Credit freezes and fraud protection

A credit freeze is the single most effective anti-fraud tool available, it's free, it's the law, and fewer than 20% of Americans have used it. If you do only one thing for identity theft protection, make it this.

What a freeze does

A freeze blocks new creditors from pulling your credit report. Since most identity theft involves opening new accounts in your name, a freeze stops it at the source — the fraudster hits a wall when the lender tries to check your credit. You lift the freeze temporarily when you legitimately need to apply for credit.

How to set it up

1. Go to the websites of all three credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. You need to freeze at all three — they don't share.
2. Create an account at each. Expect a security verification process.
3. Place a freeze on each report. It's free under federal law since 2018.
4. Save your PIN or login for each in a password manager — you'll need them to temporarily lift the freeze later.

When to lift

Lifting is fast — usually takes minutes through the bureau website. You can lift it temporarily for a specific period or specific creditor. Just remember to re-enable when you're done. This small friction is the whole reason it works — it forces a conscious moment before any new credit request.