Back in 2017, Equifax, one of our 3 credit monitoring companies, had a huge data breach that affected almost 150 million people.
Recently, the company settled a class action lawsuit relating to this incident. The settlement allows you to get 4 years of credit monitoring at all three credit bureaus or $125 cash. It also allows people to file further claims for up to $20,000 to pay for costs associated with fraud or identity theft as a result of the breach.
You can see if you are eligible for the $125 by going to this site:
https://eligibility.equifaxbreachsettlement.com/en/eligibility
You just need to put in your last name and your last 6 digits of your social security number. The main site that explains the settlement and all the details can be found here:
https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/cases-proceedings/refunds/equifax-data-breach-settlement
You have until January 22, 2020 to file a claim. Don’t expect the cash until later next year, at the earliest.
Joe Baker, CFP®
Baker Asset Management, LLC
joebaker@bakerassetmanagement.com
