Utah's "credit freeze" legislation doesn't go into effect until September, but you don't have to wait until then to protect your credit file from identity thieves.

You can do it right now. The nation's three credit bureaus, under growing pressure from states such as Utah demanding greater consumer protections, recently made it possible for anyone, regardless of where they live, to "lock" or "freeze" their credit files.

But the credit-reporting bureaus didn't make it especially easy. You must pay $10 to each of the bureaus and mail in your request with a host of information that identifies you. And anytime you apply for a mortgage, car loan, credit card, department store account or any other type of credit, you will have to "unlock" or "unfreeze" your report temporarily (another $10). Then you have to re-seal it when you are finished (yet another $10).

The three credit bureaus set up one site - annualcreditreport.com - to comply with federal law requiring each of them to release one credit report per year to consumers.

Unfortunately, there isn't one site or phone number to lock your credit file. You must contact each bureau individually, and the process of either locking or unlocking your file varies from bureau to bureau.

Despite the expense and hassle, the best decision for most consumers is to lock their credit file - now - said Gail Hillebrand, senior attorney for Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports.

"It's the best protection against thieves opening new accounts in your name."

If you lock your file, creditors are barred from reviewing it for credit-granting purposes, effectively shutting out anyone from using your credit - even yourself.

That is exactly the peace of mind Barbara Ross wants. The Salt Lake City resident said she has been waiting to freeze her file ever since first hearing about the issue a couple of years ago.

The way Ross looks at it, the hassle of filling out six requests - three for herself and three for her husband - is well worth the protection that comes with barring anyone from her credit file.

"If I freeze our credit file, I don't see ever unlocking it in our lifetime," she said.

Although Utah today is among 39 states and Washington, D.C., that have passed credit-freeze legislation, back in the 2006 legislative session the state was among those pioneering the concept of allowing consumers greater control over their credit files.

In fact, a provision allowing consumers to unlock their file within a mere 15 minutes of making the request was so radical, the industry pressed for a two-year wait for it to go into effect - hence the September 2008 implementation.

With bureaus now offering the service, Utah Sen. Carlene Walker, R-Cottonwood Heights, who championed Utah's credit-freeze legislation, said Utahns should lock their files as soon as they can.

Once the Utah law goes into effect in September, residents will be able to unlock their files within the 15-minute period outlined in the new law instead of the several business days it can take now.

But still, many consumers aren't aware they can lock their file now and are relying on outdated methods by which to protect their credit information.

Many have signed up for credit monitoring services, which typically cost $10 or more per month and alert a consumer to any activity on his or her credit report. Others have placed fraud "alerts" on their files, designed to inform creditors to take extra precaution verifying an applicant's identity when issuing credit.

But neither come close to the protections afforded by a freeze, said Ed Mierzwinski, consumer program director for the U.S. Public Interest Research Group.

Credit monitoring notifies you only after someone has tapped your credit file and has limited value in stopping crooks. A fraud alert also cannot stop someone from using your credit information or a creditor from granting credit. And the alerts have to be continually updated every 90 days.

"Only a freeze denies issuance of a credit report," he said. "We know of no creditor who would ask for a credit report, find out there is a freeze and issue credit anyway.

"In our view, the freeze is the only way to protect yourself."

lesley@sltrib.com

Frozen credit report

Until a new Utah law goes into effect in September, to truly shut out identity thieves and other crooks from your credit file you must contact each of the nation's three credit-reporting bureaus and pay a fee to "freeze" your file.