$700 million is what Equifax will pay out as a result of its data breach. Make sure you get your share.

The 2017 Equifax data breach was the largest in history…with 147 million Americans affected. If you were one of them, you may be entitled to compensation.The Federal Trade Commission ruled Monday, July 29, that Equifax will have to pay up to $700 million in individual compensation and civil penalties because of the hack. According to the commission’s online claims process, those whose personal information was exposed can opt for 10 years of free credit monitoring, which breaks down as follows: Four years via the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) and six years specifically through Equifax.However, if you already have credit monitoring, you can choose to receive $125. For those who had to spend time and money as a result of the breach, Equifax can provide larger sums—up to $20,000. Losses can include unauthorized charges on your accounts, attorney or accountant fees, the cost of freezing or unfreezing your credit report, or the cost of credit monitoring.You can file a claim through Equifax’s data breach settlement page. Equifax has a website where you can quickly check if your personal information was exposed.The deadline to file a claim is January 22, 2020 (this is the last day to file online and the postmark deadline for mailed claims).Source: CNN.com