Current Events > Does anyone else keep their credit frozen?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I feel like keeping it frozen at all times should be the default. If I need to apply for credit or a loan of some sort, I just unfreeze it, get approved, and then freeze my credit again.

Also because I'm cooler than a polar bear's toenails
Also because I'm cooler than Freddy Jackson sipping a milkshake in a snowstorm

Credit is the most awful ridiculous scam system and yet America's entire financial system was founded on it. Scary stuf.

Revisited posted...

Credit is the most awful ridiculous scam system and yet America's entire financial system was founded on it. Scary stuf.

Yeah, the thought of someone taking out huge loans or opening accounts under my identity is scary as hell. It's a tiny bit cumbersome to get the "your credit is frozen" message when applying for credit, then having to unfreeze it, then applying again, but... I'm not applying for credit very often at all so I'll deal with that.

Smart Idea

i froze mine right after the massive Experian leak years ago. it's a nice peace of mind, because it's scary how easy it is to falsify identity to open a line of credit.

Credit was supposed to combine with cash, not eliminate it.

92%+ of all transactions now are cashless.

And of course, each credit transaction bills the employer.

I had no idea this was a thing. Doesn't really make a ton of sense for me as my credit has mostly been rising the past few years due after it being total shit due to medical debt for years and that finally clearing off my record.

It's a scam now, basically.

Also, circumstances means you HAVE to use the credit, and they will jump up the cost with interest, even if you are actively paying off the debt.

PMarth2002 posted...

I had no idea this was a thing. Doesn't really make a ton of sense for me as my credit has mostly been rising the past few years due after it being total shit due to medical debt for years and that finally clearing off my record.

Your credit score can still improve while your credit is frozen. Keeping your credit frozen just keeps you and other people from being able to open up accounts in your name. If you need to apply for a loan or a credit card, you can unfreeze temporarily and then freeze it again once the application is done.

Yep, been doing this for years. And it's quick to unfreeze it (can even set it to unfreeze for a specific time period) when I need someone to actually do a credit check for something

Giant_Aspirin posted...

i froze mine right after the massive Experian leak years ago. it's a nice peace of mind, because it's scary how easy it is to falsify identity to open a line of credit.

I did this too but I think it's probably unfrozen by now. Do you guys pay for the service or can you still do it for free? Links to what you use would be much appreciated

BlueKat posted...

I did this too but I think it's probably unfrozen by now. Do you guys pay for the service or can you still do it for free? Links to what you use would be much appreciated

Its free. All you do is just go to the web sites of Experian, Transunion, and Equifax and they give you the ability to freeze your credit.

I kept mine frozen and stopped getting credit card offers and all that jazz, which I liked. But now that Im traveling quite often for business (2x/month on average), I unfroze it and requested Chase to send me special offers so that I can be targeted for 100k Sapphire Reserve sign up bonus.

Can I still use a credit card with this ?

cjsdowg posted...

Can I still use a credit card with this ?

Yeah, any existing accounts still work normally. I think youd have to unfreeze your credit if you want to apply for a credit limit increase, though.

Thanks I think I might try this. I did not know it was a thing.

Does freezing your credit fuck with your rating at all?

No. Mine is up to about 720 despite a bankruptcy in 2017 still being on it. I get an identity protection thing from work, and I signed up for a free trial of Aura for another reason in the last week. Neither has turned up anything of note. Aura says my emuparadise forum account was leaked, but the account doesnt seem to exist anymore anyway.

This just seems like extreme paranoia.

Mine has been frozen for 6 years now

SaikyoStyle posted...

Does freezing your credit fuck with your rating at all?

Nope

SaikyoStyle posted...

Does freezing your credit fuck with your rating at all?

It has no effect on your credit rating. It just prevents hard credit checks, which in turn also prevents new lines of credit from being opened. Freezing your credit is free now and is a great way to protect yourself. It's also really easy to unfreeze it temporarily, you just log-in to the 3 sites and set the time-frame you want it unfrozen.

As others have said, I froze mine after the Experian hack.

PraetorXyn posted...

No. Mine is up to about 720 despite a bankruptcy in 2017 still being on it. I get an identity protection thing from work, and I signed up for a free trial of Aura for another reason in the last week. Neither has turned up anything of note. Aura says my emuparadise forum account was leaked, but the account doesnt seem to exist anymore anyway.

This just seems like extreme paranoia.

You only need your credit unfrozen when applying for credit cards, buying a home, etc.

Makes more sense to keep it frozen as a default unless you temporarily need it for these events a couple times a year

If it works it works lol
CableZL posted...

Also because I'm cooler than a polar bear's toenails

Oh hell there he go again, talking that shit.

Mine has been frozen for a few years and it's been great. There was only one time during that period when I needed to temporarily unfreeze it.

I did have an identity scare when someone opened a Dell card in my name. After that happened I froze my credit to prevent it from happening again.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/4/4b640a3f.jpg

emblem-man posted...

You only need your credit unfrozen when applying for credit cards, buying a home, etc.

Makes more sense to keep it frozen as a default unless you temporarily need it for these events a couple times a year

Maybe if youre worried about someone stealing your identity but if someone has your name and SSN they could probably get your credit unfrozen.