How do you freeze your CR with one of the CRA?

[CreditDrama85]

How do you freeze your credit report? What happens if a lender tries to pull it? What happens if lender tries to do a soft pull/account review and it is frozen?

How long will the CR stay frozen? and How long does it take /what do you have to do to unfreeze it?

[Anonymous]

You can go to each CRA and freeze them.

From what I understand, by freezing your reports you can not get any new credit.  New creditors can not pull your report.

But current creditors and collection agencies currently on your report can.  Certain law enforcement and government entities are allowed access.

In most states it will remain until you unfreeze it.  Some states require a 7 year period for freezing.

When you freeze your report you will get a special PIN or password.  You use this to unfreeze the report. 

Freezing the report is free, unfreezing it is not.

[DI]

Placing a freeze on reports are not always free. It depends on what state you live and the reason for the freeze.  The fees ranges from $0-$10.  Same to unfreeze the reports as well.  

You can place a freeze on your credit reports at any time.  There is no 7 year waiting period.  

[Anonymous]

Sorry DI but I beg to differ.  There is a 7 year period in some states.  South Dakota and Pennsylvania are two of them.

Message Edited by guiness56 on 08-02-2009 09:27 PM

[haulingthescoreup]

OK, so in other words, it varies by state. Some have fees to freeze, some to un-freeze (thaw??), and some have time limitations.

This might help: Consumer's Union summary of credit freeze regs by state

[DI]

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@Anonymous wrote:
Sorry DI but I beg to differ.  There is a 7 year period in some states.  South Dakota and Pennsylvania are two of them.

Message Edited by guiness56 on 08-02-2009 09:27 PM

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You are giving out incorrect information. A freeze can be removed at any time as long as you pay a fee if required.

As for as the waiting period, again, there is no waiting period for the states you mentioned to remove a freeze.  If you don't remove the freeze yourself in Penn and S. Dakota it will be removed or expire automatically after  7 years.

DI

[Anonymous]

Yes, I know this.  If you do not remove them they will automatically be removed in 7 years.  Other states they stay on forever or until you remove them.

Excuse me if I stated it incorrectly. But the intention was not there to give incorrect information. 

Hauling - I was going to post that but was not sure if it was ok to do so.  Thanks

Message Edited by guiness56 on 08-03-2009 08:22 AM

[haulingthescoreup]

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guiness56 wrote:

Hauling - I was going to post that but was not sure if it was ok to do so.  Thanks

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Oh, sure! --Consumer's Union is definitely one of the good guys.