Identity theft sounds frightening, but the defense is straightforward: a credit freeze, some simple monitoring, and a recovery plan you hope you'll never need. This book gives you all three in plain language, with separate instructions for the US (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) and Canada (Equifax, TransUnion).

You'll learn what a freeze does and doesn't do, how to place one at each bureau in about ten minutes, and how to temporarily lift it when you apply for credit yourself. The monitoring chapter covers free credit reports, what to look for, and transaction alerts that catch misuse in real time. And if theft happens anyway, Chapter 5 is a numbered recovery plan — freezes, fraud alerts, FTC and Anti-Fraud Centre reports, dispute letters (with a sample outline), and follow-up — plus a printable freeze log worksheet to keep your PINs organized.