Keeping our identities secure has never been more important. In fact, identity theft hit an all-time high in 2016, and it shows no signs of slowing.

More than 15 million Americans encountered some level of identity fraud last year. And the total amount of money lost due to fraud? A whopping $16 billion. These unsettling numbers are justifiably causing more people to look into companies like Identity Guard, to stay one step ahead of criminals.

Identity Guard offers monitoring designed to shield customers against theft and protect their identities. It offers some unique features that may help you to keep track of your identity and personal information, all for a small monthly fee.

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So, should you put your identity in the hands of this company? Let’s take a look at both the perks and drawbacks of signing up for Identity Guard.

What You Get With Identity Guard

Identity Guard takes a multi-pronged approach to helping its customers shield their important information. The company offers ways for users to actively take part in protecting their identities.

Here’s what customers will enjoy when they sign up:

• A three-bureau credit report with quarterly updates
• Same-day alerts for suspicious activity
• Monitoring for use of your SSN, credit cards, and bank account numbers
• Keystroke encryption when you’re online
• Antivirus and firewall software
• Access to cash if your wallet is stolen
• Reimbursement insurance

Related: How to Correct an Error on Your Credit Report

The Big Perks

The thing that really makes Identity Guard stand out from the pack is that it protects your total identity. The same program that protects all of your banking and financial information also provides the digital technology you need to browse the web safely.

This makes Identity Guard a great option if you prefer to use one comprehensive tool instead of using two separate companies for identity protection and cyber protection.

Identity Guard Goes to the Dark Places for You

Most of us know there is a black market on the Internet where hackers and criminals exchange the stolen financial details of their victims. However, few of us know how to access it. What’s more, the average person wouldn’t even want to dig around to unlock the dark places where criminals do their dirty work on the internet.

Identity Guard makes it so that you never have to. The company provides a unique service that actually monitors the black market to look for your Social Security Number, registered credit cards, and bank account numbers.

An alert will be created if your personal information is shared anywhere. This is an important feature because it makes it possible to stop criminals in their tracks before money is taken from you or purchases are made in your name.

Learn More: Have You Ever Heard of an Identity Score?

Backed by Insurance

Here’s one great thing that offers some extra peace of mind: users won’t be out of luck if criminals do somehow bypass the company’s security measures.

Customers are provided with reimbursement insurance totaling $1 million. This insurance can be used toward things like legal fees, lost wages, and travel expenses resulting from identity theft. However, it’s important to note that it can’t actually be used as reimbursement for losses incurred during the theft.

In addition, Identity Guard provides access to up to $2,000 in cash if your wallet is lost or stolen. This can be a big help if you need cash to hold you over until you can get into your bank account again.

Using Identity Guard

It’s easy to like the company’s dynamic user interface when viewing your Identity Guard account online. Each user has a personalized dashboard with information about their accounts and notifications for any issues that require attention.

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Also, the Identity Guard app (available for Android and Apple) is definitely worth installing if you’d like to monitor your identity from anywhere.

You can have access to your account notifications, credit reports, and credit scores right from your mobile device. The app also offers clear steps to take if your identity does come under attack.

Where Identity Guard Falls Short

Despite its good points, Identity Guard falls short, compared with its competitors, in a few areas.

The company has yet to expand its total identity protection to cover the monitoring of driver’s licenses. Identity Guard also does not provide identity recovery tools for medical fraud or tax fraud. In addition, the company’s digital protection doesn’t allow you to monitor multiple email addresses using one account.

Resource: How and Why to Freeze Your Credit

Some customers may also be disappointed that the company’s help hotline isn’t available around the clock. This can be a big nuisance if you’re having an issue late at night or early in the morning.

Cost

There are several cost tiers to choose from when signing up for Identity Guard.

The most popular plan offers all of the features that are available from the company for $19.99 per month. Customers can also pick a scaled-down version for just $8.99. However, this plan doesn’t come with credit monitoring or credit reports. It also doesn’t offer protection for lost wallets.

There is an additional plan that offers monthly credit reports instead of quarterly reports. This upgrade will cost you $24.99 per month. All of these plans provide identity protection for a single user.

What if you want to protect your entire family from identity theft? Identity Guard actually provides family plans for an additional $5.99 per month.

The Final Word on Identity Guard

Identity Guard is a solid product if you’re looking for a protection company that is really comprehensive in its approach.

This might not be the company to go with if you’re protecting a personal empire. You might want to choose a company that offers tougher protection and real-time remediation if you have the means to do so.

However, Identity Guard is a solid tool for the average person. It essentially offers a constant way to manage your identity for less than you probably spend on coffee per month.

Topics: Tools & Resources

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via Finance Xpress