this doesn’t seem to be getting much press, but the credit freeze for new york state went into effect today (november 1). here’s a .pdf file with more information.
years ago, i had my identity stolen. it took me weeks to untangle the mess. and i was lucky, in a sense–many people spend years untangling it, and never succeed.
this puts a freeze on your credit files with the three credit reporting bureaus–experian, trans union, and equifax–and ensures that you’ll never have to deal with identity theft. there’s a bit of inconvenience on the back side (you have to temporarily unfreeze your credit if someone needs access) but it’s well worth the trouble.
if you don’t live in new york, your state may still have its own credit freeze. check it out.
do yourself a favor. spend the hour it will take to do this…you won’t regret it.