If youve ever had your identity stolen, you know its a scary, stressful experience.
One uncommon way to prevent it?
Its uncommon for a reason.
Namely, its inconvenient.
A freeze restricts access to your credit report.
A freeze is a mustif your social security number or other data has been compromised.
But Forbes explains that it might be a smart preventive move, too.
Someone who isnt looking to borrow money may want to freeze their credit for security purposes.
The FTC explains that a freeze doesnt affect your score.
you might also still get your free annual credit report with a freeze.
Theres a comparable fee for lifting the freeze, and those vary by state, too.
Heres alist of those fees by state.
Another option is a fraud alert.
Your credit report is flagged, but you could still open new lines of credit.
Creditors just need to take added steps to verify your identity.
For victims of identity theft, an extended fraud alert will protect your credit for seven years.
Active Duty Military Alert.
Again, for many people, a freeze or even an alert may be overkill.
Forbes offers more detail at the link below.
The Best Form Of Identity Theft Protection No One Knows About| Forbes
Photo bypictures of money.
