One of the most important assets often overlooked and not properly protected by many is their credit score. The single most important thing you can do to protect your credit and not fall victim to identity theft is a credit freeze …the second most important thing to do is to opt-out of pre-screening.
…there is no guarantees that a freeze will protect you 100% of the time. One may still steal your non public private information or maybe one may hack into one of your existing open accounts however it is my opinion, the credit freeze combined with opting out of unwanted credit solicitation is the most reliable defense you have in your arsenal to prevent identity fraud.
Kevin Martini
Certified Mortgage Advisor & Raleigh Mortgage BrokerMartini Mortgage Podcast | Episode 167 | Freeze it and opt-out
Resources discussed in episode 167 of the Martini Mortgage Podcast
OptOutPreScreen.com
A free a centralized service which is a joint venture between Equifax Information Services, LLC, Experian Information Solutions, Inc., Innovis Data Solutions, Inc., and TransUnion, LLC (a.k.a. Consumer Credit Reporting Companies) to accept and process requests from consumers to “Opt-Out” of firm offers of credit.
WEBSITE: www.OptOutPreScreen.com
PHONE: 888-5-OPT-OUT (888-567-8688)
How to Freeze YOUR Credit
The process to freeze your credit is free but the benefits are priceless. The fastest way is online however you can also request a credit freeze by phone or mail. Below is the contact information of each of the credit repositories.
Experian
| Experian Credit Freeze Page | https://www.experian.com/freeze/center.html |
| Experian Phone Number | 888.397.3742 |
| Experian Mailing Address | Experian Security Freeze P.O. Box 9554 Allen, TX 75013 |
Equifax
| Equifax Credit Freeze Page | https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-freeze/ |
| Equifax Phone Number | 888.298.0045 |
| Equifax Mailing Address | Equifax Information Services P.O. Box 105788 Atlanta, GA 30348 |
TransUnion
| TransUnion Credit Freeze Page | https://www.transunion.com/credit-freeze |
| TransUnion Phone Number | 888.909.8872 |
| TransUnion Mailing Address | TransUnion P.O. Box 160 Woodlyn, PA 19094 |
