I froze my credit score and it was SO EASY! (And Free)

Y’all – after years of purposely ignoring this for causes not even price mentioning (they’re all lame) I lastly froze my credit score AND IT WAS SO EASY!!

It actually took me below 5 minutes to do it and I really caught myself muttering out loud: “Gosh I’m an fool… shoulda simply executed it sooner.” However, with all issues boring and unimportant till they turn into vital (!), freezing credit score was simply by no means a precedence as a result of nothing ever unhealthy occurred to this point with out doing it.

After which all these main information breaches occurred, and properly, as Jonathan from My Cash Weblog lately put it:

“The stability between the assured trouble of sustaining a credit score freeze and the potential trouble of coping with an identification theft try has lastly shifted sufficient in the direction of simply having them frozen as a default place.”

I star’d this a month in the past for Future Jay to cope with, after which I began getting dinged left and proper with alerts final week telling me my information is now public to the world (which I already assumed it was, as a result of man – we do EVERYTHING on-line!) and one thing about seeing it *in writing* lastly prompted me to take motion.

And identical to that my virginity was unfrozen (see what I did there?!)

And it actually was that simple to do!! Underneath 5 minutes at every bureau – no joke. If you happen to’ve been placing it off and know it’s good to do it, simply cease studying this proper now and get it executed.

Listed here are the three locations it’s good to go to:

1. Experian.com/freeze/middle.html
2. Transunion.com/credit-freeze
3. Equifax.com/private/credit-report-services/credit-freeze

Create an account, fill in some private information, after which click on that magical “freeze my credit score” button and BOOM – you’ll really feel superb.

(And sure – it’s silly it’s a must to go to a few (!) totally different bureaus and create three (!) totally different accounts, however you’ll be able to’t do something about it so don’t even waste your vitality. Methodically transfer via every one in every of them after which test it off your checklist as soon as and for all! Imagine me after I inform you it’s oddly satisfying clicking that freeze button!! 😂)

You’ll really feel good for not having to consider it anymore, however much more importantly – you received’t have to fret about dummies attempting to open credit score traces or loans below your identify anymore too! Or no matter else these lame hackers love to do with their wasted expertise, ugh…

Why don’t they put it to GOOD use???

And FYI: you’ll be able to unfreeze them simply as simply at any level too. Additionally free! Simply log again in and click on “unfreeze” –  and voila! So even when you suppose chances are you’ll want entry to your credit score within the close to future, freezing it now received’t maintain you up later within the course of. Simply bear in mind to return again later and log again in!

I might have sworn all this used to value like $10 or $15 a shot again within the day, including but one more reason to not be bothered by it, however in some unspecified time in the future alongside the way in which I assume they nixed that and now you are able to do it with out even lifting your pockets. Or this submit wouldn’t have ever been written, as unhappy as that’s, lol…

When you’re executed freezing all of the credit, you’ll be able to then nerd out even *extra* by grabbing your credit score SCORE and credit score REPORT too! Additionally free at most bureaus!

I really spent far more time on the websites doing this than inserting my credit score freezes, lol…

Right here’s what I discovered:

(My Vantage 3.0 rating)

(My FICO^® Rating)

TransUnion provides the Vantage 3.0 rating too, nevertheless they cost $0.99 for it so I simply grabbed it from Equifax without spending a dime 😉 (Though weirdly, after I first created my Equifax account it stated you needed to pay in your rating, however after I logged off after which again on later to test one thing totally different, it turned free?! So when you see the identical simply sign off after which again in and hopefully it resets the identical for you too.

Additionally – after we created my spouse’s TransUnion account it wouldn’t allow us to click on the “freeze” button for some cause, so I needed to name and wait on maintain for a bit however then they toggled one thing and it labored simply nice. So don’t let random snags maintain you up within the course of! Simply preserve going!)

You too can simply seize your credit score REPORTS from all three bureaus every year too – without spending a dime. Which is sensible to verify nobody has *beforehand* executed something together with your identification earlier than you may lock every little thing up.

Now this activity takes wayyyyyy longer although, so don’t even get slowed down by it except you’ve already frozen your accounts and have some free hours in your hand 🙂

There’s additionally the choice so as to add “fraud alerts” to your accounts as properly so that you’ll get notified every time somebody tries to entry your credit score. And luckily with this one you simply should do it at *one* bureau and so they go alongside the word to the opposite two making it even sooner! We additionally did this as a double precaution.

The alerts solely final a yr although, so that you’ll should renew it later as soon as the time comes once more (there’s additionally totally different sorts of alerts too which might be extra in depth it appears, like when you already had your credit score stolen and filed a police report, or when you’re on energetic obligation, however I simply caught with the 1 yr regular alert since nothing unhealthy has occurred but – not less than that I at present learn about! I nonetheless gotta pour over these 3 credit score reviews!!)

Now on the down facet you’ll be able to’t add any freezes or fraud alerts to KIDS’ credit as simply as you’ll be able to your self (anybody below 18). However you CAN do it, you simply should undergo a extra prolonged strategy of exhibiting social safety playing cards and delivery certificates to show who they’re, and who YOU are, after which wait some time for all of it to be verified. I’ve but to undergo this course of (and never wanting ahead to doing it 3x over!) however it’s on the checklist as there must be NO credit score being opened for years on behalf of any of those guys…

I must also word that when you create all these credit score accounts, Experian, TransUnion and Equifax will equally bombard you with promotions and emails attempting to upsell you on a bunch of merchandise (and bank cards!! Which appear counterproductive!). However once more – nothing you are able to do about it besides to unsubscribe and avert your eyes, so don’t let it stop you from getting the job executed  😎

Listed here are some enjoyable examples of what’s to return although:

******

******

******

******

******

And on and on and on…

Once more, simply hit “unsubscribe” and also you received’t should cope with it once more.

TL;DR:

Freezing your credit score is free, simple to do, and might prevent a butt ton of time and frustration sooner or later. Spend the quarter-hour (complete) getting it frozen at every of the bureaus after which name it a day. You possibly can at all times unfreeze it later with a click on of a button (additionally free).

Listed here are the three hyperlinks once more – do it earlier than you get sidetracked!

1. Experian.com/freeze/middle.html
2. Transunion.com/credit-freeze
3. Equifax.com/private/credit-report-services/credit-freeze

Your pal and fellow nerd,

UPDATE: I simply realized you can too *quickly* unfreeze your credit score too (aka “thaw” it lol) for everytime you want entry. You apparently set the # of days the place it can re-freeze once more later that means you don’t have to recollect to log again in once more – genius! (Thx Invoice and Nikki)

UPDATE II: Right here’s one other nice concept from a fellow reader who simply emailed me: “Hello J. Cash- I’ve been freezing and checking credit score reviews on an annual foundation for 20 years, and one factor I’ve realized that works for me and may for others too is spreading out once you test your free credit score reviews. If it’s your 1st time you test all three bureaus and get them squared up, however then after that simply test one credit score bureau at a time all year long. Test one in April, one other in August, after which the final in December – or no matter schedule works for you. This has been tremendous useful for me.”

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