The Best Identity Theft Protection Services - My Picks

© 2009, Brandon Cornett. All rights reserved.

I’ve always said the best way to prevent identity theft is to exercise good old-fashioned common sense. By protecting your personal information and keeping an eye out for fraud, you can protect yourself from most threats. But I recently revised my opinion on this subject, after becoming a victim of ID theft. I’ll spare you all the gory details, but let if suffice to say that I have a newfound appreciation for identity theft protection services and what they do for consumers.

So here’s my revised stance on this subject. Common sense goes a long way in preventing ID theft. But common sense alone is not always enough. I did everything right from an information security perspective, but I was still the victim of identity theft. So anyone who is serious about preventing this kind of thing should consider the services of an identity theft protection company.

I did a ton of research into these services, for my own purposes. And eventually, two products stood out from all the rest — Experian’s Triple Alert and LifeLock. You’ll find some good deals on these two services below.

• Special offer on Triple Alert >> Identity Theft protection for just $.17 a day!
  
• Special Offer on LifeLock >> LifeLock Identity Theft Prevention - Save 10%

In my opinion, you cannot go wrong with either one of these protection services. My advice is to click on the links above and compare the price or these two products. You might also want to review the information below, to get a better idea of what an identity theft protection service does.

How Does Identity Theft Protection Work?

The level of protection you receive will vary from one company to the next. But most of them perform the same basic function. They will monitor your credit reports at all three of the credit-reporting bureaus (Experian, TransUnion and Equifax) and alert you to any suspicious activity.

Most of the identity theft protection services will send you email alerts anytime there is some kind of new activity. For example, if a new loan or a line of credit is opened in your name, you will receive an email alert about it. If it’s legitimate (i.e., the activity is coming from you), you can just disregard the notice. But if it’s not your activity, then it could be a sign of identity theft — and you’ll know about it!

The best identity theft protection services will go a step further and place a fraud alert with Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. This happens whenever there is some kind of suspicious activity, as described above. Both of the services recommended above offer this feature.

Depending on the service you choose, you may also receive assistance with fraud resolutions (if your identity is ever stolen). This can be a huge advantage, because it takes a lot of time and paperwork to get these things resolved. I learned this firsthand!

So let’s sum up everything we’ve covered so far:

• Common sense goes a long way in helping you protect your identity from theft.
• But sometimes, common sense is not enough. Even the most vigilant person can become a victim. Take it from me.
• By signing up for an ID theft protection service, you get added protection and peace of mind.
• Many of the services they provide are things you could do for yourself — they just do it better and quicker. It’s their entire business model, after all.
• I’ve listed what I feel are two of the best identity protection services above, along with some good offers from those companies.

I hope this information helps you choose the right protection plan for you, and I hope you never have to test the effectiveness of it. Good luck.