Helping Borrowers Lift Credit Freezes Quickly

As a mortgage lender or processor, one of the most common pre-approval and processing delays occurs when a borrower has a security freeze in place at Equifax, Experian, and/or TransUnion. This guide equips your team with clear instructions and borrower-facing language to resolve freezes in minutes instead of days.Key Facts for Loan Officers and Processors

Federal law (FCRA) requires bureaus to lift a freeze within 1 hour of an electronic or phone request (3 business days for mail).
Borrowers must lift the freeze at all three bureaus unless you pull only one or two (most residential lenders use a tri-merge report).
A temporary lift (e.g., 10–30 days) is almost always the best option — it does not permanently remove protection.

Recommended Borrower Instructions (Copy-Paste into Email or Portal)Subject: Action Required: Temporarily Lift Your Credit Freeze (Takes ~10 Minutes)Hi [Borrower],To run your credit for the mortgage application, we need the security freeze removed temporarily at all three credit bureaus. This is completely normal and safe.Please do the following today (online or by phone — both are instant):

Bureau	Fastest Link	Phone Number	Recommended Option
Equifax	equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services	1-800-685-1111	Temporary lift → 30 days
Experian	experian.com/freeze/center.html	1-888-397-3742	Temporary lift → 30 days OR specific creditor
TransUnion	transunion.com/credit-freeze	1-888-909-8872	Freeze removal → set end date 30 days from now

Tips for fastest results:

Use the online links above (instant processing).
Choose a 30-day temporary lift — this covers initial pull, re-pulls, and any investor requirements.
You’ll need your PIN/password from when you originally froze your credit. If lost, each site has a “forgot PIN” recovery option.

Once complete, simply reply to this email with “Done” or upload a quick screenshot/note in your portal. We’ll verify and move forward immediately.After your loan closes, you can (and should) refreeze your credit for free at the same sites.Thank you — this step usually takes borrowers less than 10 minutes total!Pro Tips for Mortgage Teams

Add the table above as a saved template in your CRM/email system.
For borrowers who delay, send a one-click text with shortened links:
Eq: bit.ly/eq-lift | Ex: bit.ly/ex-lift | TU: bit.ly/tu-lift
Train processors to ask on every file: “Do you currently have a freeze with any bureau?” during initial doc collection.
If a borrower insists on a creditor-specific lift, provide your exact legal entity name and, if requested, the unique creditor code from your credit vendor (Reseller ID or similar).

By proactively sending these instructions, most lenders cut credit-freeze delays from days to same-day resolution.

Please contact support@kcbcredit.com if you have any questions.