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Most banks, including Chase and AMEX, pull from Experian in NY and NJ when you apply for a card. If they see too many pulls, they are more likely to decline your application. The goal is to have the bank look at a different credit report that doesn’t have as many pulls. This is basically done by putting a security block, or “freeze” your Experian (or other hard hit reports) account. That way, banks are blocked from seeing it.

That can be done here:
Equifax
Experian
TransUnion

Obviously, you will not get instant approval and will have to call recon and ask them nicely to pull from a different bureau. Some banks will decline to do so and will require you to give them the pin# you set up when you froze the credit report so they can pull it. When you do call up, make sure you have a good reason for having your report frozen. Tell them there is some incorrect info on your experian credit report and that you don't want to unfreeze it until it gets corrected. DO NOT say that there was a fraud alert so you froze it!!!! This will cause them to freeze your application.

CHASE:
Personal- many have reported success in freezing experian and having apps approved. There are recent reports of this not working anymore and customer service requiring the pin to unlock your report so this may require lots of HUCA. One DDFer reports 15 HUCAs (3/19/14) and no luck. It may be dead  :(
If you plan on doing a chase 2BM, you might want to call and get both approved in the same call as to avoid multiple pulls. Alternatively, you can just unfreeze it before a 2/3BM.
AsherO reports that he had them pull equifax and they pulled transunion 2 days later as well. The best way to avoid a double-pull, is to freeze both Experian + another bureau and have them pull the third.

Business- There is limited reported success getting chase business reps to pull anything other than experian. Only one DDFer reports success and even he admits it was a real pain and lot and lots of HUCA-ing.

AMEX:
Unfortunately, it doesn’t work at all for AMEX. They will require your pin so they can pull Experian.

CITI:
In NY, Citi pulls from either Equifax or Experian or both. So by freezing experian, you can get them to pull just equifax thus preventing the dreaded double pull. (Many Ddfers have reported that Citi will no longer pull from another report once the original pull has been made).

A few side notes:
Freezing your report will automatically opt you out from pre-approved offers. Churners like those so you might want to opt back in.
If you have accounts with a bank they can still do a soft pull on your frozen credit report.
If you open a new account, it will get reported to the frozen credit report. The report just won’t show a hard pull.       

« Last edited by Yehuda25 on March 25, 2014, 10:01:00 PM »

Author Topic: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score  (Read 153619 times)

Offline Saver2000

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #60 on: June 01, 2011, 05:20:47 PM »
I don't think they looked at my other cards, but IIRC they did see them. It's really the inquiries that are working against you. If you're reporting a decent income and you have good credit low score, low utilization, no derogatory info, not overextended with Chase or other banks), you'll be just fine IY"H.

Freeze your Experian and apply for both IMHO, you have a good chance for success with recon.

You must've meant "high score"

Offline AsherO

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #61 on: June 01, 2011, 05:25:06 PM »
You must've meant "high score"

Indeed, you are correct.
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Offline yaakov s

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #62 on: June 10, 2011, 11:21:47 AM »
Does anyone have any experience pro or con regarding doing a credit freeze and then applying for Citi?
bump

No one tried Citi?

Offline kivabb

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #63 on: June 10, 2011, 11:49:26 AM »
bump

No one tried Citi?

I did. Got same response as Amex that they need me to unfreeze my account.

Offline myb821

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #64 on: June 10, 2011, 11:50:27 AM »
I did. Got same response as Amex that they need me to unfreeze my account.
so only good for chase

Offline yaakov s

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #65 on: June 10, 2011, 12:17:34 PM »
I did. Got same response as Amex that they need me to unfreeze my account.
:(

Offline mclovin

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #66 on: June 10, 2011, 03:41:32 PM »
so only good for chase
and with chase you might get a double pull 1 for transunion and 1 for equifax

Offline myb821

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #67 on: June 10, 2011, 03:49:42 PM »
and with chase you might get a double pull 1 for transunion and 1 for equifax
i have like 7 inquiries on experian, 1 on EQ, and 0 in TU so im tempted to go for it

Offline mclovin

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #68 on: June 10, 2011, 03:52:06 PM »
in many cases it prob is worth it especially w 3 browsers

Offline myb821

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #69 on: June 13, 2011, 01:29:43 PM »
would like to add some data points. I froze both my experian and my equifax to apply for two chase cards the hyatt and the sapphire. Neither got instantly approved. I called right after applying and they said they were pending in the computer system  nothing they can do. i called the next day and by then the sapphire was out of pending but the Hyatt was still pending. I asked them to look at the sapphire app and they said they werent able to pull any credit report all were frozen. I told them TU wasn't frozen the rep said he would see what he could do and came back on the line and said he was able to pull TU. THen the next day the system pulled TU for the second app so i ended up getting two pulls on TU which was fine cause i currently had 0.

Offline yaakov s

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #70 on: June 13, 2011, 02:06:56 PM »
would like to add some data points. I froze both my experian and my equifax to apply for two chase cards the hyatt and the sapphire. Neither got instantly approved. I called right after applying and they said they were pending in the computer system  nothing they can do. i called the next day and by then the sapphire was out of pending but the Hyatt was still pending. I asked them to look at the sapphire app and they said they werent able to pull any credit report all were frozen. I told them TU wasn't frozen the rep said he would see what he could do and came back on the line and said he was able to pull TU. THen the next day the system pulled TU for the second app so i ended up getting two pulls on TU which was fine cause i currently had 0.
Im assuming your recent Citi app you applied for before the freeze

Offline myb821

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #71 on: June 13, 2011, 02:07:35 PM »
Im assuming your recent Citi app you applied for before the freeze
correct of which i got both the citi visa and visa business approved

Offline Saver2000

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #72 on: June 13, 2011, 02:29:12 PM »
correct of which i got both the citi visa and visa business approved

It was only one pull for both?

Offline yaakov s

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #73 on: June 13, 2011, 02:35:34 PM »
correct of which i got both the citi visa and visa business approved
Why not the Amex too?

Offline myb821

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #74 on: June 13, 2011, 02:41:41 PM »
Why not the Amex too?
doesnt exist anymore

Offline myb821

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #75 on: June 13, 2011, 02:41:55 PM »

Offline yaakov s

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #76 on: June 13, 2011, 03:07:41 PM »
doesnt exist anymore
found this link on the citi thread , http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/milesbuzz/1110784-american-airlines-card-75-000-sign-up-bonus.html  .Pulled the page for me . They arent honoring it anymore?

Offline myb821

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #77 on: June 13, 2011, 03:21:03 PM »
found this link on the citi thread , http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/milesbuzz/1110784-american-airlines-card-75-000-sign-up-bonus.html  .Pulled the page for me . They arent honoring it anymore?
well i couldnt hit 4k spend its to much for me and the 1500 spend link is dead

Offline yaakov s

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #78 on: June 13, 2011, 03:23:21 PM »
well i couldnt hit 4k spend its to much for me and the 1500 spend link is dead
Thanks for pointing that out . Didn't look carefully

Offline myb821

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #79 on: June 13, 2011, 03:35:42 PM »
Thanks for pointing that out . Didn't look carefully
np