As a New Jersey resident, Timpane is entitled to a free "security freeze" - the name varies state to state - from each of the three major credit bureaus. He'd have to pay $5 for a temporary thaw if he wanted to give a particular creditor access to his credit file, or give any creditor access for the next week or two - say, if he knew he was about to go car shopping and wanted to obtain a variety of loan offers. Isn't that a hassle, too? Perhaps - and that's what the credit bureaus will warn you about if you choose to freeze your credit file. But for most people, shopping for more credit is hardly an everyday thing.