Only YOU can freeze and unfreeze your credit.
Freezing your credit means closing the door to any new debt in your name. It prevents any loans or credit items from being opened using your personal information. People who are concerned about identity theft sometimes choose to freeze their credit to protect their financial security.
But as a small business owner, especially for younger businesses, your personal credit is part of your application process. Even if your business has an EIN and DUNS number to establish business credit history, the small business lender will pull your personal credit, too.
A lender or credit card company can check your credit score to prequalify you for a loan with frozen credit, but they cannot complete the loan until it is unfrozen.
Before applying for a loan, make sure to unfreeze your credit. If you don’t do it yourself, the lender will ask you to unfreeze it before your small business loan or SBA loan can be finalized. You can always freeze it again after the process is complete.
To unfreeze your credit, contact each of the major credit bureaus using the information below. Freezing and unfreezing your credit is free.
- Experian: (888) 397-3742
- TransUnion: (888) 909-8872
- Equifax: (800) 349-9960
You can check your credit for free once a year at AnnualCreditReport.com.