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 beneath 5 minutes to do it and I really caught myself muttering out loud: “Gosh I’m an fool… shoulda simply completed 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 dangerous occurred thus far 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 id 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 take care of, 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 straightforward to do!! Underneath 5 minutes at every bureau – no joke. If you happen to’ve been placing it off and know you have to do it, simply cease studying this proper now and get it completed.

Listed here are the three locations you have to go to:

1. Experian.com/freeze/heart.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 may’t do something about it so don’t even waste your vitality. Methodically transfer by means of every one among them after which examine it off your checklist as soon as and for all! Imagine me once I let you know 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 making an attempt to open credit score traces or loans beneath 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 may unfreeze them simply as simply at any level too. Additionally free! Simply log again in and click on “unfreeze” –  and voila! So even if you happen to 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 sooner or later alongside the best way I assume they nixed that and now you are able to do it with out even lifting your pockets. Or this put up wouldn’t have ever been written, as unhappy as that’s, lol…

When you’re completed freezing all of the credit, you may 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 putting my credit score freezes, lol…

Right here’s what I discovered:

(My Vantage 3.0 rating)

(My FICO^® Rating)

TransUnion gives 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, once I first created my Equifax account it mentioned you needed to pay on your rating, however once I logged off after which again on later to examine one thing totally different, it turned free?! So if you happen to see the identical simply log 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 motive, so I needed to name and wait on maintain for a bit however then they toggled one thing and it labored simply fantastic. So don’t let random snags maintain you up within the course of! Simply hold going!)

You can even simply seize your credit score REPORTS from all three bureaus annually too – without spending a dime. Which is wise to verify nobody has *beforehand* completed something along with your id earlier than you would lock all the pieces up.

Now this job takes wayyyyyy longer although, so don’t even get slowed down by it until 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 each time somebody tries to entry your credit score. And fortuitously with this one you simply should do it at *one* bureau they usually cross alongside the notice to the opposite two making it even quicker! 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 can be extra in depth it appears, like if you happen to already had your credit score stolen and filed a police report, or if you happen to’re on lively obligation, however I simply caught with the 1 yr regular alert since nothing dangerous has occurred but – a minimum of that I presently find out about! I nonetheless gotta pour over these 3 credit score reviews!!)

Now on the down aspect you may’t add any freezes or fraud alerts to KIDS’ credit as simply as you may your self (anybody beneath 18). However you CAN do it, you simply should undergo a extra prolonged means of displaying social safety playing cards and beginning 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 also needs to notice that when you create all these credit score accounts, Experian, TransUnion and Equifax will equally bombard you with promotions and emails making an attempt 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 completed  😎

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 take care of it once more.

TL;DR:

Freezing your credit score is free, straightforward 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 all the time 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/heart.html
2. Transunion.com/credit-freeze
3. Equifax.com/private/credit-report-services/credit-freeze

Your good friend and fellow nerd,

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