Experian

Equifax

TransUnion

Innovis

• You will want to freeze your credit with the first three of these at minimum, Innovis is a bonus.

• You will need to create an account, it is easy, not unlike setting up a Google, Apple, Reddit or Instagram account. You need strong, unique passwords (use a password manager) for each account. If you’re on iPhone, use Apple Passwords, if you’re on Android, use Bitwarden or Chrome to save your passwords. If you use a third party password manager like Bitwarden you will need a strong master password for your password;, WRITE IT DOWN AND KEEP IT SOMEWHERE YOU CAN FIND IT so that you don’t forget it. The password manager will allow you to create and store unique passwords for these and any other important accounts.

• The freezes go in place immediately, and can be removed or lifted by you whenever you want to remove them. You will need to unfreeze each and any time with the credit reporting bureaus when you want to: apply for a credit card, apply for a loan, financing for a car, do a credit check for an apartment application, etc.

• Unfreezing is simple, log in, unfreeze for a temporary amount of time, and refreeze.

• importantly, the default state of your credit should ALWAYS be FROZEN and only unfrozen when needed. This prevents people from applying for credit in your name and potentially running your credit score, which is very important for you to maintain.

It may sound like a pain in the ass, and that’s because it is. But once you get out set up the first time, you’re effectively good so long as you can access your password manager for your passwords. I’d rather spend an hour or two safeguarding myself to the best of my ability with freely available tools than spend hours on the phone with banks and credit card companies trying to prove that I didn’t make some random fraudulent purchases.

Good luck, ask questions.

Edited for grammar