We hear a lot about credit — credit reports, credit scores, credit freezes, credit monitoring. What does it all mean for you?

A Texas-based insurance firm is notifying more than 335,500 people of a December hack involving their sensitive personal and health information. The breach affects

Victims of identity theft or fraud may feel they don’t have many options to protect themselves. An easy stopgap, however, is to place a fraud alert on your credit report. A fraud alert can be placed fairly simply. Contact one of the three major credit bureaus to ask that they place a fraud alert on your credit report, giving potential lenders and creditors notice that someone may be trying to fraudulently use your identity to apply for credit. The three main credit bureaus are Equifax, Experian and TransUnion—the one that you report the problem to will notify the others. It alerts them that they should do more thorough vetting, including calling to check if you’re really at a store trying to take out new credit, and verifying your identity before extending credit in your name. Two Types Available An initial fraud alert lasts 90 days, after which the credit bureaus will automatically remove it from your credit report. You can then request another 90-day fraud alert if you think you’re still at risk for identity theft. You can also request that the 90-day alert be removed early if you no longer need it. You must notify each bureau separately to have them remove it. The second type is an extended fraud alert that can last up to seven years. It can only be placed on your credit report after your identity has been stolen and you’ve filed an identity theft report with the Federal Trade Commission. You may also need to file a report with local police. An extended alert requires creditors to contact you in person or through your designated contact method to make sure you’re the person trying to request credit. You can still open a new account after the creditor contacts you. This type of alert isn’t the same as a credit freeze, which is also called a security freeze. This prevents lenders from checking your credit to open a new account, effectively preventing new account openings. Keep in mind that a fraud alert can be a red flag for lenders, and there’s no guarantee it will stop identity theft. After filing a fraud alert, get a free copy of your credit report from each credit bureau and check it for warning signs of fraud. These include accounts opened in your name that you don’t remember opening, or charges on your credit card that you don’t recognize.

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Senate panel endorses RS32131 for credit monitoring following government and private data breaches.

 A cybersecurity breach has exposed the confidential health data of more than 1.6 million individuals—including minors—who received care at Planned Parenthood centers across over 30 U.S. states. The breach stems from Laboratory Services Cooperative (LSC), a company providing lab testing for reproductive health clinics nationwide. In a notice filed with the Maine Attorney General’s office, LSC confirmed that its systems were infiltrated on October 27, 2024, and the breach was detected the same day. Hackers reportedly gained unauthorized access to sensitive personal, medical, insurance, and financial records. "The information compromised varies from patient to patient but may include the following: * Personal information: Name, address, email, phone number * Medical information: Date(s) of service, diagnoses, treatment, medical record and patient numbers, lab results, provider name, treatment location * Insurance information: Plan name and type, insurance company, member/group ID numbers * Billing information: Claim numbers, bank account details, billing codes, payment card details, balance details * Identifiers: Social Security number, driver's license or ID number, passport number, date of birth, demographic data, student ID number" In addition to patient data, employee information—including details about dependents and beneficiaries—may also have been compromised. Patients concerned about whether their data is affected can check if their Planned Parenthood location partners with LSC via the FAQ section on LSC’s website or by calling their support line at 855-549-2662. While it's impossible to reverse the damage of a breach, experts recommend immediate protective actions: Monitor your credit reports (available weekly for free from all three major credit bureaus) Place fraud alerts, freeze credit, and secure your Social Security number Stay vigilant for unusual account activity and report potential identity theft promptly LSC is offering 12–24 months of credit monitoring through CyEx Medical Shield Complete to impacted individuals. Those affected must call the customer service line between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. ET, Monday to Friday, to get an activation code for enrollment. For minors or individuals without an SSN or credit history, a tailored service named Minor Defense is available with a similar registration process. The enrollment deadline is July 14, 2025.

Kelly Benefits is notifying nine large clients and nearly 264,000 individuals that their sensitive personal information was potentially compromised in a December

The Arizona-based bank has begun notifying affected customers

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The Senate has passed the bipartisan Servicemember Credit Monitoring Enhancement Act, a measure led by Rep. Janelle Bynum (D-OR-05) and co-sponsored by Rep.… The post Oregon Rep. Janelle Bynum’s Bipartisan Bill Expands Credit Monitoring for All Servicemembers appeared first on Shine My Crown.