The most recent weapon in the war to protect your credit is the Credit Freeze, also called a Security Freeze. A Credit Freeze completely shuts down access to your credit history. You are given a PIN to access your credit history. If you want to provide access - for a new loan or job application that requires a credit check, for example - you can "thaw" your credit history for a specified period of time. The nature of the Credit Freeze means that it will make getting credit much more difficult - not only for any potential fraud, but for you as well. Fees can be involved both to establish the freeze and each time you need to "thaw" it. So, the Credit Freeze is not perfect for all consumers, but it promises to be the best method of preventing abuse of your good credit. Placing a Credit Freeze requires a written request to each credit bureau, and each has slightly different requirements. Our simple interview process will automatically generate all three letters for you. Note: The Credit Freeze is now available to all consumers in all states. In most states victims of Identity Theft can utilize this defense at no cost. |