🔒 FREE CHECKLIST

The 3-Bureau Credit Freeze Checklist

Lock down every account before a thief can open one, in under 20 minutes.

What you get:

  • Exact phone numbers and links for all 3 bureaus, nothing to search for.
  • The PIN mistake that locks people out for weeks.
  • Free. One sitting. Done in under 20 minutes.

Before You Start

Gather your information

Social Security number, date of birth, current address, and a copy of your ID if you go the mail route.

Freeze All Three Bureaus

Equifax

equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/credit-freeze, or call 1-888-378-4329.

Experian

experian.com/freeze, or call 1-888-397-3742.

TransUnion

TransUnion Service Center, or call 800-916-8800.

Don't Skip These

Save your PIN or password for each bureau

Store it in a password manager, not a sticky note. You'll need it to lift the freeze later.

Opt out of prescreened offers separately

Freezing your credit doesn't stop those mailers. Do it free at optoutprescreen.com.

Note your next big purchase

Buying a house or car in the next year? You'll need to temporarily lift the freeze at all three bureaus for that application.

Mortgage tip: Lenders need all three bureaus unfrozen at once for a combined report. Expect to unfreeze twice: once at application, once again right before closing.

A Freeze Stops New Accounts. It Doesn't Watch the Dark Web.

Aura monitors for SSN exposure and identity theft around the clock, the gap a freeze was never built to cover.

See Aura's Current Pricing →
Elizabeth C. Mitchell, Contributing Editor, UpTrendCredit.com
Credit bureau compliance & identity protection.