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Credit Advice
Topics addressed on April 28, 2010:
How long it takes to thaw a frozen credit report
Dear Experian,
If I have thawed my credit, how long before I can apply for credit and it will be accessible?
- SME
Dear SME,
Experian now offers the convenience of thawing a frozen credit file online, by telephone or by mail. In most cases, if you request the thaw online or by telephone, the credit file can be unfrozen within a matter of minutes.
However, each state has its own laws that specify procedures for freezing and thawing credit reports. To be safe, we recommend you allow up to three days for your credit history to be thawed.
For more information on file freezing and details on your state’s requirements visit Experian’s Security Freeze pages on its Web site.
Equifax and Trans Union, the other national credit reporting companies, may have different processes and policies than Experian for requesting your credit file be unfrozen. Please contact them for details on how to unfreeze the credit histories they maintain.
Thanks for asking.
- The "Ask Experian" team