The Freezes Everyone Forgets

Why the Big Three Are Not Enough

A standard credit freeze at Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion blocks most new loans and credit cards. But opening a checking account, a phone plan, or a utility account often checks a different agency entirely, one your freeze never reached.

Freezing these secondary bureaus is free and takes about half an hour total. Do it once.

ChexSystems (Bank Accounts)

Banks and credit unions check ChexSystems before opening a checking or savings account. Freezing it stops someone from opening a bank account in your name.

• Freeze free at chexsystems.com under Security Freeze. You will get a PIN by mail.

NCTUE (Phone and Utilities)

The National Consumer Telecom and Utilities Exchange is what phone carriers and utility companies pull to open service. Freezing it blocks someone from starting a phone plan or turning on power in your name.

• Freeze free through the NCTUE freeze line or website. This one is often the most overlooked.

Innovis (The Fourth Bureau)

Innovis is a smaller credit bureau that some lenders still check. A free freeze at innovis.com rounds out your credit coverage beyond the big three.

LexisNexis and SageStream

LexisNexis (and its SageStream credit bureau) feeds banks, insurers, landlords, and background checks. A free security freeze here limits how much of your history those companies can pull.

• Freeze at the LexisNexis consumer site, and request your free disclosure report while you are there to see what they hold.

Do Not Forget the Kids

A child's credit file is a blank, valuable target. Freeze your children's credit at the three bureaus too, see our kids privacy guide. There is no reason an unused file should sit open for years.

Common Questions