Starting Today, New Law Allows Consumers to Place Free Credit Freezes And Yearlong Fraud Alerts

Federal Trade Commission press release -------- Starting today, consumers who are concerned about identity theft or data breaches can freeze their credit and place one-year fraud alerts for free.Under the new Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act, consumers in some states – those who previously had to pay fees to freeze their credit – will no longer have to do so. A credit freeze, also known as a security freeze, restricts access to a consumer’s credit file, making it harder for identity thieves to open new accounts in the consumer’s name. The new law also allows parents to freeze for free the credit of their children who are under 16, while guardians, conservators, and those with a valid power of attorney can get a free freeze for their dependents. To learn more click on the picture below to read the release.