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Wednesday, December 4th
Equifax is one of the three major credit bureaus, offering credit reports, scores, and monitoring services. It has both free and paid plans, some of which come with 3-bureau credit monitoring, identity theft insurance, and more. While Equifax's reputation has recovered from a 2017 data breach, its package options can be confusing and aren't always the best value for your money. Though it's an option to consider, be sure to review the details before going with Equifax for your credit monitoring.
Privacy Guard, operated by Trilegiant Corporation, offers middle-tier credit monitoring and isn't exactly what we'd call an expert in the field. Two plans are available: Credit Protection for $19.99/month provides monthly credit reports, score updates, and 24/7 monitoring, while Total Protection at $24.99/month includes identity protection, dark web scanning, and $1 million ID theft insurance. There's not a ton of customer feedback either way, but what Privacy Guard offers is more comprehensive than some of the companies on our list. It earns a tentative recommendation based on that alone, but we'd need to see more subscriber reviews before moving this credit monitoring resource higher in the rankings.
In today's interconnected digital world, maintaining a strong credit profile is essential. That's where credit monitoring services come into play - valuable tools to safeguard your financial well-being and keep you informed about your credit health. These services provide continuous oversight of your credit report and alert you to any significant changes.
Credit monitoring lets you to detect and respond swiftly to potential threats like identity theft, fraud, or errors on your credit reports. They do this by sending you alerts via email or text whenever there are significant changes in your credit report. They offer ongoing monitoring of your credit reports from major credit bureaus, allowing you to stay vigilant without manual effort. Moreover, many credit monitoring services provide educational resources and tips for improving your credit scores and managing debt.
In the unfortunate event of identity theft, reputable credit monitoring services often offer assistance in resolving issues and restoring your credit, providing you with valuable support and guidance during a challenging time. It's important to note that credit monitoring primarily focuses on credit-related activities and may not detect all forms of identity theft or fraud, such as medical or criminal identity theft.
Additionally, you may receive alerts for legitimate actions, which could lead to unnecessary concern or alert fatigue. And, it's crucial to understand that credit monitoring services can't prevent or stop fraudulent activities; they can only provide information and alerts, underscoring the importance of your own proactive vigilance in protecting your financial well-being.
Now that you understand what credit monitoring can (and can't) do for you, how do you choose which option is right for you? There are a lot of similarities among providers of this service, and it can get frustrating trying to sort out the minute differences that could impact your decision.
Consider these factors that might illuminate those differences and make it clearer which one you should choose:
Credit monitoring services offer you valuable tools to protect your financial well-being and maintain a healthy credit profile, and Top Consumer Reviews has done the legwork to make it easy to compare today's most popular providers. We're confident that this information will empower you to take control of your financial life and stay on top of your credit profile.
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