Team Clark is adamant that we will never write content influenced by or paid for by an advertiser. To support our work, we do make money from some links to companies and deals on our site. Learn more about our guarantee here.
Freezing your credit with all three major credit bureaus is the single most important thing you can do to protect yourself against identity theft and stop criminals from opening lines of credit in your name, according to money expert Clark Howard.
In this article, we’ll show you how to place a security freeze on your credit with Equifax. You’ll also want to be sure to put freezes in place with Experian and TransUnion, which you can learn how to do here and here.
All three major credit bureaus, Equifax included, allow you to freeze your credit online, by phone or by regular mail.
Online | By Phone | By Mail |
Equifax Credit Freeze page | (888) 298-0045 | Equifax Information Services, LLC P.O. Box 105788 Atlanta, GA 30348 |
Freezing online is by far the easiest method, so we’ll start with that one.
In order to freeze your credit with Equifax online, you’ll need to head here:
You will need to give Equifax some information in order to prove your identity. This includes your:
You will also likely be asked some questions about prior places of residence and credit accounts you may have or have had in the past. This is all to ensure that you are actually the one requesting the freeze.
Once you have proven your identity, you will have created a myEquifax account, which you can log in to if you ever need to lift the freeze either temporarily or permanently. Note that you may need to lift the freeze if you are applying for credit in the future.
The process of freezing your credit by phone is very similar to the process online. You will need to call:
The information you’ll be asked to provide will mirror the information listed above for the online process. You’ll have the option to receive a one-time PIN by text message or answer questions based on information in your Equifax credit report for identity verification.
You can also freeze your credit by mail, but it’s going to involve a little more work. You’ll need to download this form and send it to:
Along with the form, you’ll need to provide the following documents:
As mentioned earlier, if you need to apply for credit after you place a freeze on your file, you’ll need to lift the freeze. This can also be done online, by phone or via the mail. However, what’s required to unfreeze your credit varies depending on which method you use:
Freezing your credit is not a difficult process — especially if you do it online — and it’s mostly the same with all three bureaus. Just don’t forget to do it with Experian and TransUnion, too, or you won’t be fully protected!
This post was last modified on April 29, 2021 1:49 pm
If you've been considering signing up for one of the Chase Sapphire credit cards, now…
The costs associated with owning a home go way beyond the amount on the mortgage. …
Inflation hits people on a fixed income the hardest. Say you're retired. You're living off…
Deciding to save and invest are great habits. But once you check that box, your…
If you're considering subscribing to Fubo, you need to be comfortable missing out on some…
Are you looking for a way to earn 2% back on every purchase you make…