Keep your credit cool with a credit freeze.

What a Credit Freeze Does

When your credit is frozen, lenders generally can’t review your credit report when someone applies for new credit in your name.

That means a fraudster could have your personal information, but they may hit a roadblock when trying to open a new account.

A credit freeze won’t affect your existing accounts, and you can still use your current credit cards and loans as normal.

How Do You Freeze Your Credit?

To place a freeze, you’ll need to contact each of the three major credit bureaus individually:

What If You Need to Apply for Credit?

That’s easy.

You can temporarily lift, or “thaw,” your credit freeze whenever you’re applying for a loan, credit card, or other service that requires a credit check.

Most online requests can be completed in minutes, and credit bureaus generally lift freezes within an hour of an online request.

Once your application is complete, you can freeze your credit again.

A Simple Step for Added Protection

A credit freeze is one of the few proactive steps you can take to help protect yourself from identity theft. While it won’t stop fraud on existing accounts, it can help prevent criminals from opening new accounts in your name.

So while you’re keeping your popsicles frozen this summer, consider giving your credit a little extra protection, too.

Need help understanding your credit or preparing for a future loan? The MembersOwn team is always here to help.