When you compare, you find out there just is no comparison

October 29, 2010 – 10:38 am

Identity theft protection is on everyone’s mind, and the headlines reflect how fast this area of crime is growing. The goal for any consumer should be to figure out the best way to protect your identity – in other words, come up with a plan and stick with it.

But most people are too busy to spend 24 hours a day, seven days a week monitoring for threats to their personal information. That’s where identity theft protection services come in. But which one should you choose? We’ve compared a few and outlined the basic offerings each provides.

Identity Guard: This service monitors your credit reports and scores, as well as information related to your Social Security number and address. You get lost wallet protection and $1 million in identity theft insurance. It can also include software meant to help protect your computer. The cost is up to $17.99 per month, depending on the package you choose.

Trusted ID: You can get your three bureau monitoring, which is fairly standard with most identity protection services, along with black market Internet monitoring and medical benefits monitoring. You get anti-phishing protection, and TrustedID will perform a threat assessment to see how at-risk you are for ID theft. Comes with a $1 million warranty. Cost: There are two plans, one for the family and one for individuals. A family plan will cover your spouse and children as well. A family plan is $27.99 a month, or $20 a month if you are billed for 12 months at once ($240). The individual plan is $14.99 a month, or $10.42 a month for a year of protection ($125).

ID Watchdog: This company claims that 80 percent of identity theft has nothing to do with your credit, and offers services with this in mind. ID Watchdog has packages that include medical monitoring, credit monitoring, regular reports and alerts, public database monitoring, an ID management dashboard. You can also get a risk assessment and consultation on avoiding ID theft. Cost: Advanced package is $19.95 a month. You can get savings if you agree to an annual package ($179.95) or a three year package ($466.95). There is also a basic package for $9.99 a month.

Single Identity: American Express offers its own identity protection service. It monitors black market Web sites and public records. You also receive mobile alerts of potentially dangerous information. There is also $25,000 of identity theft insurance and lost wallet protection. Cost: $9.99 a month.

ProtectMyID: Credit bureau Experian offers this service, which monitors your credit reports and scores. It also provides Internet monitoring and address monitoring in the event of attempted redirect. ProtectMyID also offers protection in the arena of medical information. There is also the option of ChildSecure to help keep your child’s identity safe. Comes with a $1 million guarantee. Cost: $9.95 per month.

Equifax ID Patrol: Like other identity protection services, this product from credit bureau Equifax offers credit monitoring and alerts you of changes. Additionally, it looks at Internet information trading sites. You can get help to resolve problems, and you get up to $1 million in identity theft insurance. Cost: $14.95 per month.

LifeLock: One of the most visible identity protection services out there, LifeLock provides cyber monitoring services, and credit card monitoring and protection. It also offers alerts, and $1 million in ID theft insurance, and help placing fraud alerts on your credit reports. And here is the key: LifeLock is the only service that is PROACTIVE – in other words, LifeLock will find and alert you of any threats to your identity before they become problems. No other service does that; the rest are reactive. Cost: $9.99 or $13.50 a month, depending on your package, or billed at $99 or $148.50 for a savings.

Clearly, LifeLock is the best choice. Go to www.lifelock. com and read what others are saying about LifeLock.

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