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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 155514 times)

Offline AJK

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #140 on: February 09, 2012, 10:47:06 AM »
Haha i should have written 'negatively' affect it.
According to the agencies websites it says it takes up to 3 days for the freeze to start
Most people here on ddf report otherwise
How long do you estimate it will take fpr the freeze to take effect?

Immediately, IME. But I waited a day or two anyway to make sure.
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Offline AsherO

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #141 on: February 09, 2012, 11:16:25 AM »
Does not effect your score. Of course it affects your report, it freezes it :) (but no real effect other than that.)

To clarify, it freezes hard pulls, but the other sections in the report can still be changed. Current creditors can still soft pull you as well.

Haha i should have written 'negatively' affect it.
According to the agencies websites it says it takes up to 3 days for the freeze to start
Most people here on ddf report otherwise
How long do you estimate it will take fpr the freeze to take effect?

Where'd you see three days? Security freezes are instant AFAIK. Try to freeze a report twice in a row, the second time you'll get an error saying it's already frozen.
« Last Edit: February 09, 2012, 12:34:49 PM by AsherO »
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Offline tuvz

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #142 on: February 09, 2012, 12:26:52 PM »
To clarify, it freezes hard pulls, but the other sections in the report can still be changed. Current creditors can still soft pull you as well.

Where'd you see three days? Security freezes are instant AFAIK. Try to free a report twice in a row, the second time you'll get an error saying it's already frozen.

http://www.consumersunion.org/pdf/security/securityNY.pdf

http://www.equifax.com/cs7/Satellite?c=EFX_Page_C&childpagename=EFX%2FEFX_Page_C%2FGetcreditCP&cid=1182374732430&p=1182374732489&packedargs=locale%3Den_cp&pagename=EFX%2FWrapper#NextSteps

These two links talk about the three days...could be only if its done in writing.
Eitherway you mind sending me the link for the free report? Thanks

Offline AsherO

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #143 on: February 09, 2012, 12:37:49 PM »
These two links talk about the three days...could be only if its done in writing.
Eitherway you mind sending me the link for the free report? Thanks

The first link specifically states that it's for written requests, the second link is regarding lifting a freeze.

I meant to write freeze (see my edit), but you can get a free report each year from this site.
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Offline tuvz

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #144 on: February 09, 2012, 12:42:46 PM »
The first link specifically states that it's for written requests, the second link is regarding lifting a freeze.

I meant to write freeze (see my edit), but you can get a free report each year from this site.

Thanks

Offline Wolf

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #145 on: February 26, 2012, 02:01:42 PM »
Ok read thru last ten pages but am little unclear what to do,
Live in NY and about to do a 2BM with chase, I have lots of recent pulls on my exp, and nothing on Eq and TU,
Should I just freeze exp and do a 2bm? will it result in 2 pulls? 1 on tu and 1 on eq?
or should I freeze both e's, will they be able to pull just the TU?
will it affect the instant approval?

Offline AJK

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #146 on: February 26, 2012, 11:11:03 PM »
Should I just freeze exp and do a 2bm? will it result in 2 pulls? 1 on tu and 1 on eq?
or should I freeze both e's, will they be able to pull just the TU?
will it affect the instant approval?

Sounds like a good idea to me.
Not necessarily.
Yes.
Yes, IME.
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Offline aryeh1

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #147 on: February 27, 2012, 12:50:08 AM »
better to freeze both es as apposed to freezing one?

Offline AJK

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #148 on: February 27, 2012, 08:54:32 AM »
better to freeze both es as apposed to freezing one?

Depends on what your goal is.
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Offline aryeh1

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #149 on: February 27, 2012, 08:55:25 AM »
Depends on what your goal is.
To get approved for all 3 cards with a 3bbm
you mean if you freeze 1 you will get 3 pulls as opposed to 1 pull if you freeze es

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #150 on: February 27, 2012, 08:59:22 AM »
To get approved for all 3 cards with a 3bbm
you mean if you freeze 1 you will get 3 pulls as opposed to 1 pull if you freeze es

No, that isn't what I mean. If you freeze just Experian, you leave open the possibility of the FI (Chase) pulling from either EQ or TU, whereas if you want them to pull from TU alone, then you'd freeze both Es.

How many pulls is YMMV.
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Offline aryeh1

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #151 on: February 27, 2012, 09:22:37 AM »
No, that isn't what I mean. If you freeze just Experian, you leave open the possibility of the FI (Chase) pulling from either EQ or TU, whereas if you want them to pull from TU alone, then you'd freeze both Es.

How many pulls is YMMV.

which way is highest chance to get approved for all3?
If you freeze both you have to call them and tell them to pull from TU- which only results in 1 pull ,since they manually have to pull it. But the recon debt, i doubt will approve 3 cards?

Offline AJK

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #152 on: February 27, 2012, 09:46:21 AM »
which way is highest chance to get approved for all3?
If you freeze both you have to call them and tell them to pull from TU- which only results in 1 pull ,since they manually have to pull it. But the recon debt, i doubt will approve 3 cards?

Pull from whatever bureau(s) do not have yellow flags. However, it seems your issue is beyond which CR they pull. If your CR can't handle the new account, it matters not what arguments you give them with regard to "extra baggage" benefits.
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Offline aryeh1

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #153 on: February 27, 2012, 09:52:37 AM »
For my father- he has many pulls( 8 or 9) in experian but great credit. So i should just freeze experian or also equifax?

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #154 on: February 28, 2012, 10:20:20 AM »
Did a credit freeze on Experian around a week ago in NJ to apply for Chase cards.  I haven't seen on my credit monitoring that they have done any pulls yet from other agencies. In the meantime I removed freeze on Experian today to do 3BM with Amex. In my experiance, freeze and unfreeze are instant with Experian. I applied for 3BM with Amex and got pending answer. Is it safe to assume that once application went through and I got pending response that they Amex already pulled the Experian report? I would hate for Chase to do Experian pull while unfrozen. Thanks.

Offline aryeh1

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #155 on: February 28, 2012, 11:03:01 AM »
Did a credit freeze on Experian around a week ago in NJ to apply for Chase cards.  I haven't seen on my credit monitoring that they have done any pulls yet from other agencies. In the meantime I removed freeze on Experian today to do 3BM with Amex. In my experiance, freeze and unfreeze are instant with Experian. I applied for 3BM with Amex and got pending answer. Is it safe to assume that once application went through and I got pending response that they Amex already pulled the Experian report? I would hate for Chase to do Experian pull while unfrozen. Thanks.
Why didn't you also freeze equifax?

Offline kivabb

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #156 on: February 28, 2012, 11:24:09 AM »
Why didn't you also freeze equifax?

In NJ, only get pulls on Experian (exception is Barklays which is TU). So I froze both Experian and TU to force Chase to take from Equifax. I only thawed out Experian to do 3BM with Amex. Can I refreeze and assume they pulled Experian once apps went through?

Offline Yeki89

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #157 on: February 28, 2012, 02:55:44 PM »
I had a delinquency on my EX. CR
(Insurance refused to pay a bill)
So i froze the EX. account, applied for the freedom.. got approved.

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #158 on: February 28, 2012, 03:02:41 PM »
"We were unable to honor your request to place a security freeze on your personal credit report based on the information you entered.
"
 I enetred the wrong security answers , how long do I have to wait to retry to freeze ?

Offline lcyitz

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Re: Credit Freeze to Improve Your Experian Score
« Reply #159 on: March 31, 2012, 10:49:45 PM »
How can i tell if there is a security freeze on my reports ( i sent in a fax to put one on, i just wanna make sure its active before i apply)