Lock credit report

[Horseshoez]

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@babygirl1256 wrote:

Locking the credit report may work for some but not for all . . . I haven't locked mine yet -and- I heard that sometimes it's difficult to unlock (but I haven't confirmed that). Once I confirm, I may lock my file when I go to the Garden in 6/2021.

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I've locked, unlocked, and relocked my reports any number of times over the last eight or nine months; never had an issue.

[designated_knitter]

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@Horseshoez wrote:

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@babygirl1256 wrote:

Locking the credit report may work for some but not for all . . . I haven't locked mine yet -and- I heard that sometimes it's difficult to unlock (but I haven't confirmed that). Once I confirm, I may lock my file when I go to the Garden in 6/2021.

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I've locked, unlocked, and relocked my reports any number of times over the last eight or nine months; never had an issue.

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Same here... takes less than 5 minutes.  I've done it while I was on the phone with a credit card company applying in real time.  I've also done it at a car dealership when shopping for cars so they could pull my credit.

Now *SOME* states may charge for placing a credit freeze.  In my state, there is no charge and it is instantaneous.  

[babygirl1256]

Awesome . . . great to know . . . I will surely lock my files when I go to the Garden. I wish there was a way to stop the soft inquiries (i.e. Portfolio Recovery or any CA) especially if the adverse item purged from your credit file. I understand that the CA will still attempt to collect the debt; I just don't like the multiple weekly SP.

[Remedios]

They stop when they are paid. 

[Anonymous]

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@babygirl1256 wrote:

Awesome . . . great to know . . . I will surely lock my files when I go to the Garden. I wish there was a way to stop the soft inquiries (i.e. Portfolio Recovery or any CA) especially if the adverse item purged from your credit file. I understand that the CA will still attempt to collect the debt; I just don't like the multiple weekly SP.

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SPs are blocked when they aren't for AR or collection activity, just FYI. It's a common misconception that a lock or freeze doesn't stop SPs. It does stop the majority of them and has been the cause of many SP CLI denials and SP checking/savings account denials.

It is important to know that things like this do happen with locks/freezes. For most people the risk of fraud outweighs the annoyance of dealing with it but it is a whole process if something goes wrong...  

https://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/General-Credit-Topics/Equifax-stuck-frozen/td-p/6254379

https://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/General-Credit-Topics/Problems-removing-Equifax-freeze/td-p/5873133

https://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/General-Credit-Topics/Equifax-freeze-down-for-anyone-else/m-p/62969...

https://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/General-Credit-Topics/Equifax-REALLY-need-to-fix-the-issue-with-MyE...

Equifax isn't alone in having problems:

https://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/General-Credit-Topics/What-s-up-with-Transunion-quot-credit-freeze-...

https://ficoforums.myfico.com/t5/General-Credit-Topics/TransUnion-Credit-Lock-Not-Working/td-p/55814...

[babygirl1256]

@Anonymous Awesome information . . . thank you for always posting valuable information as it's certainly appreciated.  I'll probably pass on the freeze for now.

[Anonymous]

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@babygirl1256 wrote:

@Anonymous Awesome information . . . thank you for always posting valuable information as it's certainly appreciated.  I'll probably pass on the freeze for now.

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I wasn't trying to talk you out of them, just sharing the info. I choose to freeze my reports myself. I just make sure to put my lifts in a week or more before a planned app to make sure I can get it taken care of. The vast majority of the time, it works fine, but I have indeed had TU get delayed and EQ's system claim my file was unfrozen when it was not. I also had about 6 months where Experian refused to let me add a freeze. Still though, having my reports wrecked by fraud and all the work to deal with that vs system issues inconveniencing me? I'll take the system issues. 

[babygirl1256]

@Anonymous Thanks . . . I will certainly look into it more and weigh the options!!!

[Creditin]

I placed an initial fraud report with Experian out of rage.

I tried to get info from their subprime bureau, Clarity, 'cause it was reporting "undefined accounts".

Whatever that means. Which, at the end were not in the report they sent me by mail.

I called Experian, an all I got was recordings after recordings. For almost an hour.

When I pressed the # for fraud,  and finished, they inmediately picked up the phone.

I had already placed the fraud alert, with my phone number. It's in the three bureaus now.

Which means that nobody can open a new account for a year, without calling me first.

Even if I fill an application, they have to call me. I very seldom answer my phone.

I had to freeze "manually" Sagestream, Lexis Nexis, which now are the same company,

and Innovis. 

Peace of mind. And they can't send me junk mail with offers until August.

I'm thinking of placing another one when this one expires.

Cheers.

[805orbust]

I keep my reports frozen all the time. The process for thawing g with each bureau (except for EQ sometimes) is simple, and takes a minute. I still get MyFico info, CK, and soft pulls from my banks when I ask for CLI. Easy peasy. Plus I sleep at night. I've even tried a few time applying for cc'd and I always get denied (twice actually) for frozen report and of course, there's no record of it. 😉