Credit Freezes Help Protect Your Identity
What is a Credit Freeze? A credit freeze, a.k.a. security freeze, restricts access to your credit file and prevents you (or others) from being able to open any new credit accounts while the freeze is in place. A credit freeze will not prevent your existing creditors from viewing your credit reports, but it will block the release of them to new/potential creditors. For example, if a cybercriminal obtained access to your social security number or other personal information and tried to apply for a loan in your name while your credit was frozen, the account would not be able to be opened. Why Should I Freeze My Credit? Helps protect your identity by reducing the chance that someone could fraudulently open an account in your name Gives you peace of mind knowing that your credit reports are secure It’s free, and you can do it yourself at any time Does not impact your credit score or your ability to use existing credit accounts How do I Freeze my Credit? You can place a temporary or perman