Money sheet
Your credit freezes at the three bureaus, the alerts on your bank and card accounts, and what you found on your free credit reports.
Essential on a first pass: Credit freezes and the first four alert items (Money and identity). The credit reports log and the optional protections can wait.
Never type a password, PIN, passcode, backup code, security answer, full card or account number or Social Security number into these sheets. Write where a thing is kept, not the thing. The sheets are saved in this browser and printed on paper, so treat them like your other important papers.
Credit freezes
Essential on a first pass (Money and identity). "Sign-in details kept" names the place you keep the bureau account's sign-in or PIN, never the details. Never type a password, PIN, passcode, backup code, security answer, full card or account number or Social Security number here. Write where a thing is kept, not the thing.
Alerts and protections
Essential on a first pass: the first four items (Money and identity). The items marked optional can wait.
Credit reports read
Optional on a first pass (Money and identity). One row per report you read.
How to use this sheet
- One row per bureau. A freeze is placed at each of Equifax, Experian and TransUnion separately.
- "Sign-in details kept" is a place. The bureau account's password or PIN stays in your password manager or book.
- Lift and refreeze. When you apply for credit, change the row to "lifted until a date", then back to "frozen".
After a caller talked him into sending money (When something goes wrong), Frank Tran froze his credit at all three bureaus and turned on alerts at Golden Valley Bank, a fictional bank. Names and details are invented.
A freeze stops new credit in your name; it does nothing about an account you already have, which is what alerts are for. This sheet gives no financial advice; your bank and the bureaus answer questions about your own accounts.