Why Consumers Need a Nationwide Credit Freeze NOW
What do a shoe retailer, an online discount broker, and a popular clothing retailer all have in common? All three - DSW Shoe Warehouse, Ameritrade, and Polo Ralph Lauren - sustained breaches to their customers' accounts. Unfortunately, these three are not alone when it comes to security breaches. CitiFinancial, Bank of America, LexisNexis and other companies have also experienced similar events.
Over 46 million Americans have had personal records containing credit card numbers, bank account information, and social security numbers lost or stolen during the first six months of 2005.
Having even just one piece of personal information is sometimes all that an identity thief needs in order to wreak havoc to your credit profile. Many people falsely believe that an ID thief uses only the stolen credit cards to go on their shopping sprees. The truth is ID thieves use your stolen information to open new accounts for credit, cars, loans, mobile phones and more. Most victims won't know there's a problem until they've been turned down for credit or begin receiving calls from creditors and collection agencies about the unpaid bills.
So, what can you do to guard your identity from criminals? Along with vigorously protecting your social security number, using a shredder to destroy credit card offers, and monitoring your credit report regularly, you may also be able to use a new line of defense against ID thieves - placing a "freeze" on your credit files.
Placing a freeze on your credit files with the three major credit reporting agencies - Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax - shuts out potential lenders from accessing your credit files in order to make you an offer for credit. When applying for new credit accounts or loans, you would use a special password or PIN to "thaw" your credit files, a process that takes a few days. The credit bureaus charge around $10 for each freeze or thaw as allowed by law.
A credit freeze protects your data since the lender can't check your profile in order to approve any new credit. Unfortunately, credit freezes are currently available only to consumers in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Nevada, Texas, Vermont, and Washington.
Congress is examining laws to make credit freezes available nationwide, however they are facing some strong opposition. And guess where it's coming from? The credit bureaus and data clearinghouses! They make money every time they sell your information to banks, mortgage brokers, car dealerships and other retailers.
The time to act is NOW. If you live in a state that doesn't offer you, the consumer, the right to freeze your credit files, contact your state legislators to let them know that YOU WANT TO CONTROL who can access your personal and financial data. Names and contact information for your Senators and Representatives can be found at www.senate.gov and www.house.gov. Write or e-mail them and tell them you want control of your personal data. After all, it's your identity and your finances at stake!
© 2005, http://www.yourfreecreditreportnow.com
Author: James H. Dimmitt
James is editor of "TO YOUR CREDIT", a free weekly newsletter with tips to help you manage your personal finances. Subscribe today and receive his e-book "IDENTITY THEFT- How To Avoid Becoming the Next Victim!" and other free bonuses by visiting http://www.yourfreecreditreportnow.com
Latest News
SEC delays action on credit rating agency rules Reuters - WASHINGTON (Reuters) - US securities regulators on Wednesday delayed action on adopting stricter rules to rein in the credit rating agencies until December ... SEC puts off vote on rules for rating agencies UPDATE 2-US SEC delays action on credit rating agency ules Nigeria: Investment of Pension Funds - SEC Approves Five Rating ... |
![]() PR Web (press release) | First California Financial Group Announces Passing of Chief Credit ... CNNMoney.com - First California Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: FCAL) today announced that Walter Duchanin, executive vice president and chief credit officer of its ... First California Financial Group Announces Passing of Chief Credit ... |
![]() International Business Times | Fitch Affirms Norfolk Southern IDR at 'BBB+'; Outlook Stable MarketWatch - Fitch's ratings apply to approximately $6 billion in outstanding unsecured debt and a $1 billion unsecured revolving credit facility. ... Fitch Affirms Telmex IDR at 'A-'; Outlook Stable Fitch Rates Michigan Muni Bond Authority's $199MM SRF Revs 'AAA ... Fitch Rates Alaska's Lease Revs 'AA-'; Outlook Stable |
Credit crunch due to lack of borrowers: Lacker MarketWatch - By Greg Robb, MarketWatch WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- The credit crunch is more about lack of opportunities for good loans than concern about bank capital, ... |
PayPal to Offer Credit for Holiday Purchases Wall Street Journal - By CHRISTOPHER LAWTON At a time when money is tight, eBay Inc.'s PayPal unit plans to offer consumers credit lines for online holiday purchases in a bid to ... Research and Markets: This Essential Online Retail Payments ... |
lawmakers propose tuition credit Salt Lake Tribune, United States - John Dougall, R-American Fork, proposed legislation Wednesday that would give higher education students a tuition tax credit. In light of the current ... Debt load class issue Economy, debt make college less affordable |
Regulating Credit Default Swaps: Will It Work? BusinessWeek - By David Bogoslaw The market for credit default swaps (CDS)—derivatives that insure holders against default on a range of debt instruments—is getting plenty ... Data on credit swaps a must for US banks |
Australia Corporate Bond Risk Rises, Credit-Default Swaps Show Bloomberg - 20 (Bloomberg) -- The cost of protecting investors in Australian corporate bonds against default increased, according to traders of credit-default swaps. ... Japanese Bond Risk Soars to Record on Concern Banks Weakening Australia Bond Risk to Rise on US Rescue Delay, Deutsche Says |
Chrysler credit rating could be cut Detroit Free Press, United States - BY TIM HIGGINS • FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER • November 20, 2008 Fitch Ratings cautioned Wednesday that it might lower Chrysler's credit rating to a level ... |
Panel OKs tax credit for grads who stay in Utah Deseret News, UT - The tax credit, depending on how much the student paid in tuition over the years, could be worth hundreds of dollars. And it could be taken anytime during ... |
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