# Credit Freeze, Different Agencies **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 14, 2017, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-freeze-different-agencies/796345 "2017-09-14T21:14:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2017, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-freeze-different-agencies/796345/1 "2017-09-14T21:14:37Z")
As a result of the Equifax data hack I have placed a credit freeze in 3 places: Equifax, Experian, and Transunion. According to USA Today, there is a 4th agency, Innovis. This one never gets a mention. My factual question is: If I have placed a freeze with the big 3, is it an incomplete freeze unless I include Innovis? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2017, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-freeze-different-agencies/796345/2 "2017-09-18T16:42:48Z")
Yes. Though Innovis primarily uses its credit data to identify potential credit customers prospectively, rather than for third parties to “rule out” credit customers after-the-fact. They provide raw data to lenders rather than analysis. Innovis doesn’t charge for a freeze, so there’s no reason not to. You may also want to request a freeze from [ChexSystems](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ChexSystems), which gathers data on consumers’ deposit account (checking/savings) history. There’s another national credit bureau called PBRC, but it’s opt-in so if you’ve never applied to open a history there you don’t have to do anything. ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2017, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-freeze-different-agencies/796345/3 "2017-09-18T20:11:06Z")
Why not activate a permanent credit freeze and just do temporary waivers for specific parties or times? It seems to me that is the best way to guard against identity theft. I’m confused as to why people don’t do that? ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2017, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-freeze-different-agencies/796345/4 "2017-09-18T20:19:04Z")
Thank you for the replies. I have frozen the account with Innovis, as well just to be thorough. But now I know of yet more places, so I’m not as thorough as I thought! > [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](#): > > Why not activate a permanent credit freeze and just do temporary waivers for specific parties or times? It seems to me that is the best way to guard against identity theft. I’m confused as to why people don’t do that? I think this will be my plan from here on out- lift the freeze next time I want to buy a car or something, then freeze it again after. Until then, lock it down…if that really means anything in this crazy hacking and exploding world. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2017, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/credit-freeze-different-agencies/796345/5 "2017-09-18T22:07:17Z")
I think apart from trying to protect yourself, if the entire population freezes their credit, it breaks their atrocious model for how credit checking works. Maybe a regulator will step in, or the industry will move to a more secure model for the consumer that protects us against identity theft before anything serious can happen.