- 3-bureau credit monitoring
- Credit reports and monthly credit scores
- Easily lock and unlock your credit file
- Save up to 68% today
“Aura is a good choice for you if you want a long-list of credit and identity theft monitoring services at a competitive price point.“ (Jan 2024)
- 60-day money-back guarantee
- Up to $1M reimbursement
- Enjoy 52% off your first year
- Constantly monitors billions of data points
- Fast alerts for stolen credit cards
- Special offer: Save 63% on Ultra Protection
- Scam Protection and Identity Theft Insurance
- View your digital footprint
- Try for only $1
- Proactive monitoring & real-time alerts
- Credit report reminders
- Stolen funds reimbursement up to $1M
- Quickly lock or unlock your credit
- Up to $1M identity theft coverage
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- 3-bureau credit monitoring
- Credit reports and monthly credit scores
- Easily lock and unlock your credit file
- Save up to 68% today
“Aura is a good choice for you if you want a long-list of credit and identity theft monitoring services at a competitive price point.“ (Jan 2024)
What is a credit freeze?
A credit freeze is one way to protect yourself against identity theft. It entails restricting access to your credit report to minimize the chance of identity thieves opening new accounts in your name. You’ll need to give personal consent for your credit to be viewed.
Since creditors need to view your credit report before approving any new accounts opened in your name, a credit freeze is one way to stay ahead of fraud and is especially smart if you suspect that someone has already gained access to your personal information.
Are there any downsides to a credit freeze?
A credit freeze won’t affect your credit in any harmful way. It doesn’t affect your credit score and won’t pose any difficulties to renting an apartment or applying for insurance. You’ll still be able to open new accounts, though you’ll have to lift the freeze temporarily in order to do so.
How to freeze your credit:
Learning how to freeze your credit is free and relatively simple to do. You’ll need to contact the 3 major credit bureaus separately and provide your SSN, birthday, and personal information. You’ll be given a password, which is what you’ll also use to unfreeze your credit when needed.
Understanding how to freeze your credit is a simple and smart way to prevent fraud and identity theft. The best ID theft protection services on the market utilize unique data and advanced technologies to monitor credit card transactions, the Dark Web, social media, and more. Their goal is to immediately detect when your information is stolen, offered for sale, or used fraudulently, in order to mitigate the damage of ID attacks as much as possible. Once you are alerted about an attack, these services will help restore your identity, reimburse you for stolen funds, and offer expert support around the clock.
Our Top 3 Picks
- 1exceptional9.8
All-in-one ID, financial, and device protection- Best for - Best identity theft protection company overall
- Starting price - $9/monthly or $108/year
- Free trial - 60-day money-back guarantee
All-in-one ID, financial, and device protectionRead Aura ReviewAura - Best identity theft protection company overall
Aura provides robust protections against identity theft, including online account surveillance, financial transaction monitoring, and a secure digital "vault" for storing sensitive personal data.
The suite also features a password manager that simplifies the generation and storage of multiple robust passwords. Moreover, Aura's VPN utilizes high-grade encryption to safeguard your online activity, particularly on public Wi-Fi networks. Additionally, they offer AI-powered antivirus and safe browsing tools, which serve as a digital fortress against unwanted site trackers and fraudulent sites.
Aura monitors all three credit bureaus—Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion—as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) recommends to detect identity theft. The CFPB also advises vigilance for credit check inquiries from unfamiliar companies and suspicious accounts, all of which Aura can oversee for you.
Why we chose Aura: In the event of a data breach, Aura promptly intervenes with security alerts, comprehensive fraud resolution services, and up to $1 million per person in premium identity theft insurance. The platform's sleek, user-friendly interface also showcases a "Protection Summary," conveniently displaying active anti-identity theft measures on a central dashboard.
Our experience: We were impressed with Aura's 24/7 customer support service. We appreciated that their U.S.-based fraud resolution team was always ready to assist us personally in the event of fraudulent incidents. If a breach occurs, the team would collaborate directly with us to develop a recovery plan and resolve the issue.
Aura Pros & Cons
PROS
Full suite of tools to protect your identity and finances60-day money-back guarantee for annual plan24/7 U.S.-based customer supportCONS
Fixed plans, no mixing, and matching - 2excellent9.3
Full-spectrum protection from Norton- Best for - Best for Norton antivirus users
- Starting price - $9.99
- Free trial - 60-day money-back guarantee
Full-spectrum protection from NortonRead LifeLock ReviewLifeLock - Best for Norton antivirus users
A product of anti-virus heavyweight Norton, LifeLock boasts the tech, accessibility, and ease that you’d expect from the industry-leading company. Most impressive are the plans themselves, which not only blend online security and ID theft protection but offer more flexibility than usual.
Lifelock’s plans include ID and Social Security number alerts and are offered in tandem with Norton’s 360 suite. This means that combo plans net you VPN services plus solid ID theft features like stolen funds reimbursement that ranges from $25,000 to $1 million dollars, bank account and credit card activity alerts, and even 401(k) investment account alerts on the Ultimate Plus plan.
LifeLock also offers LifeLock Junior, an affordable add-on for children under 18 that includes
Dark web monitoring and file-sharing network searches. All plans include 24/7 live member support and the aide of US-based identity restoration specialists.
LifeLock Pros & Cons
PROS
Reimbursement up to $1 millionAntivirus and protection from cyber threats60-day money-back guaranteeCONS
Only worth it if you want Norton 360Pricing can be confusing - 3very good8.9
Effortless AI-backed data protection- Best for - Best for full-spectrum protection
- Starting price - $7.20/monthly or $79.99/year
- Free trial - Free trial: Yes
Effortless AI-backed data protectionRead Identity Guard ReviewIdentity Guard - Best for full-spectrum protection
Identity Guard has safeguarded over 45 million identities and resolved more than 140,000 cases to date. They collaborate with IBM Watson's AI technology, leveraging its advanced data analysis and predictive capabilities to enhance threat detection.
The service protects your online identity by monitoring the dark web (a notorious hub for cybercrime activities) and alerting you if criminals are selling your personal information. Identity Guard also continuously monitors your personal and financial data, with their U.S.-based support team always at the ready to handle any emerging issues.
Why we chose Identity Guard: With 20 years of industry experience, Identity Guard stands out for providing effective identity theft protection and monitoring services, powered by AI. These services promptly alert you to a wide range of potential threats. They also offer up to $1 million in insurance coverage per adult to cover legal fees and replace lost funds.
Our experience: We found that even Identity Guard's most budget-friendly plan provides top-tier protection from ID fraud. We were particularly impressed by the inclusion of dark web monitoring in this entry-level subscription package.
Identity Guard Pros & Cons
PROS
Monitors credit score with all 3 credit bureausUtilizes IBM’s Watson AI tech for optimal performance$2,000 emergency cash fundCONS
No 24/7 customer service3-credit reporting only with premier plans