In the world of credit cards and reports, companies offer credit and identity monitoring as a service for consumers. Companies provide identity monitoring to protect personally identifiable information in credit applications. To help guard someone’s identity, they often include a credit monitoring service(1).
Credit monitoring is a service that alerts people whenever there are changes to one of their credit reports. It also monitors credit history and provides periodic credit scores.
It is worth taking because according to a CFPB study, almost 76%(2) of their consumers register complaints regarding the errors found in one of their 3 credit reports.
How To Choose Top Credit Monitoring Services?
The best credit monitoring service is the one that includes all the features that you want along with a reasonable price. So, you should always look for the service that provides unlimited access to a few of the major real-time credit bureaus and credit monitoring alerts.
Here are some of the best credit monitoring services if you are looking for one:
-
Privacy Guard
Privacy Guard is a credit monitoring service that offers an ID protection plan, a credit protection plan, and a total protection plan They offer a 14-day trial for $1 to test it out. With this trial, you must cancel it, or else you will be billed monthly until you cancel your membership.
Privacy Guard specializes in pulling out credit reports and scores from 3 credit bureaus.
Pros Cons Theft restoration services No option to freeze the credit card Easy model and quick to understand. No mobile application. Useful financial features and tools. No option for family scanning -
LifeLock
LifeLock is another consumer identity theft service. It comes with identity restoration services, alerts for suspicious activity, lost wallet protection, and dark web monitoring. It also includes 24-hour customer support. The first two plans perform credit monitoring with only one of the credit bureaus.
Identity theft services.
Pros Cons Sends theft or fraud alerts. It has one of the most expensive services. It provides immediate support for stopping identity theft. It tracks the credit scores from one bureau only. Monitors black market websites. -
MyFICO
myFICO offers three plans that offer identity theft protection that covers up to $1 million in identity theft insurance, identity restoration services, and lost wallet protection. The FICO app is very well-designed and user friendly.
FICO Basic includes monthly updates on your FICO credit score and Experian credit reports. It costs $19.95 a month.
FICO Advanced provides quarterly updates on 28 FICO credit scores and your credit reports for all three credit bureaus. It also includes extra identity theft protection, such as black-market website surveillance and social security alias watches.
FICO Premier includes monthly updates on 28 FICO-Get Report credit scores and your credit reports for all three credit bureaus.
It offers all credit monitoring services.
Pros Cons It offers 24/7 fraud protection. It is one of the most expensive credit monitoring services. It is very easy to use. -
Credit Sesame
Credit sesame gives you several options if you are opting for credit card loans and helps to know your credit score. It does not only tell you your credit score but also how it had got there in the first place. Their basic plan is 100% free. However, you can also opt for different membership plans.
They provide credit monitoring services.
Pros Cons You get your debt’s overview easily on the dashboard. It only gives access to your credit report prepared from TransUnion. There are no hidden charges. You cannot see a full detailed report unless you buy the monthly plan. They email you alerts whenever your credit report is being changed. -
Credit Karma
With valuable features for credit monitoring, it offers as a free one for users who want to run a check on their credit. Not only can you have full access to your credit score but also to your credit activity as well.
It provides credit monitoring services with credit reports from Equifax and TransUnion.
Pros Cons It is free. It only displays credit reports from two credit bureaus. Excellent user experience. You cannot change the auto-logging settings. -
Identity Force
If you do not want advanced security credit monitoring features, this is just the right service for you. This company has been around for several decades and also offers paid memberships plans.
They offer a variety of services for protection from identity theft.
Pros Cons Fast cash loan monitoring. The family protection plan is available on the phone only. $1 million in insurance for identity theft. It does not display credit reports from all 3 credit bureaus. Custom credit card alerts. -
Identity Guard
Identity card credit monitoring service provides all-round protection against all suspicious activities and identity theft. From dark web monitoring and transaction alerts to credit scores, it provides you with the info about your credit you need.
It offers all-round protection from identity theft.
Pros Cons It has impressive features such as high alert notifications and dark web monitoring. It is not cheap at all. Integrated by IBM Watson. There are no sex offender registries. -
Experian
Experian, also known as one of the national credit monitoring bureaus also offers credit monitoring services. It offers a free Experian trial. However, it is quite expensive compared to other paid services.
Credit monitoring & ID theft monitoring services.
Pros Cons It displays credit reports from all three credit bureaus. Experian is on the expensive side. It has a user-friendly mobile app. You might face trial difficulties. You can try it for free for 30 days. -
TransUnion Credit Monitoring Service
It is a major credit monitoring bureau and offers its services all around the United States. However, the free or trial version only gives you the credit report and score by TransUnion.
It specializes in credit monitoring services.
Pros Cons It notifies you whenever changes are being made on your credit reports. You can only see the TransUnion credit report. You can have full access to credit reports and scores. Negative feedback from customers raises some red flags towards its services. -
ID Shield
ID Shield is the best credit monitoring service if you want to stay updated about fraud alerts. It is a very reliable service and offers unlimited consultations.
It offers local theft protection services.
Pros Cons You get your own private investigator. It only displays TransUnion credit reports. It has a user-friendly mobile application. Its mobile application has bugs and could be improved. -
Money Tips
Money tips provide all the necessary credit monitoring services along with intriguing financial tips.
It specializes in providing financial tricks and tips.
Pros Cons Alerts via email and phone calls. It does not have a mobile application. It alerts the user for suspicious bank activities as well. Tracking is available but only in the elite plan. It offers identity theft insurance.
Here Are Some Free Credit Monitoring Services:
-
CreditWise
It helps you to measure your credit health for free. It does not only show your credit report from TransUnion but also alerts you of the changes being made to your credit report.
-
Credit Journey
Even if you are not a Chase customer, this credit monitoring service helps you to know credit score along with the changes in your credit reports over time.
-
Credit Karma
It is a free credit monitoring service that shows you credit reports from two bureaus, TransUnion and Equifax.
-
Credit Sesame
Credit Sesame knows how suspicious activity can ruin your credit score. That is why it offers free credit monitoring reports. Furthermore, it also detects errors in your credit reports.
-
Mint
It is one of the fastest credit monitoring services as you can get your credit report within minutes.
-
MyCredit Guide
It is a free credit monitoring service that gives TransUnion’s credit report. Moreover, it also facilitates account holders with free fraud alerts through emails.
-
USAA
USAA is a certified free credit monitoring service. You just have to enroll in (that takes less than 2 minutes) and then, you can get the free credit report in your hands.
-
WalletHub
WalletHub is yet another good credit monitoring service providing your free credit reports along with error detection service.
How to Get Free Credit Monitoring?
To make good financial decisions and identifying identity thefts, you need to have a free credit report check. You can get a free credit report by signing up on any of the above-mentioned credit monitoring services.
