Freezing Your Credit

Art read this in the Star Advertiser which we thought was a good thing to pass on. I looked it up and found this on CBS's Money Watch.

Americans can put their credit reports in the deep freeze – and "thaw" them whenever they want – without cost thanks to a federal law that goes into effect today.

Spurred by the massive Equifax data breach in 2017 that exposed the private data of nearly half of all Americans, Congress passed legislation earlier this year that gives every consumer the right to lock up their credit information quickly and for free. That makes it unavailable to both creditors and identity thieves. 

This doesn't prevent someone from stealing your credit card or social security number. However it can stop someone from opening a credit card in your name.

You were charged before between $3 to $10 to freeze and unfreeze your account. It will now be free.

According to Money Watch you can contact these companies at these addresses.

• Equifax
• Experian
• TransUnion
• National Consumer Telecommunications & Utilities Exchange

We're going to do this. I'm thinking this article is right that even if it only protects you one third of the time it's worth it.

I just found this step by step procedure from AARP which sounds like a good way to do this. 
https://www.aarp.org/money/credit-loans-debt/info-2018/protect-credit-by-freezing.html

There are just too many crooks out there.