13 Feb Why can’t I freeze all my credit reports at once?

Q. I froze my Equifax credit report and I learned all the credit reports were not frozen together. Why not?
— Consumer

A. A credit freeze limits who has access to your credit information.

If you freeze your report, the credit bureaus won’t release your information to lenders. So if someone applies for credit in your name, the lender won’t see the credit report and then will not extend credit.

To start a credit freeze, contact each of the three major credit report providers:

Experian: (888) 397-3742
Equifax: (800) 349-9960
TransUnion: (888) 909-8872

Online is the fastest way to do it.

When you want to lift the freeze, you can go on the websites and set a calendar, basically telling the bureau to unlock by freeze on this date, and then reinstate it on this date.

To your specific question of why they are not all frozen together, we have our suspicions. While the three credit agencies would probably say it’s for added security reasons, we’re guessing it’s because they’d each love more visitors to their individual websites — where they can try to sell you products you may not need.

We could be wrong.

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This story was originally published in February 2026. 

NJMoneyHelp.com presents certain general financial planning principles and advice, but should never be viewed as a substitute for obtaining advice from a personal professional advisor who understands your unique individual circumstances.