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Best Identity Theft Protection Services of 2021
Independently researched content by us. Free financial advice for you. To do that, we may get compensation when you click on our partners’ products.
Names, social security numbers, birth dates, addresses, driver’s license and credit card numbers. There is a goldmine of information thieves search to steal daily. Identity theft protection services aren’t a foolproof way to keep yourself safe from them, but it does help catch them in action.
In fact, 143 million Americans are victims of identity theft. That’s half of the United States’ population whose credit is in danger. Identity theft protection companies use a variety of tools and employ technology to protect credit and identities of Americans every day.
- Identity Guard
Basic Plan$6.67*Premium Plan$16.67* - Discover® Identity Theft Protection
Basic PlanN/APremium Plan$15/month - Identity Force
Basic Plan$9.99Premium Plan$19.99 - LifeLock
Basic Plan$11.99Premium Plan$34.99
The best identity theft protection services of 2021
- IdentityForce – Best basic plan
- Identity Guard – Best premium plan
- LifeLock – Best alert system
- ID Watchdog – Best for theft victims
Best basic plan – Identity Force
IdentityForce provides a basic, easy-to-use service for those who haven’t fallen victim to identity theft yet.
IdentityForce is a basic, easy to use tool that monitors both your credit and personal data. It also includes anti-keylogging software to keep your information protected. It’s one of the easiest services to start and with bank account transaction alerts, you can keep a close eye on your finances. IdentityForce is the perfect tool for the person who hasn’t had their identity stolen, but wants easy to use protection.
Keep in mind, IdentityForce doesn’t have much actionable advice. You may want to look elsewhere if you’re wanting to minimize your digital footprint.
In The News
Limited Time Offer! 25% Off UltraSecure+Credit.
Best premium plan – Identity Guard
Identity Guard protects you by constantly watching your accounts and supporting you with easy to follow practices.
Identity Guard offers three tiers of protection. The first tier monitors your information on the dark web and gives you reports on your monthly risk assessments so you know where you stand. The mobile app is safe from phishing techniques as well. The Premier Plan includes everything the basic plan offers, but it also includes tax refund alerts and monitors your credit. The Total Plan covers every corner of the internet and is perfect for those who are interested in the latest protections — meaning Identity Guard offers protection in places some others don’t.
In The News
Save up to 33%!
Basic Plan $6.67 (Regularly $8.99) & Premier Plan $16.67 (Regularly $24.99)
Best alert system – LifeLock
Lifelock is a complete, comprehensive system that runs 24/7 for your protection
Lifelock will alert you to any suspicious activity through text message, mobile app and email. If you need any further explanation, you can easily get in touch with customer service through the mobile app. Lifelock has the only plan with monthly credit score reports and 24/7 reports. Furthermore, Lifelock is paired with Norton Security, giving you an even bigger boost in your online protection.
The service focuses on data breaches making it perfect for both personal and business usage. The pricing comes in competitively at first, with $8.99 and $26.99 a month for the basic and premium plans, respectively. However, those are the introductory year pricing. After the first year, the prices jump to $11.99 and $34.99 a month. Depending on the plan you choose you may even be eligible for reimbursement of funds that are stolen. All in all, however, Lifelock is one of the best comprehensive programs to give you alerts whenever you need them.
Best for theft victims – ID Watch
ID Watchdog is the only company that can help customers recover from pre-existing identity thefts.
ID Watchdog is the only company that will go out of the way to help you, even if you’ve been a victim in the past. All other companies will only protect you as the service is active. That being said, you will have to foot the bill for a few extra fees. It can add up, but it’s better than the possible alternative. For the service itself, it’s one of the more budget-friendly options. It also offers more for families, protecting spouses and up to four children.
Because ID Watchdog offers comprehensive benefits for people whose identity has been stolen in the past, this company is perfect if you’re already on high alert and need protection for more than just the time you’re a customer.
Too long, didn’t read?
Identity theft protection can be an amazing tool to help protect yourself and your assets. But it is important to pick the right service that will fit your particular needs. You don’t want to overpay for services you won’t use or be missing important aspects you should have.
It helps to pay attention to the features and additional reports that come with each. You also want to make sure that the services cover the various devices that are used on a daily basis in your home and office. Take the time to consider all the features and customer service channels to get a clear understanding what to expect.
Keep Reading
Methodology
The SimpleScore is a proprietary scoring metric we use to objectively compare products and services at The Simple Dollar.
For every review, our editorial team:
- Identifies five measurable aspects to compare across each brand
- Determines the rating criteria for each aspect score
- Averages the five aspect scores to produce a single SimpleScore
Here’s a breakdown of the five aspect scores and their rating criteria for our review of the best credit monitoring services of 2020.
Why do some brands have different SimpleScores on different pages?
To ensure the SimpleScore is as helpful and accurate as possible, we developed unique criteria for every category we compare at The Simple Dollar. Since most brands offer a variety of financial solutions, their products and services will score differently depending on what we’re scoring on a given page.
However, it’s also possible for brands to have different SimpleScores across multiple pages on The Simple Dollar. For instance, if we compare Experian’s ID theft monitoring services using SimpleScore, it scores a 4 out of 5. However, if we apply our SimpleScore methodology for credit monitoring services, Experian scores a 4.4 out of 5. Each unique criteria results in separate SimpleScores for multiple brands based on what we’re comparing.
Questions about our methodology?
Email Hayley Armstrong at hayley@thesimpledollar.com.
Basic plan price
We award brands who have lower monthly costs for credit monitoring services with higher scores in our methodology.
Premium plan price
We award brands who have lower monthly costs for credit monitoring services with higher scores in our methodology.
Perks
Who doesn’t like a nice perk? We awarded brands with higher scores if they offered perks to customers, such as free trials, family plans, discounts for annual billing and more than two pricing tiers.
Customer support
The SimpleScore system rewards brands that have multiple channels of support so customers can contact representatives in a variety of way.
Mobile app rating
We compared brands based on their mobile app ratings as an average of Google Play and iOS App Store ratings.
