Credit Freeze / lock - What is blocked?

[danieljohnsonk]

A couple of questions:

I know freezing or locking credit files blocks someone from pulling a credit file. I'm assuming the lock prevents both hard and soft pulls?

Does a lock also prevent somone from adding a new account?  For example, I unlock my Ex file so Company X can pull my report to approve some credit. Company X approves the credit and adds the new account info to the unlocked Ex file but can they also add the new account info to TU and Eq files if both files are locked?

[Anonymous]

A lock blocks hard pulls, but does not block soft pulls from existing creditors. Not sure if it blocks soft pulls from creditors with whom you don't already have an account.

Company X approves the credit and adds the new account info to the unlocked Ex file but can they also add the new account info to TU and Eq files if both files are locked?

Yes.

[Billycatbell]

It blocks all hard pulls.  It blocks soft pulls from creditors that you were not associated with prior to the freeze. Creditors you were associated with prior to freeze

can continue to soft pull your credit.

[takeshi74]

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@danieljohnsonk wrote:

I know freezing or locking credit files blocks someone from pulling a credit file. I'm assuming the lock prevents both hard and soft pulls? 

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There is no lock.  There are freezes and there are fraud alerts.

http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0279-extended-fraud-alerts-and-credit-freezes

[Anonymous]

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@takeshi74 wrote:

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@danieljohnsonk wrote:

I know freezing or locking credit files blocks someone from pulling a credit file. I'm assuming the lock prevents both hard and soft pulls? 

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There is no lock.  There are freezes and there are fraud alerts.

http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0279-extended-fraud-alerts-and-credit-freezes

+1 ... There is an identity monitoring service/business that contains "lock" in its name, but that is a service you pay for on a monthly basis. That word, "lock," does not refer to what the law says you can do for free (or at small cost, depending on your state of residence and your circumstances) to protect your credit. You can also temporarily "lift" your credit freeze for a specified time period, or for a specified creditor; however, creditor names are not always what you think they are, so I always do time period lifts (very short time periods!).