With fraudulent activity on the rise, most of us make data security and a regular review of credit card statements part of our own personal routine. However, your child almost certainly can’t say the same. Most parents likely think of credit and data security as something to discuss with their children once they’re teenagers, thinking more about spending, saving, and potentially opening their first credit card. The unfortunate reality is that kids are having their identities stolen as well, and in some cases, credit is being taken out under their social security numbers. Since kids are often not using their credit reports until they are almost adults, an identity theft problem may not be revealed until many years later.
We frequently talk with our adult clients about the importance of freezing their credit to help protect them from identity theft. To learn more about what a credit freeze is, please see our recent blog post: How and When to Freeze Your Credit.
Fortunately, the 2018 passage of Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act of 2018 requires all three major credit reporting agencies to provide free credit freezes to adults and children alike. Each credit bureau now has instructions on their website on how to freeze a minor’s credit. It does take more work than an online credit freeze for adults, in that they are currently requiring you to mail all of the necessary documentation to establish your and your child’s identity. As with the adult security freeze, you will want to make sure you do not lose the PIN for your child’s reports. They will need this later on when they go to access their credit.
For more information, please visit each credit reporting agency website listed below:
Equifax
Experian
TransUnion
Leah Levingston, CFP®
Financial Advisor
Alaska Wealth Advisors, LLC is an investment adviser registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. More information about Alaska Wealth Advisors’ investment advisory services can be found in its Form ADV Part 2 and/or Form CRS, both of which are available upon request. Material presented has been derived from sources considered to be reliable, but accuracy and completeness cannot be guaranteed.
Certified Financial PlannersTM (CFP®) are licensed by the CFP® Board to use the CFP® mark. CFP® certification requirements include: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, completion of the financial planning education requirements set by the CFP® Board (www.cfp.net), successful completion of the CFP® Certification Exam, comprised of two three-hour sessions, experience requirement: 6,000 hours of professional experience related to the financial planning process, or 4,000 hours of Apprenticeship experience that meets additional requirements, successfully pass the Candidate Fitness Standards and background check, agree annually to be bound by CFP® Board’s Standards of Professional Conduct, and complete 30 hours of continuing education every two years, including two hours on the Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct.
