Credit freeze guides
Plain-English guides to freezing, thawing, and protecting your credit at Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Every fact links to the FTC, the CFPB, or the bureau itself.
- How to freeze your credit at all three bureausA step-by-step guide to freezing your credit at Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion: what a freeze does, how fast it works, and why you need all three.
- How to freeze your Equifax creditHow to place and lift a free credit freeze at Equifax online, what you need before you start, and how fast it takes effect.
- How to freeze your TransUnion creditHow to place and lift a free credit freeze at TransUnion online, what you need before you start, and how fast it takes effect.
- How to freeze your Experian creditHow to place and lift a free credit freeze at Experian online, what you need before you start, and how fast it takes effect.
- Credit freeze vs. credit lock vs. fraud alertThe difference between a credit freeze, a credit lock, and a fraud alert, and which one protects you best.
- How to thaw your credit for a loan or apartmentHow to temporarily lift a credit freeze when you apply for a loan, credit card, or apartment, and refreeze it afterward.
- How to freeze your child’s creditWhy child identity theft happens and how parents can freeze a child’s credit for free at all three bureaus.
- What to do after a data breachSix steps to take when a company leaks your Social Security number: freeze your credit, check your reports, add a fraud alert, and more.