Secondary Credit Bureaus Freeze: A Complete Guide

A secondary credit bureau freeze is a great way to protect your credit from identity thieves and other scammers. You can freeze your credit with the three major credit bureaus, but there are also two lesser-known credit bureaus that you should consider freezing: Experian Boost and TransUnion.

Experian Boost is a credit bureau that offers a unique credit scoring system that takes into account non-traditional credit data, such as rent payments and utility bills. This can be a great option for people who don't have a lot of traditional credit history.

You can freeze your credit with Experian Boost by contacting them directly and following their specific instructions. This will prevent anyone from opening new accounts in your name.

A credit freeze is an action you can take to manage access to your consumer credit reports at Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax.

You can freeze your credit reports with the three major credit bureaus.

This means the credit bureau won't release your report to creditors that want to check your credit as part of an application review process.

Creditors may deny applications for new credit accounts, such as credit cards and loans, if your reports are frozen.

You can unfreeze your reports before applying for credit.

Freezing your reports can help prevent someone from opening a new account in your name.

Clarity Services does not offer an online freeze option. You'll need to request a freeze by mail.

To freeze your credit with Clarity Services, send a written request to Clarity Services, Inc., P.O. Box 5717, Clearwater, FL 33758.

If you're planning to freeze your credit, you'll need to provide some personal documents to verify your identity and address. You can do this online, over the phone, or by mail.

To freeze or thaw your credit online, you'll just need to log in to your accounts and go to the credit freeze management center. This process is usually processed immediately.

If you're freezing your report over the phone, you may need to verify your identity by entering your information or answering questions. Be prepared to provide the necessary details.

When sending a credit freeze request by mail, you'll need to download and fill out a form and include copies of your documents. Don't send the originals, and make sure to include the required documents.

The documents you may need to include are:

Keep in mind that credit freeze requests by mail may take up to three days to process.

Clarity Services does not offer an online freeze option, so you'll need to take a different approach if you want to put a freeze on your credit report with them.

If you're looking to freeze your credit report with Clarity Services, you can do so by mail. You'll need to send a written freeze request to Clarity Services, Inc., P.O. Box 5717, Clearwater, FL 33758.

To freeze your credit with FactorTrust, you can visit their website and follow the instructions on their Freeze Page. You can also send a mail request to FactorTrust at P.O. Box 390, Woodlyn, PA 19094.

FactorTrust requires you to submit some information, which will be used to process your credit freeze request.

Consumer reporting firms play a crucial role in the secondary credit bureau ecosystem.

Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion are the three major consumer reporting firms in the United States.

These firms collect and analyze vast amounts of consumer data, which they use to create credit reports and scores.

Equifax, for example, maintains a database of over 800 million consumers worldwide.

Experian's database, on the other hand, contains information on over 1 billion consumers globally.

TransUnion's database includes credit information on over 500 million consumers worldwide.

You can freeze your credit with all three major credit bureaus - Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion - by contacting each one individually.

To freeze your credit, you can go online through your profile with each bureau, which is the quickest way. You can also place a freeze over the phone, which is also fast.

According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, bureaus must place the freeze within one business day if you request it online or by phone.

To freeze your credit, you can contact the following numbers:

To lock your data, you can freeze your credit with all three major credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.

Contact each bureau individually to freeze your credit. You can do this online, by phone, or by mail.

The quickest way to freeze your credit is online through your profile with each major credit bureau. But placing a freeze over the phone is also fast.

Bureaus must place the freeze within one business day if you request it online or by phone, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Here are the contact details for each credit bureau:

You can also request a copy of your credit report from each bureau, for free, in Spanish.

So, you've frozen your credit report to protect yourself from identity theft and unwanted credit offers. But, you might be wondering, who can still see your report?

Your creditors can still access your report to manage your account, and they might even raise your credit limit if your credit score improves.

Companies responding to non-credit applications, like job or apartment rental applications, can also request your report.

Government agents might ask for your report to comply with a court order or warrant.

Debt collectors can use your report to find your contact information.

Identity verification companies might verify your identity using the personal information in your credit report.

These types of credit checks are recorded as soft inquiries, which don't affect your credit scores.

Here are some examples of who can view your frozen report:

You might need to unfreeze your account if you're applying for a new line of credit, such as a car, mortgage, rental apartment, or cell phone.

There are several reasons for unfreezing your account, but primarily it's because lenders need to pull your credit report to assess your ability to pay.

You might also need to unfreeze your account if you plan to use a "buy now, pay later" service while online shopping, as some platforms require you to temporarily lift credit freezes at all bureaus.

Credit locks may offer convenience, but they offer fewer legal protections than a freeze, and they may charge a fee, unlike credit freezes which are free.

You'll need to refreeze your credit after adding a credit monitoring service, as they can still access your credit reports even with a freeze in place.

Unfreezing your credit is a relatively straightforward process that can be done online, by phone, or by mail. You'll need to thaw each credit report separately, and you can choose between a permanent or temporary thaw.

A permanent thaw unfreezes the report indefinitely, while a temporary thaw allows you to schedule when you want your report to be unfrozen and refrozen. This can be a convenient option if you know you'll be applying for a new account soon.

You can schedule thaws for when you need them, and then have your reports automatically refrozen the next day. Legally, the bureaus have up to an hour to lift a freeze, but it often happens nearly instantaneously.

Unfreezing your credit is a straightforward process. You can unfreeze your credit reports online, by phone, or by mail.

To unfreeze your credit reports, you'll need to thaw each report separately. You can choose between a permanent thaw, which unfreezes the report indefinitely, or a temporary thaw, which schedules when you want your report to be unfrozen and refrozen.

Unfreezing your report online or by phone can take a few minutes, but it often happens nearly instantaneously. Legally, the bureaus have up to an hour to lift a freeze.

If you want to thaw your credit reports temporarily, you can schedule thaws for when you know you're going to apply for a new account, and then have your reports automatically refrozen the next day.

Here are the ways to unfreeze your credit reports:

If you're considering a credit lock, know that it's not as secure as a credit freeze. Credit locks are voluntary products offered by credit bureaus, which may charge a fee.

Equifax's credit lock is free, but TransUnion's lock costs $29.95 a month, and Experian's CreditLock is only available as part of a $24.99 per month subscription package.

A credit lock may offer convenience, such as being opened and closed with a finger swipe on an app, but it offers fewer legal protections than a freeze.

You can freeze the credit of a spouse or incapacitated adult at all three bureaus, but you'll need to provide required documentation such as copies of birth certificates, court orders, and Social Security cards.

To freeze a child's credit, you can go to Experian's Child Identity Theft Protection center to learn more about the process and check if your child has an Experian credit report.

To freeze your child's credit, parents and guardians can request a freeze for a child under 16 to prevent child identity theft.

You'll need to provide paperwork to verify the child's identity and proof that you have standing to freeze the child's credit.

Many children don't have a credit report, but a credit bureau can create their report before freezing it.

Freezing your child's credit can limit access to their credit reports and protect them from fraud.

If your child doesn't have a credit report, you can go to Experian's Child Identity Theft Protection center to learn more about the process and check if your child has an Experian credit report.

You can help another adult by freezing their credit if they're incapacitated or a spouse. You'll need to provide documentation like birth certificates and court orders.

To freeze a spouse's credit, you'll need to mail the required documents to Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion. Downloadable freeze request forms can be found on each bureau's security freeze page.

You can also freeze the credit of an incapacitated adult by providing the necessary documents. This includes copies of Social Security cards and court orders.