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Credit Freeze Checklist: Where to Freeze Beyond the Big Three
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Most people freeze their credit at the three big bureaus and stop there. Freezes at those three are free by US law. That leaves a lot of other records open: bank account history, phone and utility accounts, employment data, even your tax return. Freeze or lock all of them, and keep a record of how to lift each one.
This is one part of our identity and financial protection guide.
The credit bureaus
- Equifax
- Experian
- TransUnion
- Innovis, a smaller fourth credit bureau most people have never heard of
Other agencies and records
- ChexSystems, which tracks bank account history. A freeze makes it harder to open bank accounts in your name.
- NCTUE, the exchange for phone and utility accounts.
- LexisNexis, which holds consumer data used in identity and risk checks.
- The Work Number, which handles employment and income verification.
- E-Verify, where you can lock your Social Security number against use for employment eligibility.
- IRS Identity Protection PIN, a number required to file a tax return in your name.
- OptOutPrescreen.com, which stops prescreened credit offers in the mail. It’s an opt-out, not a freeze, but it cuts down on mail worth stealing.
How to work through the list
- Go to each one’s official site directly. Don’t use links from emails or ads.
- Create an account where it’s required, and place the freeze or lock.
- Save the PIN, password or confirmation for each one in your password manager as you go.
- Note the date you did it.
Do them all in one sitting if you can. It’s tedious, but you only do it once.
What good looks like: a freeze or lock at every place on the list, and a saved login or PIN for each.
Keep a record you can find later
You’ll need to lift freezes when you apply for a loan, a new credit card, a new apartment or a new job. Keep one entry in your password manager with the list of everything you froze and how to lift each one. Our passwords and account access guide covers picking a manager.
Lifting a freeze when you need credit
When you apply for credit, ask the lender which bureau they’ll pull. Then lift the freeze at that bureau only, ideally for a set window, and let it refreeze afterward. For a new job, The Work Number is often the one that matters.
Freeze or fraud alert
A freeze blocks access to your credit report, so new creditors generally can’t check it and new accounts are hard to open. A fraud alert is lighter. It asks lenders to verify your identity before they extend credit.
A fraud alert is a fair choice if you don’t want the hassle of lifting and re-placing a freeze whenever you apply for credit. A freeze gives stronger protection, so it’s the better choice for most people.
Freeze for your kids and older relatives
Children have clean credit files that nobody is watching, which makes them attractive targets. You can generally freeze a minor’s file too, usually by sending the bureau proof that you’re the parent or guardian.
Do the same for parents or older relatives who are less likely to notice problems, if you help manage their money. Keep their details in your password manager alongside yours.
What good looks like: a freeze for every person whose finances you’re responsible for.
Pair it with monitoring
A freeze stops most new accounts. It doesn’t catch everything, like misuse of accounts you already have. Transaction alerts, which are free, cover that side, and the main guide explains when paid monitoring is worth it.