Identity theft expense American customers $5.8 billion in 2021, and scams cases were up 70% from the previous year. To secure your financial resources and avoid contributing to these data, you might be considering getting an identity theft security service.
With Identity Guard, you can pick in between fundamental identity theft security and extensive, “white glove” identity and credit security strategies. Keep checking out to find out more about Identity Guard’s functions and whether its strategies are best for you.
Best for cost
Starting at $8.99 monthly, Identity Guard’s entry-level strategy is a cost effective choice for those who desire an identity theft security service without needing to invest numerous dollars each month on costly software application.
Identity Guard identity theft security advantages and disadvantages
- Budget-friendly fundamental strategy
- $1 million in identity theft insurance coverage offered on all strategies
- Variety of prices alternatives for specific and household strategies
- Comprehensive strategies are costly
- Basic strategy does not consist of credit tracking
Pros described
Budget-friendly fundamental strategy
Identity Guard’s Value strategy costs $8.99 monthly for people and $14.99 monthly for households when billed every year. The Value strategy consists of access to a U.S.-based client care group and features information breach alerts, dark web tracking, high-risk deal tracking, safe searching functions and a password supervisor.
$1 million in identity theft insurance coverage offered on all strategies
All prices strategies consist of $1 million in identity theft insurance coverage, financed by American International Group, Inc (AIG). This insurance coverage covers expenses associated with identity theft, such as fixing your credit report and paying legal charges to restore your identity. While other service providers with comparable items may use more protection, a $1 million cap on damages suffices for the typical user.
Variety of prices alternatives for specific and household strategies
Identity Guard uses 3 strategies divided into household and specific classifications. An specific strategy enables one user to access its service while the household strategy grants using its services to 5 grownups plus a limitless variety of kids.
The 3 strategies and their specific and household rates are:
- Value ($8.99 to $14.99)
- Total ($19.99 to $29.99)
- Ultra ($29.99 to $39.99)
Cons described
Comprehensive strategies are costly
Ultra, Identity Guard’s most thorough offering, consists of all of the functions offered in Value and Total, plus extra identity and credit security tools like social networks tracking. That stated, beginning at $29.99 monthly, this strategy is on the more expensive end compared to comparable top-tier strategies from other service providers.
Basic strategy does not consist of credit tracking
The Value strategy consists of fundamental functions for identity theft security however it does not included credit and debit card tracking. If this is an essential function, you’d need to buy Identity Guard’s top-tier choice, the Ultra strategy.
Identity Guard identity theft security strategies
Below you can take a more detailed take a look at the security services offered with each Identity Guard strategy.
Value
The Value strategy features the following functions:
- $1 million in identity theft insurance coverage
- Access to a U.S.-based client care group
- Data breach alerts
- Dark web tracking
- High-run the risk of deal tracking
- Safe surfing
- Password management
Total
Total, Identity Guard’s mid-range strategy, features all the functions offered on Value, plus:
- Bank account tracking
- Credit file tracking with the 3 credit bureaus
- Monthly credit history
Ultra
Ultra features all the functions offered on Value and Total, plus:
- Credit and debit card tracking
- White glove scams resolution
- Social media tracking
- 401k and financial investment account tracking
- Home title tracking
- Criminal and sex offense tracking
- USPS address modification tracking
- Access to Experian Credit Lock
- Annual three-bureau credit tracking reports
Identity Guard advises the Ultra prepare for those desiring the most total identity theft security offered. You’ll discover functions not offered on the less expensive tiers such as:
- White-glove scams resolution. If you experience identity theft or another kind of monetary scams, a devoted case supervisor from Identity Guard will assist you produce a removal and mitigation strategy to decrease damages and losses. The case supervisor will likewise assist teach you how to report identity theft to federal organizations and credit bureaus and restore your monetary credibility.
- Social media tracking. By supplying Identity Guard with info about your social networks accounts, the business can notify you when you share individual and monetary info with possibly deceitful users in direct messages. That can avoid somebody from taking your identity.
- Credit tracking. The finest credit tracking services, like those in the Ultra strategy, alert you about suspicious or unapproved activities on your accounts. You can get alerts by e-mail, text or phone and take speedy action to secure your monetary info.
Identity Guard identity theft security prices
Identity Guard wins points for cost with its Value strategy, which is among the most economical alternatives offered. The Ultra strategy is on the more costly end however includes important identity security services. Here’s an expense breakdown for each of Identity Guard’s strategies:
- Value ($8.99 for people/$14.99 for households)
- Total ($19.99 for people/$29.99 for households)
- Ultra ($29.99 for people/$39.99 for households)
Identity Guard doesn’t offer a free trial or demo for any of its plans. However, the company provides a 60-day money-back guarantee on all annual plans.
Identity Guard identity theft protection financial stability
Before signing up for a plan with an identity theft service provider, it’s a good idea to find out if the company is financially stable. Although we couldn’t find financial stability information for Identity Guard, the company has been in operation for over 25 years according to its main website.
AIG, the company that underwrites Identity Guard’s insurance policies, earned a financial strength rating of A (Excellent) by AM Best.
Identity Guard identity theft protection accessibility
Identity Guard has a resource center and FAQ page to provide you with detailed information about the company’s services. You can also email a team member and get a response within 24 to 48 hours or phone a customer representative from Monday through Saturday. Unlike many other providers, however, the company does not have a live chat feature.
Availability
Identity Guard’s services are currently limited to customers in the United States. We couldn’t find information about whether Identity Guard plans to use its identity theft monitoring tools to international markets in the future.
Contact information
The Identity Guard customer service phone number is 1-833-692-2187. Lines are open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (EST). You can also email customercare@identityguard.com.
User experience
When it comes to user experience, Identity Guard aims to keep things simple for its customers. It has a straightforward registration process, and once you’ve set up your account, Identity Guard handles the heavy lifting of identity theft protection.
The company sends you customizable notifications by email, text or phone if it notices suspicious activity on your accounts or if someone exposes your personal information on the internet. You can always log into your dashboard to view monitoring insights and update your account information.
Identity Guard also has a mobile app that lets you access your dashboard on the go, receive push notifications about fraud alerts, and add and remove financial accounts. The Identity Guard app works on both iOS and Android devices.
Identity Guard identity theft protection customer satisfaction
When it comes to customer reviews, Identity Guard’s reputation differs depending on the review platform. On the BBB, the company has an average of 1.8/5 based on just five customer reviews. Many users note the company’s solid customer service and ability to solve problems quickly.
Identity Guard identity theft protection FAQ
How do Identity Guard services work?
Identity Guard is a web-based identity theft protection tool that monitors your personal information and financial accounts. It uses IBM Watson’s AI tools to predict online behaviors that increase the risk of someone stealing your data. It also notifies you of suspicious or unauthorized activities on your accounts. The company provides all users with $1 million in identity theft insurance, which you can use to recover funds lost to this crime.
Does Identity Guard offer a complimentary trial?
Identity Guard doesn’t offer a free trial or demonstration. The only way to try out the Identity Guard’s identity theft protection service is to sign up for a rolling month-to-month plan and cancel it after the company deposits the first payment from your bank account.
How do I sign up for Identity Guard identity theft protection services?
Signing up for Identity Guard is a simple process. Go to the Identity Guard website, click “Start Membership” and choose the pricing plan that best suits you. Then, create an account by providing your personal details and choosing a username and password. You’ll be prompted to add financial information to your account, such as your credit card numbers, bank account information and Social Security number. Identity Guard will track this information and notify you of suspicious activity on your accounts.
How good is Identity Guard at handling identity theft situations?
Identity Guard says 38 million people trust it to protect their identity online. Many Identity Guard users commend the company for notifying them about questionable activity on their financial accounts, preventing a fraud event from occurring. Identity Guard can monitor fraud across the internet, including the dark web, so you can keep your credit card numbers and bank account number a secret from malicious actors.
How we evaluated Identity Guard identity theft protection
Money considered the following factors when reviewing Identity Guard:
- Plan features
- Plan pricing
- Accessibility
- Service terms of use
- Money-back guarantee options
- Customer service options
- Customer reviews on BBB, Trustpilot and other platforms
- Third-party ratings
Summary of Money’s Identity Guard identity theft protection review
Identity Guard gets an “A” for the affordability of its entry-level plan. Starting at just $8.99 per month, the Value plan offers basic identity theft protection features for those who want to safeguard their personally identifiable information on the internet. A generous $1 million in identity theft insurance is also available with this plan.
The biggest downside is that Identity Guard’s credit monitoring is unavailable on the cheaper strategies. For full comprehensive identity theft coverage, you’ll need to choose the more expensive Ultra plan. If price isn’t an issue, Ultra contains everything you need to protect your personal information and monetary accounts. Whichever plan you choose, you can expect a easy sign-up procedure and easy-to-utilize tools.
