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Monday, July 14th
KOHO is a Canadian financial technology company that offers a mobile banking and financial management platform. KOHO provides users with a prepaid Visa card and a mobile app, allowing them to manage their finances, make purchases, and track their spending. Subscribers can set savings goals, receive real-time insights into their spending habits, and enjoy features like cashback rewards on purchases.
Credit score checking only (no monitoring)
When it comes specifically to credit monitoring, KOHO is extremely limited. You can check your credit score for free on a KOHO 30-day trial, but after that you'll be subscribed to whichever plan you choose when you create your account. These accounts don't come with any monitoring features: no alerts, no updates, nada.
Focuses on building credit
You can use KOHO to build your credit, though. This is done either through a KOHO line of credit, a secured line of credit, or both. The company proudly states that the average user sees a score increase of around 22 points after using the credit-building feature for just three months. With either plan, you'll be connected with a Financial Coach to help you stay on track.
Too many unhappy clients
But, the real question is, will it be a good idea to use KOHO? It's obvious that it's got almost nothing novel to offer with respect to credit monitoring (since you can get your score for free in plenty of other places). And, unfortunately, KOHO has a lot of unhappy customers who've used their financial services - so much so that the Better Business Bureau had to list the company as "Not Rated” while they went back to evaluate complaints that were previously closed. And there are a lot of those: over 350 filed with the BBB in the last three years, plus 1-star ratings on Trustpilot amounting to 85% of their total. It's pretty sobering to read comments like "KOHO's credit building service ruined my credit” and "I've been a customer for six years and every year just got worse”.
Customer service is awful
And, don't expect quick help if you have a problem: despite promising resolutions within 1-2 business days, it's not uncommon for KOHO to let their customers go a month or longer without getting help, a new credit card, or answers on why their account was suddenly closed (and where the money went when KOHO did that).
Don't bother with KOHO
Save yourself some time and skip KOHO. If you're searching for a credit monitoring service, you won't find it here. And if all you need is a quick (free) check of your credit score, there are lots of options out there that won't rope you into a subscription a month down the road. KOHO is just a bad idea all around.
Credit monitoring services have become very popular in recent years. Because financial transactions are increasingly conducted online, the risk of identity theft and fraud is greater now than ever before. Credit monitoring services act as a vigilant guardian against such threats by continuously monitoring credit reports for any suspicious activity.
In Canada, these services help you keep track of your credit information and detect any potential signs of identity theft or fraudulent activity. These services typically provide ongoing monitoring of your credit report and alert you to any significant changes, such as new accounts being opened, inquiries into your credit history, or changes in your credit score.
Manually reviewing credit reports and scoring systems can be daunting for the average person to navigate. Credit monitoring services simplify this process by providing easy-to-understand analyses and explanations of credit reports and scores. By demystifying financial jargon and offering insights into creditworthiness, these services empower individuals to make informed decisions about their finances.
The increasing prevalence of data breaches and cyberattacks targeting personal information has made many people more aware of the importance of data security. Credit monitoring services often include features such as identity theft insurance and dark web monitoring. These features further enhance their appeal by providing comprehensive protection against various threats to personal and financial security.
Several credit monitoring options operate in Canada, offering various features and levels of protection. Some of the key players include Equifax and TransUnion, which are the two major credit reporting agencies nationwide. In addition to these credit bureaus, there are also third-party services that offer comprehensive credit monitoring, identity theft protection, and other related features.
However, not all services are created equal. It's one thing if you just want an updated credit score every year (after all, you can get that for free from the credit bureaus), but another thing entirely if you want your service to be actively tracking what's going on with your credit profile. You may even be surprised to see that some free credit monitoring options provide more features than their paid counterparts.
Not sure what you want? Here are some key features that may appeal to you; take a look and see which ones are a must-have, and choose your credit monitoring service accordingly:
To give you an overview of the credit monitoring landscape in Canada, the experts at Top Consumer Reviews have evaluated and ranked today's most popular services. Whether you're just looking for a basic, free option to watch over your credit score or a robust monitoring platform, use our research to choose the service that's the right fit for you!
Select any 2 Canadian Credit Monitoring Companies to compare them head to head