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by Keith Morris
Topic: ID Theft
> 2 min read
IDShield
It provides a list of security features such as unlimited consulting, $1 million identity theft insurance, 12-month credit score tracking history, 24-7 access to customer support, licensed private investigators, credit monitoring & alerts.
Top Choice
Identity Guard
The company offers risk management report, anti phishing app, address monitoring, monthly credit report, tax refund alerts, and social insight report. Identity Guard also assigns a dedicated manager for identity cases.
*limited time only
IdentityForce
It provides a feature bucket, which covers screening your social security number, bank account information, credit cards, information on loans, and public record information. It also screens vehicle registrations and insurance records.
*limited time only
I have a confession to make.
I’ve been pretty casual about my online security. And if you’re in the vast majority, you’ve probably been guilty of it too.
You might be thinking “I just changed my password last month!”
Well, guess what? It isn’t enough.
Swiping our card at the checkpoint saves us a few minutes here and there, but at what cost?
Well, it essentially means we’re making ourselves an easy target for many different forms of cyber theft.
You see, thousands fall prey to identity theft around the world every day and that number keeps on inflating. Let’s explore what identity theft is and how it can affect you.
We’ll also look into 5 well-known identity protection service providers, so you’re able to make the right choice when choosing one right for you and your family.
Here are our Top 5 LifeLock Competitors or Alternatives for 2021:
- Identity Guard
- ID Shield
- Identity Force
- Zander
- ProtectMyID
If you still think that LifeLock has the right features for your needs, you can always choose this company to protect your identity.
The Top 5 Alternatives to LifeLock
Competitors List 2021
LifeLock is a giant in the ID protection industry. It does offer distinct advantages but there are several alternatives that can do a decent job in keeping you safe from ID theft. Here’s the top 5 list:
9.8
Features
9.6
Customer Service
9.7
Convenience
9.7
Rating
Features
Identity Guard started operations almost 2 decades ago in 2001. Over the years, it has gone onto to become a sought-after brand in the online ID protection space. The core of this best identity theft protection framework is powered by IBM's Watson artificial intelligence. It comes along with easy-to-use Android and iOS apps. It has also added an extra layer of security with anti-phishing features and has simplified functionality with extensions for Chrome, Firefox and Safari browsers.
Identity Guard’s information protection mechanism derives its horsepower from IBM's Watson artificial intelligence. It offers easy to use Android and iOS apps. Also, it allows for further protection against tracking cookies with anti-phishing features and extensions for Chrome, Firefox and Safari browsers.
Identity Guard Pricing and Plans
Identity Guard offers 3 plans, which you can try without paying a cent for 30 days. However, there are no rebates on bulk payments.
1. Basic Value Plan
It costs $8.99 per month, which makes it quite affordable for newbies. Even at this lower price point, you’re eligible for an insurance cover of up to $1 million. Plus they will assign your own case manager to restore identity in case of a mishap.
2. Identity Guard Total Protection
It costs $19.99/month. You’re qualified for all the coverage and features of the Basic Value Plan. Moreover, they’ll alert you if any changes are made to your credit, a bank account is opened or if any changes occur to your existing accounts. You will also have monthly access to credit scores from VantageScore 3.0.
3. Identity Guard Premier
If you’re after added protection then this plan will suit you better. It costs $24.99 a month. In addition to the features from the other two plans, you can get credit monitoring reports from Equifax, Experian, FICO and VantageScore 3.0.
4. Family plans
You can bring your entire family (at a single address) under identity protection with Identity Guard Family Plans. They are further categorized as:
Pros
Cons
Read more about Identity Guard
* The score you receive with Identity Guard is provided for educational purposes to help you understand your credit. It is calculated using the information contained in your TransUnion credit file. Lenders use many different credit scoring systems, and the score you receive with Identity Guard is not the same score used by lenders to evaluate your credit.
** Identity Theft Insurance underwritten by insurance company subsidiaries or affiliates of American International Group‚ Inc. The description herein is a summary and intended for informational purposes only and does not include all terms‚ conditions and exclusions of the policies described. Please refer to the actual policies for terms‚ conditions‚ and exclusions of coverage. Coverage may not be available in all jurisdictions.
9.6
Features
9.6
Customer Service
9.6
Convenience
9.6
Rating
Features
One of the reasons for IdentityForce’s popularity is its user-friendly dashboard. It provides a comprehensive feature bucket, which covers screening your social security number, bank account information, credit cards, information on loans, and public record information. It also screens vehicle registrations and insurance records.
IdentityForce Pricing and Plans
IdentityForce offers 2 personal plans and you can enjoy a free 2-week trial:
1. UltraSecure
UltraSecure costs $14.99 a month; you can save about $3 a month if you pay upfront for the year. It will promptly alert you of any suspicious activity. Your social security number, bank accounts, address variations, loan and court records, dark web, sex offender registry, and social media are screened under the plan. It will also monitor your credit card transactions and it will keep your inbox spam-free. You’re eligible for up to $1 million of insurance coverage in case of identity theft. Their team will also help you in case of wallet loss and will also offer protection for your tech devices and medical id.
2. UltraSecure + Credit
At $19.99 per month, this plan is indeed expensive. But in addition to the features of the UltraSecure plan, it offers access to quarterly credit reports from the three bureaus – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
3. IdentityForce family plan
There are two options depending on the number of people:
Pros
Cons
3. IDShield
9.4
Features
9.6
Customer Service
9.6
Convenience
9.5
Rating
Features and Services
IDShield has over 15 years of operational history in ID theft space. It is well-established in 50 US states and 4 Canadian provinces.
It provides a comprehensive list of security features such as unlimited consulting, $1 million identity theft insurance, 12-month credit score tracking history, 24-7 access to customer support, licensed private investigators, 24-7 credit monitoring & alerts, dark web surveillance, financial account monitoring , payday loan monitoring, credit report disputes, sex offender alerts, court records & bookings and SSN monitoring.
IDShield Pricing and Plans
There are 2 main IDShield plan categories – individual and family plans.
The plans are further divided into 4 sub-categories. The basic features (as explained above) are the same across all plans.
The main difference is the level of credit monitoring. You can either choose credit monitoring from a single agency or all 3 agencies. Let’s take a closer look at their prices:
There is a drawback though; there are no bulk sign-up discounts or risk-free trial periods.
IDShield Recovery Process
IDShield offers a pretty reliable fraud recovery process for identity theft victims. Here’s what it offers.
To start off, you will get an immediate alert if it detects an attempt to access your information. After breach determination, an IDShield staff member will call you to confirm the occurrence of the breach.
Their recovery department will generate a case for your particular threat and will assign you a licensed private investigator. His core job will be to work with government agencies, financial institutions, credit bureaus, and collection agencies to recover your stolen identity.
Pros
Cons
Learn more about IDShield
4. Zander Identity Theft
9.6
Features
9.4
Customer Service
9.6
Convenience
9.5
Rating
Features
Zander’s key source of popularity seems to be an endorsement from Dave Ramsey, a well-known authority on personal finance. Despite its lower prices point, Zander is still able to offer reliable identity protection.
It includes financial and tax fraud, medical identity theft, criminal identity theft, social security fraud, child identity theft, employment fraud, and title fraud. In addition to account restoration, you will be entitled to up to $1 million in insurance coverage in case of identity theft.
Zander Identity Theft Pricing and Plans
Zander has kept its plan offering limited with the key focus on providing affordable protection. It currently offers 2 plans – individual and family.
1. Zander’s Individual Plan
You can get started for only $6.75 a month. You also get a bulk payment discount for the annual plan, which will cost $75. When you combine Zander’s affordable prices, the feature bucket, and the million-dollar insurance, the plan becomes quite compelling.
In case of identity theft, it will provide insurance coverage of up to $1 million. Moreover, you will be entitled to personal expense compensation at $7500 a week for up to 4 weeks plus account restoration services.
2. Zander’s Family Plan
Zander’s Family Plan provides great value! It will cost you $12.90 a month or $145 annually with a 6% discount. And apart from all the features of the individual plan, the family plan allows you to add 2 adults and an unlimited number of children up to age 25.
Pros
Cons
5. ProtectMyID
8.9
Features
8.8
Customer Service
8.7
Convenience
8.8
Rating
Features
While ProtectMyID is new on the market, it has managed to win a healthy market share in a short time span. This is mostly due to the fact that its owned by Experian, a name that carries some weight in this niche.
Here’s what you can expect after signing up with ProtectMyID. The key features include social network monitoring, SSN monitoring, dark web surveillance, daily detection scans, address safeguard, bank account, and credit card monitoring, identity validation alerts, payday loan monitoring, court records monitoring, sex offender registry, file sharing network monitoring, credit bureaus monitoring and daily Experian credit score.
Pricing and Plans
ProtectMyID offers 3 plans. All three plans are divided into 2 tiers; Plus and Premium. While the Plus tier offers basic coverage, the Premium tier offers a much more comprehensive list of protection features.
It’s important to know that after signing up with ProtectMyID you will be redirected to the Experian Identity Works page.
The plans start from $9.99 a month and are priced up to $29.99 a month depending on the features you choose and whether it’s an individual plan or a family plan. You can take advantage of the 30-day free trial with all the plans.
Moreover, ProtectMyID offers a generous bulk discount if you make an annual payment. You save up to 17% on annual payments. Here’s how the plans are priced:
- 1Individual: Plus $9.99 a month, Premium $19.99 a month.
- 2Family plan with 1 adult and up to 10 children: Plus $14.99 a month, Premium $24.99 a month.
- 3Family plan with 2 adults and up to 10 children: Plus $19.99 a month, Premium $29.99 a month.
Pros
Cons
Here are the runner-ups. Read more about their products and services:
Summary
As you can see, all the above options have their distinct advantages. Of course, not all of them will suit everyone.
There are several factors that you need to consider here, such as your budget, the required level of security, whether you want to add your family and your experience with ID protection services.
If you have a large family and you want them all protected, then it would be hard to ignore Zander, which allows you to add unlimited children along with your spouse. Similarly, if you want extensive coverage and budget isn’t an issue then Identityforce will suit you better.
To make the right choice, we suggest going through the above reviews for each of the 5 LifeLock competitor brands.
If you think that LifeLock is still the right product for you, click on the link to know more about their services.
All About Identity Theft
What Is It & How to Protect Yourself?
Identity theft is exactly what it sounds like. Someone swoops in to steal your personal and financial information to dent you financially or socially by tarnishing your reputation.
Here are a few handy points to keep you safe:
- 1Caution is your best friend when it comes to digital security. Avoid sharing your personal information. And when you must surrender it, be very careful. Find out why your information is needed.
- 2Don’t leave your sensitive personal documents around. Even the smallest detail can provide an opening for an enterprising identity thief.
- 3Always carry some cash with you and try to use credit cards only when you must. It may not be convenient but it will keep you safe.
- 4Don’t ever leave your ATM slip behind. Always destroy it.
Why You Must Invest in an Identity Protection Service?
Here are a few very strong reasons on why it’s crucial to invest a few dollars in a reputable identity protection service.
Extensive monitoring
This is the biggest advantage of an ID protection service, as it will constantly monitor thousands of data points to ensure your safety.
Alerts
A protection service will send out instant alerts if any of your sensitive information is tempered or retrieved. This puts you in a position to react quickly thus minimizing the damage.
Information and financial recovery
If you are at the receiving end of identity theft, the service will help you recover your lost information and cash with some providing insurance cover of up to $1 million.
How to Choose the Best One for YOU
Here’s what to consider when selecting your service provider:
About the Author
Keith Morris is a 20+ year veteran of the security game, with the knowledge and experience to set you on the right track toward personal safety and security. His firm is committed to giving you the tools and know-how to combat any threat to your safety.