What are peoples thoughts on credit inaccuracies within a family. As in my credit report has a card that clearly belongs to a relative with the same name. Obviously I would be trusting my credit to this relative should I leave it, but assuming they have excellent credit is it worth it to go through the hassle of getting it removed?
"The world is a mess, and I just need to rule it" - Dr Horrible
You need to correct it, credit agencies are imperfect and sometimes someone who lives in the same area as you with a similar name will be impacted. So if you're a Jr and your dad is a Sr sometimes that shit gets assigned wrong.
not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
A bit of clarification: all three sites (at least prior to any changes made to said sites as a result of this hack) ask you to provide a target date for the refreeze, if you're doing a temporary thaw. You pretty much have carte blanche on that date. The general rule of thumb depending on the purchase is 30 days (if you're buying a house, I'd recommend 90 days).
I've had my thaws take effect within 24 hours, but I understand that this is 100% subjective.
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TetraNitroCubaneThe DjinneratorAt the bottom of a bottleRegistered Userregular
Sorry to bump this thread, but I just froze my credit with all three institutions, after checking to ensure that no fraudulent accounts had been opened in my name.
Are there any ramifications of the freeze that I should anticipate in my daily life at all? I don't anticipate opening a new line of credit in any regard anytime soon, and I know I can thaw when I might need to, but I don't know if the freeze impacts existing accounts, credit cards, or bank stuff.
Nope, it only really matters if someone needs to check your credit (opening a new line, applying to an apartment with a credit check, jobs that require credit checks, etc). Your credit score will continue to go up or down as usual.
bowen on
not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
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TetraNitroCubaneThe DjinneratorAt the bottom of a bottleRegistered Userregular
Super! Thanks for the information.
It made me pretty nervous to use my SSN to freeze my credit (three times, no less), but looking at the situation it really seems like the best option. There are plenty of people saying not to do it, but the best reason they give NOT to do it is "it won't matter". The extra bit of protection feels like it's a good idea to me, though.
It made me pretty nervous to use my SSN to freeze my credit (three times, no less), but looking at the situation it really seems like the best option. There are plenty of people saying not to do it, but the best reason they give NOT to do it is "it won't matter". The extra bit of protection feels like it's a good idea to me, though.
It will stop someone from being able to open lines of credit in your name, seems like a bit better than "it won't matter"
not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
I assume those people are friends or acquaintances? Anyone who is any sort of financial guru/"expert" is recommending freeze if you aren't planning on anything major in the next 4-6 months. Mostly because it's (essentially) the only thing most consumers can do to protect themselves.
It made me pretty nervous to use my SSN to freeze my credit (three times, no less), but looking at the situation it really seems like the best option. There are plenty of people saying not to do it, but the best reason they give NOT to do it is "it won't matter". The extra bit of protection feels like it's a good idea to me, though.
These institutions have your SSN information already, and your SSN may already be out there due to the Equifax breach. Putting a freeze through at every credit bureau is really the best protection you have, if somebody does try to use your SSN for some unscrupulous purpose.
Does anyone know or have heard anything about protecting your Social Security Account itself? I saw a mention of it somewhere, and I'm curious if anyone else has heard anything about that, since everyone's SSN is basically public now.
At Social Security, protecting your personal information is more important than ever. We continue to evaluate and improve our robust cyber-security program to safeguard your information. The thing is, we can’t do it alone. You can help us secure your information by taking one of these steps:
Open your personal my Social Security account. A my Social Security account is your gateway to many of our online services. Create your account today and take away the risk of someone else trying to create one in your name, even if they obtain your Social Security number.
If you already have a my Social Security account, but haven’t signed in lately, take a moment to login to easily take advantage of our second method to identify you each time you log in. This is in addition to our first layer of security, a username and password. You can choose either your cell phone number or your email address as your second identification method. Using two ways to identify you when you sign on will help protect your account from unauthorized use and potential identity theft. If you suspect identity theft, report it to our Office of the Inspector General and visit www.identitytheft.gov.
If you know your Social Security information has been compromised, and if you don’t want to do business with Social Security online, you can use our Block Electronic Access You can block any automated telephone and electronic access to your Social Security record. No one, including you, will be able to see or change your personal information on the internet or through our automated telephone service. If you block access to your record and then change your mind in the future, you can contact Social Security and ask us to unblock it after you prove your identity. This resource is available to certain victims of identity theft and those who need extra security.
We will continue to do our part to protect what’s important to you. And we’ll continue to advise you on how to protect yourself.
Hold on a damn minute! D'you mean that I gotta make an account on a website to prevent someone else from getting there first? Did they really think this through before they made the website?
"Simple, real stupidity beats artificial intelligence every time." -Mustrum Ridcully in Terry Pratchett's Hogfather p. 142 (HarperPrism 1996)
So, anything additional we can do now that we've found out that the leak was even worse than we thought?
There's not a whole lot that can be done without states reissuing the IDs and licenses, which I doubt they'll do.
I would say the biggest thing right now is to make sure you file your taxes ASAP to prevent someone from filing them in your name and trying to get a massive payout from the IRS. Luckily the IRS requires your last year's tax information to file this year so there's at least some protections on that.
not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
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ceresWhen the last moon is cast over the last star of morningAnd the future has past without even a last desperate warningRegistered User, Moderatormod
I was hoping not to have to do that for another month :P
Not that I'm going to get a massive payout..
Question: I am getting ready to try to get pre-approval for a mortgage. I don't really know what freezing credit entails, but does it mean that a credit check done by a lending agent can't be done? I also hear that they're trying to (or maybe did) roll back the investigation? Basically is there any way to future proof against all this that doesn't involve keeping my credit perpetually frozen and having to manually unfreeze it every time I need to do anything?
And it seems like all is dying, and would leave the world to mourn
Yeah you'd have to unfreeze your credit. Get with the lender and ask them which credit system they use and explain that you have it frozen because of the breach, they'll probably tell you which of the agencies to unfreeze.
And I haven't heard much in re: investigation myself.
not a doctor, not a lawyer, examples I use may not be fully researched so don't take out of context plz, don't @ me
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ShivahnUnaware of her barrel shifter privilegeWestern coastal temptressRegistered User, Moderatormod
It's not that hard to unfreeze, in general. I had to move, and the new landlord uses Equifax (they are transferring to using another company), so I had to unfreeze it. They let you unfreeze permanently, unfreeze for a specific individual, or unfreeze for a certain amount of time. So I had them unfreeze it for ten days and then that was it - no need to remember to refreeze or anything. Honestly, pretty convenient.
When the Fed removed the Fiduciary Rule, they included a provision for free credit freezes and thaws for everyone. If you haven't frozen yet, please take steps to do so.
Experian recently had a "relatively" small data breach that some freeze PINs were compromised. If you have a freeze PIN from Experian, log onto their site and request a new PIN.
You can also claim $25/hr for "time spent", and they don't require any documentation for up to 10 hours. It's...pretty easy to get another $250 from that.
You can also claim $25/hr for "time spent", and they don't require any documentation for up to 10 hours. It's...pretty easy to get another $250 from that.
Yeah, I filled it out on my phone while at work, then told everyone around me about it.
They did it one their computers and read the fine print I skipped, so most of them claimed some amount of hours lost.
Either way, everyone should make sure they get their money, even if it's the minimum!
That's how class action lawsuits usually work, yeah.
But they put aside enough for 5.5million people to get the $125 at least. Both I and Equifax don't think half that many people will actually file a claim
Wife and I are both eligible. Not a fan of our info getting stolen, but a little bit of extra money helps.
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zepherinRussian warship, go fuck yourselfRegistered Userregular
Time to put in a claim.
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EncA Fool with CompassionPronouns: He, Him, HisRegistered Userregular
Looks like pennies, if anything. News is saying the amount of people filing has so over-whelmed the expectation that the returns are going to be next to nothing.
Looks like pennies, if anything. News is saying the amount of people filing has so over-whelmed the expectation that the returns are going to be next to nothing.
Not surprising. Nothing gets attention like free money.
At the very least, it sends a message to Equifax that people noticed their monumental screw up? I mean, that's something, right?
The option to obtain reimbursement for alternative credit monitoring, as set forth originally in the class action settlement, was never intended to be a cash payout for all affected consumers
"We never intended to compensate people for the immense damage we did, we thought we'd just offer a service that costs us nothing and people would take that instead of cash"
The free credit monitoring is worth a lot more than the cash reimbursement alternative. The market value would be hundreds of dollars a year.
The market value? That's just what the credit agencies charge! Credit monitoring should be THEIR RESPONSIBILITY. It shouldn't be a service we have to pay for to begin with!
Delzhand on
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OrcaAlso known as EspressosaurusWrexRegistered Userregular
The credit monitoring is worth fuck all because I’ve got 20 years of it from the last 10 breaches
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zepherinRussian warship, go fuck yourselfRegistered Userregular
Creditkarma is like we monitor your credit for free take the cash let me show you to where you can fill out the forms.
Posts
I've had my thaws take effect within 24 hours, but I understand that this is 100% subjective.
Are there any ramifications of the freeze that I should anticipate in my daily life at all? I don't anticipate opening a new line of credit in any regard anytime soon, and I know I can thaw when I might need to, but I don't know if the freeze impacts existing accounts, credit cards, or bank stuff.
It made me pretty nervous to use my SSN to freeze my credit (three times, no less), but looking at the situation it really seems like the best option. There are plenty of people saying not to do it, but the best reason they give NOT to do it is "it won't matter". The extra bit of protection feels like it's a good idea to me, though.
It will stop someone from being able to open lines of credit in your name, seems like a bit better than "it won't matter"
These institutions have your SSN information already, and your SSN may already be out there due to the Equifax breach. Putting a freeze through at every credit bureau is really the best protection you have, if somebody does try to use your SSN for some unscrupulous purpose.
I was able to find this:
https://blog.ssa.gov/protecting-your-social-security/
Phone support only. *sigh*
There's not a whole lot that can be done without states reissuing the IDs and licenses, which I doubt they'll do.
I would say the biggest thing right now is to make sure you file your taxes ASAP to prevent someone from filing them in your name and trying to get a massive payout from the IRS. Luckily the IRS requires your last year's tax information to file this year so there's at least some protections on that.
Not that I'm going to get a massive payout..
Question: I am getting ready to try to get pre-approval for a mortgage. I don't really know what freezing credit entails, but does it mean that a credit check done by a lending agent can't be done? I also hear that they're trying to (or maybe did) roll back the investigation? Basically is there any way to future proof against all this that doesn't involve keeping my credit perpetually frozen and having to manually unfreeze it every time I need to do anything?
And I haven't heard much in re: investigation myself.
Ftc.gov/equifax
@bowen could you update the op and/or title?
Yeah, I filled it out on my phone while at work, then told everyone around me about it.
They did it one their computers and read the fine print I skipped, so most of them claimed some amount of hours lost.
Either way, everyone should make sure they get their money, even if it's the minimum!
But they put aside enough for 5.5million people to get the $125 at least. Both I and Equifax don't think half that many people will actually file a claim
Not surprising. Nothing gets attention like free money.
At the very least, it sends a message to Equifax that people noticed their monumental screw up? I mean, that's something, right?
"We never intended to compensate people for the immense damage we did, we thought we'd just offer a service that costs us nothing and people would take that instead of cash"
you incredible dumbfucks
The market value? That's just what the credit agencies charge! Credit monitoring should be THEIR RESPONSIBILITY. It shouldn't be a service we have to pay for to begin with!
uuuuuuuuuuuuuh what?
Shit. Shit shit shit.