| A credit report freeze, sometimes called a "credit | | | | anticipating credit needs. |
| lock" is a large piece of the puzzle when trying to | | | | Shred all extraneous financial papers. As soon as |
| protect your financial identity. The majority of | | | | you are through with your credit card |
| identity theft here in the United States has been | | | | statements, bank statements and the like, shred |
| perpetuated through the use of sophisticated | | | | them. If you think you may need a statement in |
| online data stealing techniques but also, the postal | | | | a couple of years for some remote reason, |
| mailbox is still a threat to unsuspecting consumers. | | | | remember the bank has that information on |
| If protecting your financial identity is of primary | | | | microfiche. If you enjoy keeping statements, file |
| concern, a credit freeze is suggested and can be | | | | them away as soon as they enter he house. |
| done with little or no money. This is where your | | | | Review all bank and credit card statements. If |
| diligence in a few key areas will have a great | | | | there are any irregularities, report them to the |
| impact on your identity. Here is a footprint for | | | | appropriate institution at once. Consumers have |
| you to follow so you can put your mind at ease | | | | certain financial rights which will protect a person if |
| as it relates to your financial identity. | | | | they act immediately on theft issues. |
| Freeze Your Credit Identity. To get information | | | | A credit report freeze will prevent institutions |
| on how to perform a credit freeze, simply read | | | | from having access to your personal files and |
| the information as it pertains to your state and | | | | people will not be able to open up credit card |
| contact the three large credit report bureaus as | | | | accounts using your name and social security. |
| instructed. | | | | Even though other parts of your identity may be |
| Understand the process of unfreezing. If you are | | | | stolen, your financial records will be relatively safe. |
| like the majority of Americans, you only need to | | | | A credit report freeze will not stop an illegal |
| have a credit report run at few intervals in your | | | | immigrant from using your name and social |
| life. Purchasing a car, getting a mortgage are done | | | | security number in a hospital or a criminal from |
| fairly infrequently. There are have been | | | | giving your name and address to the police but, |
| testimonials of people who have their credit | | | | with a bit of research, personal identity theft can |
| "unfrozen" in less than two days and others, three | | | | be minimized by getting a very inexpensive |
| weeks. Request information from the reporting | | | | umbrella product which will help you in the event |
| bureaus of how long this process will take when | | | | your personal identification is misused. |