Identity Guard Review - Can You Count On Their Protection?

Author: Megha Agarwal on Mar 15,2022

In this digital era, identity theft is a serious issue impacting credit scores, loans, funding, and other aspects of the financial world. And being a victim of such thefts is not only an unpleasant experience but also burns a huge hole in the pocket. This is why protecting critical information and keeping it away from hackers and thieves has become the need of the hour. People are now taking actionable steps to protect themselves, including getting access to identity theft protection services from top brands. One such market leader in the field of identity theft protection is Identity Guard. In this Identity Guard review, we are going to talk about their service and different levels of coverage. 

 

When it comes to Identity Guard, it’s no secret that the brand is a renowned identity protection service that first opened its doors in 1996. Over the past 26 years, it has established itself as one of the top security brands in the United States and has attracted over 40 million people worldwide. Even though it has captured a significant share in the market, it is still continuing to grow. Considering its popularity, our team of experts has been researching and testing this service for a long time. And to share the findings, we have come up with an Identity Guard review. This review will dive deeper into the brand's undeniable success and unmatchable offerings. Here we will unpack all the important details that will help you understand whether it's an option that you can count on or not. 

 

Pros and Cons Of Identity Guard

 

Pros: 

- Best-in-class protection 

- Incredible ID theft insurance

- AI identity monitoring

- Plenty of perks and benefits

- U.S. based support service

- Robust monitoring 

- Available discounts for annual paying

 

Cons:

- Credit reports on a yearly basis

- A bit pricey

- Third-party sharing

- No two-factor authentication

- Only uses 128-bit encryption

 

Identity Guard Plans And Pricing 

 

In this Identity Guard review, we are going to discuss different plans available for individuals and families. The plans are offered in three tiers – Value, Total, and Ultra. All these plans come at different prices and with different features. Let’s take a look at these plans and find out which one is most suitable for you.

  


Pricing Basis

Identity Guard Plans

Value

Total

Ultra

Plan Cost For Individuals

$8.99/month 

and

$90.00/year

$19.99/month 

and

$200.00/year

$29.99/month 

and

$300.00/year

Plan Cost For Families

$14.99/month 

and

$150.00/year 

$29.99/month

and

$300.00/year

$39.99/month

and

$400.00/year

 

VALUE PLAN

It is the most basic and cheapest plan available for individuals and families. It is the right pick for people who are looking for protection that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Value plan is the bottom tier protection that costs less than 10 dollars a month. Since it is an affordable option, it comes with lesser features compared to others. However, it is still an excellent value for money. Some of the features it provides include:

 

1. U.S.-based dedicated case manager

2. IBM Watson Artificial Intelligence

3. $1 million insurance

4. Online dashboard and mobile app

5. Personal threats detection

6. Risk management score

7. High-risk transactions alerts

8. Personal information on the dark web alerts

9. Safe browsing extension

 

With all these features, this plan definitely lives up to its name. It is a perfect plan to choose for budget-minded customers who don’t have complex data to protect in the online world. If you are someone for whom recovery and insurance coverage matter most, you should opt for the value plan. 

 

TOTAL PLAN

Next, on this Identity Guard review, we will discuss the Total Plan. It is built on the value plan plus some extra features for identity protection. The highlight of this plan is the credit monitoring feature. This feature is what makes people buy this plan rather than the cheaper available option. The additional offerings of this plan are:

 

1. Monthly credit score alert

2. Requests to open checking or savings accounts

3. 3-bureau credit changes

4. Bank account takeovers

 

This mid-value plan is the right choice for people who want to keep a check on their credit information along with protecting themselves from the basic online threats. The additional features make this plan worth the money. 

 

ULTRA PLAN

Ultra Plan is the top plan that includes all the offerings of Value and Total plan. It also comes with additional features to amplify the user experience. The extra features that it includes for protecting financial, personal, and social identity are:

 

1. 3-bureau credit report

2. 401k & investment monitoring

3. Credit & debit card monitoring

4. Home title monitoring

5. Criminal & sex offense monitoring

6. USPS address change monitoring

7. Social insight report

 

While it is the most expensive plan of all, it comes with incredible features that make it a useful solution for safeguarding complicated financial assets. It is a premium service that you can upgrade to for financial help and protecting your online presence.

 

Identity Guard Features You Should Check Out

 

These features offer peace of mind and distinguish this service from the other options available in the same space. Hence, in this Identity Guard review, we are going to discuss the perks you can look forward to. 

 

1. Constant Scanning: One of the biggest difficulties in combating online theft is to find out when it occurs. Because of this, Identity Guard examines all the information that makes up the identity and uses the traditional method for monitoring fraud signals. Its monitoring service is coupled with IBM Watson’s powerful scanning for better protection. 

2. Quick, 24/7 Alerts: The sooner you learn about a threat, the sooner you can take action to protect yourself. This feature of the Identity Guard ensures that you get all the alerts via your mobile device 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It notifies as quickly as possible and minimizes the amount of damage that can occur. 

3. Dark Web Scan: Next on this Identity Guard review, we have a dark web scan feature that is the most beneficial of all. The dark web is the internet's secret black market and is considered a hotbed of cybercrime. To protect a user from black market websites, underground forums, and secret chat rooms that can’t be accessed from a regular browser, Identity Guard scans the information. It detects the data from the dark web and alerts the user about it. 

4. USPS Address Change Monitoring: It stands for United States Postal Service address monitoring. It is a feature that notifies the user whenever someone falsely changes the email address and tries to steal their identity. This protects the users from mail fraud and ensures the accuracy of their mailing addresses.

5. Credit Monitoring: While this feature is not available for all the plans, it is a great one to get your hands on. It examines credit cards, credit files, financial accounts, and other related information for uncovering fraudulent activity and protecting people's identities. For this, Identity Guard keeps a check on three credit reporting agencies, namely Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian. Along with this, ID Guard also provides monthly credit score updates.

6. $1 Million Insurance Policy: Along with providing protection from identity thefts, Identity Guard also helps in the recovery of stolen or damaged identities. All the plans cover the losses and include insurance from identity thieves and fraudsters. The company provides reimbursement of up to $1 million. Along with the insurance, they also provide the users with a personal manager to help them throughout the process. 

7. Some More Features: The list of Identity Guard features is endless. Some more features offered by this identity theft protection are:

 

- Anti-phishing mobile app

- Risk management report

- Financial monitoring

- Social insight report

- Home title monitoring

- Safe browsing tools 

- IBM Watson Artificial Intelligence

- Lost wallet protection 

- ID theft victim assistance, and more. 

 

General Queries Related To Identity Guard

 

Does Identity Guard provide the users with a free trial option?

Unfortunately, the answer is NO. Identity Guard offers no free trial option to its users. However, it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, which you can consider as a free trial. This will help you try out the product and get the money back if you don’t find it the right fit for you. 

 

What are the Identity Guard alternatives available in the market?

Identity Guard is one of the best identity theft protection software available. However, if you think it is not the solution you are looking for, there are some other alternatives you can check out. The five best alternatives available are:

 

1. LifeLock

2. Aura

3. PrivacyGuard

4. Identity Force

5. IdentityIQ

 

Is Identity Guard value for money?

Absolutely yes. It is a good investment for protecting yourself from online threats. It is a comprehensive package that offers great benefits. Even if you find it a bit expensive from other options, it is worth the money.

 

Expert Opinion: Identity Guard Review

After putting it through its paces, our experts have agreed that it is a fantastic tool to protect yourself and your documents from identity theft and other digital crimes. It is a service that will protect you from never being a cybercrime victim. The protection from Identity Guard is perfect for spotting the signs of online fraud early on and hence, saving the customers from any major troubles. While it is a viable identity monitoring solution, there are certain drawbacks. It is not the cheapest option as compared to its competitors. However, if we look at the bigger picture, we think it is a great value for money for safeguarding your identity and protecting it from the prying eyes. Share this Identity Guard review with your friends and family and help them enjoy the online world safely. 

 

This is another review from House Of Experts Advice. We are a team of experts who have years of experience reviewing and testing security software to help you better understand the product or service. Check out the website for more articles.