6 Ways to Protect Yourself from the Equifax Credit Breach
Even if you’ve never heard of Equifax or their services, it’s quite likely that you could be directly affected by the credit breach. In fact, this event is particularly damaging and will be life altering for many folks. Equifax holds information and data on every utility bill you’ve ever paid, they know about your student, car, and credit card loans. Equifax also have details of your social security number, your date of birth, your driving license number, your bank accounts and all of your previous addresses. And, as of July, the hackers might have all of your most personal information too. Chances are, you’ve probably unknowingly used Equifax’s services every time you’ve applied for a bank account, a credit card, a car loan, a student loan, university, your mobile phone contract and your mortgage. Here are 6 things you must consider doing to protect yourself from this credit breach.
1. Get a Credit Report
The first step you can take to protect yourself from the Equifax Credit Breach is to get an annual credit report. As an American, Federal Law entitles you to one free report every year and it’ll ensure the information on your report is correct and up to date. But don’t just use any service you see advertised on Television. You should use AnnualCreditReport.com. Your credit report will consist of a list of businesses that have given you loans, how much you owe, and how often you are making repayments. It also documents any missed or late payments. This report will also give you a credit score, which is a mathematical equation of the report. You should keep a hold of your report for the future so you can compare anything that doesn’t seem quite right. If you apply online, you can usually receive your report immediately.
