How to Freeze Credit: A Step-by-Step Guide

In today’s digital age, protecting your personal information from identity theft is more important than ever. One of the most effective ways to do this is by freezing your credit, which locks your credit reports and makes it much harder for identity thieves to open new accounts in your name. Here’s everything you need to know about freezing your credit:

What is a Credit Freeze?

A credit freeze prevents creditors from accessing your credit report. This means if a fraudster tries to open a new account in your name, the creditor will not be able to see your credit history and will likely deny the application. Freezing your credit does not affect your credit score and you can still use your credit cards and loans.

When Should You Consider Freezing Your Credit?

If you suspect that your personal information has been compromised, such as a data breach or a loss of personal documents, a credit freeze can help prevent new accounts from being opened in your name. Similarly, if you received notifications from Johnson Financial Group or email alerts from My Credit Score and Report, you may want to take action.

However, you don’t need a fraud event to freeze your credit. Freezing your credit is also a great preventative measure to safeguard your information and bring you peace of mind. 

How to Freeze Credit with Major Credit Bureaus

Here are the three ways you can freeze your credit through the three major credit bureaus: Experian, TransUnion and Equifax. If you’re freezing online, you’ll either log in or create an account through the link below:

How to Lift or Unfreeze Credit

If you need to access your credit report or allow a lender to check your credit, you may temporarily lift or permanently remove a credit freeze for free. Just like setting a credit freeze in place, you can unfreeze your credit by contacting your preferred credit bureau online, over the phone or through the mail using the contact information above.

How Else Can I Protect My Credit?

Besides freezing credit, there are a few other ways you can protect your credit. If you have a MyJFG account, you can track your credit score and receive credit reports through My Credit Score and Report so you can catch fraud early. Regularly monitoring your score and reports keeps you one step ahead of fraudsters before they have time to wreak havoc.

Looking to build or protect your credit? Connect with a relationship banker to learn more and read up on our credit protection tips.