Freeze Credit Experian
The act of placing a security freeze on a consumer's credit file maintained by Experian, one of the national credit reporting companies, which restricts most third-party access to that file for credit, insurance, or employment purposes.
A security freeze on an Experian credit file is a restriction that prevents most third parties from accessing that file for credit, insurance, or employment purposes. Experian is one of the national credit reporting companies that maintain consumer credit files. The freeze is sometimes called a credit freeze, and it is governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Placing a freeze on your Experian file does not affect your credit scores, and it does not prevent you from obtaining your own credit report from Experian or from the centralized source at annualcreditreport.com. It is distinct from a fraud alert, which is a temporary measure that encourages creditors to take extra steps to verify identity. When a freeze is active on your Experian file, Experian generally may not release your credit report or credit score to a third party for a credit decision. There are exceptions: existing creditors or debt collectors may still access your file for account review or collection, and certain government agencies may access it in response to a court order or for child support enforcement. The freeze applies only to the Experian file. To restrict access to your files at the other national credit reporting companies, you must contact each one separately. A freeze remains in place until you lift it or remove it. To place, lift, or remove a freeze on your Experian file, you contact Experian directly through its website, by phone, or by mail. Under federal law, these requests are free. Experian must place a freeze within one business day if you request it by phone or online, and within three business days if you request it by mail. To lift a freeze, Experian must act within one hour if you make the request by phone or online, and within three business days if you request it by mail. You can lift a freeze temporarily for a specific period or for a specific party, or you can remove it permanently. Experian may require you to provide proof of identity, such as a government-issued identification number and a copy of a utility bill. A freeze is one of several tools available under the Fair Credit Reporting Act. It is more restrictive than a fraud alert, which lasts one year and requires creditors to verify identity before extending credit. A freeze can be placed on the file of a minor or a dependent adult, and in some cases, a protected consumer freeze may be available. Because each national credit reporting company maintains its own file, a freeze at Experian does not affect your files at the other companies. Consumers can request a freeze even if they are not victims of identity theft.
A consumer who suspects identity theft might request a freeze on their Experian credit file. Later, when applying for a mortgage, they would need to lift the freeze temporarily so the lender can access their Experian report.