The freeze of credits and release with the three major credit bureaus – Equifax, Experian and TransUnion – will be free for all by federal law as of September 21st.(Photo: Getty Images / iStockphoto)

One of the best ways to protect yourself from identity theft is now free.

Starting Friday, a new federal law will allow people to freeze and unblock their credit with the three major credit bureaus without being charged. Previously, it cost consumers between $ 3 and $ 12 per office in nearly half of the states freeze or unblock their credit reports.

A freeze prevents lenders from viewing a person's credit report – a key part of the process of approving a credit card or a loan – essentially preventing fraudsters from getting into trouble. Open a new account in the name of that person or the name of their family.

The new law comes more than a year after Equifax revealed a major data breach that exposed the personal information of 148 million Americans and prompted lawmakers to rethink the security of the company. ;identity.

The new law also extends from 90 days to one year the period during which a fraud alert remains on your credit reports. Less severe than a freeze, fraud alerts tell lenders that your personal data has been compromised and that they must take additional steps to verify your identity before approving a new credit.

According to Rod Griffin, Director of Consumer Education and Advocacy at Experian, existing alerts on Experian reports will automatically be extended.

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How to "freeze" your credit report

The freeze should be fast and relatively easy, although you must register separately for each of the three credit bureaus.

Step 1: Go to the credit bureau websites and look for the "freeze security" link.

For Equifax: www.freeze.equifax.com/Freeze

For Experian: www.experian.com/freeze

For TransUnion: www.transunion.com/credit-freeze

Type your name, address, social security number and date of birth. (Note: You can also submit a credit freeze request by phone or in writing.) You may be asked to provide a previous address if you lived with your current client for less than two years.

You may also need to answer a few questions about your background, including loans you have purchased, credit cards you have, or previous addresses to confirm your identity.

2nd step: Select the security freeze option. (Or if you already have a gel in place, choose if you want to "unlock" it temporarily or permanently remove the gel

Step 3: Write down your PIN code because you will need it to change the status of your gel, for example when you want to "thaw" or thaw it to get a loan for a new car or apply for a mortgage.

If credit bureaus can not sufficiently verify your identity based on the information you have provided, you may need to send copies of your driver's license, utility bills, or other vouchers to validate your identity and perform a gel.

"We want it to be as simple as possible to access this gel, but we want to protect you at the same time," said Griffin from Experian. "We have to find that balance."

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