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If your loved ones do it, it can also protect theirpersonal finances.
Learn why its good to freeze your credit and how to do it.
Also needing to rebuild your credit?Here are eight steps it’s possible for you to take today.
Why Experts Suggest Freezing Your Credit
Freezing your credit doesnt take much.
And once you do it, youll get some much-needed peace of mind.
In todays digital world, most people have had their information exposed in some form.
This minor inconvenience might make you think twice about taking on a new debt you shouldnt have.
This is truly a case where an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
According to anFBI report, fraud against the elderly rose by 14% in 2023.
Even minors can be targeted by scammers looking to open new credit lines in their name.
A credit freeze can help.
Make the request online or via phone for fastest results.
Done this way, it typically only takes about a day to freeze your credit, according toUSA.gov.
Unfreezing your credit is just as easy.
If you do it online, it can take as little as an hour.
It takes just a few minutes to lift a freeze online or by phone, Espinosa said.
But youll still need to be vigilant with any open accounts.
A credit freeze may not block all activity there.
Credit freezes do not affect credit scores or existing credit accounts, Espinosa added.
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