Why You Need To Freeze Your Credit Right Now
Written by
Cara Danielle Brown
Edited by
Rebekah Evans
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Financial influencer and entrepreneur Haley Sacks, known to some as “Mrs. Dow Jones,” drew attention when she announced on her official Instagram that Americans should immediately freeze their credit.
Wondering why you should freeze your credit right now? Read on to find out.
Also here’s what you need to know about the top three credit reporting agencies.
Why Freeze Your Credit Now?
“The U.S. is at war with Iran and what most people miss is that physical war in 2026 is always coupled with cyber war,” Sacks said.
In fact, according to a 2025 Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Center (FS-ISAC) report, during both the 2024 Hamas-Israel and Russia-Ukraine wars, DDoS attacks on the financial services industry surged.
Sacks explained that a credit freeze locks your credit file so that no one — not even you — can open a new loan or credit card until you unfreeze it.
How To Freeze Your Credit in 3 Easy Steps
- Go online to each of the three credit bureaus: TransUnion, Equifax and Experian.
- Separately create free accounts for all three.
- On each, find the option that reads, “Security Freeze.” Then click and confirm — that’s it.
If you need access to credit at any point, you can always log in and temporarily thaw the freeze. And, no, freezing and/or unfreezing your credit has zero effect on your credit score. Also, Sacks warned that credit bureaus will likely try to upsell you on a credit lock paid subscription.
“Don’t fall for this,” Sacks added, who explained that a credit freeze is your right under federal law.
Editor’s note on political coverage: GOBankingRates is nonpartisan and strives to cover all aspects of the economy objectively and present balanced reports on politically focused finance stories. You can find more coverage of this topic on GOBankingRates.com.
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