Identity Theft

A credit freeze is free, powerful, and underused. Here’s exactly how to set one up — and how to lift it when you actually need credit. A credit freeze is one of the best free tools for protecting yourself from identity theft, yet many people skip it because they’re unsure how it works. It’s simpler…

A breach notice is unsettling, but it’s not a catastrophe if you move methodically. Here’s the checklist, in order. Data breaches are so common now that most people will get a “your information may have been exposed” notice eventually. A breach doesn’t mean you’ll be defrauded — but it does mean it’s time to take…

Identity theft is easiest to stop early — if you know what to look for. Here are the red flags, from obvious to easy-to-miss. Stolen identities rarely announce themselves. The damage usually starts quietly — a small charge, a piece of unexpected mail, a credit alert — and the sooner you catch it, the less…

Three tools, three very different levels of protection — and a lot of confusion between them. Here’s how a fraud alert, a credit freeze, and a credit lock compare. When you’re worried about identity theft — after a data breach, a lost wallet, or just a gut feeling — you’ll run into three options that…