Credit Freezes Are Now Free Nationwide, FTC says

Consumers can now freeze their credit for free nationwide.

A new law allows consumers in all states to restrict businesses’ access to their credit files without having to pay fees to the three credit-reporting firms: Equifax Inc., TransUnion and Experian plc, the Federal Trade Commission said Sept. 21.

A provision in the law—the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act, which President Donald Trump signed in May—also extends the duration of free credit report fraud alerts from 90 days to a year. The alerts, handled by the reporting firms, notify consumers when somebody tries to fraudulently extend their credit ...