to help avoid becoming a victim of identity fraud. When you freeze your credit, your report is locked, preventing creditors from gaining access to it. Since most creditors rely on checking your credit report to inform their decision on your credit application, this will stop potential creditors from approving unwanted credit in your name. 

Why should you consider freezing your credit?

Freezing your credit can go a long way toward protecting your financial security. You should consider putting a freeze on yours if:

• You’re cautious of identity theft: Freezing your credit can help mitigate the financial risk of identity theft before it happens. 
• You’ve received notice of a data breach: If you’ve been notified that your data has been involved in a breach, it's a good idea to freeze your credit immediately. Time is of the essence in this situation because you’ll want to freeze your credit before a scammer can use your data to leverage your credit. 
• You want to protect your child or elderly loved one: Children and elderly loved ones can benefit from having their credit frozen. If you’re the parent of a child or have the financial power of attorney over an older relative, freezing their credit could save them from falling victim to identity theft. 
• You’re getting divorced or separated: Credit freezes can be beneficial during the divorce or separation process, especially if you suspect your ex-partner might try to take credit out in your name. During this time, however, it's best to follow the advice of your attorney.

How does a credit freeze prevent identity theft?

Putting a freeze on your credit reports stops any new accounts from being opened in your name. As a result, this stops anyone from accessing your funds or using fraudulent accounts that are tied to you. 

“A credit freeze is an important proactive step that helps block unauthorized access to your credit report in an age where data breaches and online fraud are commonplace,” says Dennis Shirshikov, an economics professor at the City University of New York. 

“A consumer, for instance, may choose to freeze his or her credit following a security incident, thus preemptively thwarting potential identity theft — a tactic that turned out to be massively useful,” he says. 

Who should freeze their credit?

Unless they’re actively applying for new credit, everyone can benefit from freezing their credit. Since lifting a credit freeze is easy and fast to do, many experts strongly recommend that everyone do it. Freezing your credit is especially important for those who are high-risk targets of financial identity theft, such as children, the elderly, and those whose personal data has been compromised. 

How to place a credit freeze with the major bureaus

It’s important to freeze your credit with all three major bureaus so your credit will be fully protected. 

How to freeze your credit with Equifax

Equifax offers three different ways to freeze your credit. You can create a myEquifax account and quickly lock your credit through the online portal. You can also freeze your score by calling 888-298-0045. Be ready to provide your Social Security number and other information to verify your identity. From there, a customer service representative will walk you through the credit freeze process.

Snail mail is also an option when you want to freeze your credit with Equifax. You must download this request form, which contains instructions and mailing directions. You need to provide documents to verify your identity, and you must wait three business days for your credit to be frozen. Mailed requests can be sent to:

Equifax Information Services LLC

P.O. Box 105788

Atlanta, GA 30348-5788

How to freeze your credit with Experian

Experian can help you freeze and unfreeze your credit for free, in real time. When you sign up for an Experian account and log in, you’ll see the “security freeze” feature. You can then toggle it to freeze or unfreeze and secure your credit instantly. You can also schedule a freeze for some time in the future and get alerts when the status of the freeze changes.

If you’d rather process your freeze over the phone, you can call 888-397-3742 and speak to a representative. You can also send a security freeze request to:

Experian Security Freeze

P.O. Box 9554

Allen, TX 75013

How to freeze your credit with TransUnion

TransUnion makes it easy to freeze your credit via a free account. You can sign up to see the status of your credit report and freeze or unfreeze your account. You can log on to unfreeze it or schedule a time for your credit to thaw. 

You can also call the TransUnion Customer Service Center at 800-916-8800 and have a representative freeze your credit for you. Freezing your credit online or over the phone typically takes effect immediately. You can also request a TransUnion credit freeze by mail addressed to:

TransUnion

P.O. Box 160

Woodlyn, PA 19094

How to lift or remove a credit freeze

Chris Heerlein, CEO of REAP Financial, says there’s one time you should consider removing a freeze: “Only when obtaining credit.”. Keeping your credit frozen until you need it keeps your information safer and ensures no one can fraudulently apply for credit in your name. When you’re ready to take out a loan or line of credit, you can quickly unfreeze your credit in the same way you placed it: by contacting all three credit bureaus. This can be done by phone, online, or by mail. 

“Unfreezing is a tactical decision — one that needs to be carefully calibrated to balance risk management against financial opportunity,” Shirshikov says. “This was the case with one of my clients who pre-scheduled the temporary lifting of their credit freeze several weeks before a major financial application.”

How long does it take to unfreeze your credit?

Your credit can be unfrozen rather quickly, but the method you use can change the timeline. However, there are set guidelines that credit bureaus must meet when it comes to timelines. You can expect your credit to be thawed within:

• One hour for requests made online or over the phone
• Three business days for requests made through the mail

Can you temporarily lift a credit freeze?

Some credit bureaus let you temporarily lift a credit freeze so lenders can view your credit score and history when you apply for a loan or credit line. Equifax, for example, lets you temporarily lift your security freeze if you call and let the credit bureau know you plan to apply for a loan. You can also manage your credit freeze from an online account. 

Does freezing your credit affect your credit score?

No, freezing your credit won’t affect your credit score, just who can see it. This means your score can continue to rise and fall based on your credit usage and whether you make payments on time. You’ll want to continue practicing healthy lending habits while your credit is frozen. 

How to monitor your credit after freezing it

After you’ve lifted a freeze on your credit, monitoring your credit can help you ensure your credit score is healthy and your identity is secure. One of the easiest ways to monitor your credit is to use a credit monitoring service.

Credit monitoring services

Credit monitoring services like those offered by Experian or TransUnion do the work for you, keeping an eye on your credit and alerting you to potential fraud. They also let you know if any significant change occurs, good or bad. 

Some credit monitoring services are free (i.e., Experian), while others require a paid subscription (TransUnion, LifeLock, Equifax, etc.) for more advanced features. These advanced features include fraud alerts, a daily update on your score, and identity theft monitoring and insurance. 

How to check your credit reports regularly

Checking your credit reports regularly can help you catch fraud quickly and help inform your borrowing strategy. You can check your credit report at all three major bureaus for free by visiting AnnualCreditReport.com. Authorized by federal law, you can use this site to request a copy of your credit report from each bureau and regularly review that the information is accurate. 

If you’d like to check your credit more regularly, you can pay to receive additional credit reports from Transunion, Equifax, and Experian. Although it will cost you money, checking your credit is considered a soft credit inquiry and won’t affect your score. 

How to freeze your child's credit

Everyone has a credit report, even kids, so it’s just as important to freeze children’s credit reports as it is for adults. A study by Javelin Strategy and Research found that 915,000 children were victims of identity fraud in 2022.

Since kids don’t need to access their credit until they’re older, freezing their credit while they’re young can help keep your child’s financial identity protected. 

“You can and should freeze your child’s credit to protect him or her from identity theft, given that children usually have no credit history to speak of and make great targets for fraud,” Shirshikov says. 

To request a freeze on your child’s credit, you’ll go through the same process required to freeze your credit, but you’ll need to show proof that you are the parent or guardian of your child. Your child’s birth certificate, a copy of your government-issued ID, and your Social Security card might be required to do so. As with freezing your credit, you’ll need to contact all three credit bureaus by calling, emailing, or logging in to your account.