LifeLock is far from the only identity theft protection service out there. But not every identity theft protection service gives you the same value for your money.
LifeLock provides broader identity theft protection, along with multi-bureau credit monitoring for early warning signs of activity that may indicate theft, financial protections in case you fall victim to certain covered scams with an eligible plan, and 24/7 access to support.
The rundown
- LifeLock offers broad identity theft protection
- LifeLock monitors multiple credit bureaus for changes that may indicate identity theft
- LifeLock offers financial protection from some common scams
- LifeLock has 24/7 support
Broad identity theft protection
LifeLock doesn’t just monitor your identity by tracking over 120 different data types on the dark web; it also monitors multiple financial accounts so you can cover your checking and savings accounts, as well as investment and 401(K) accounts on higher-tier plans. This allows one plan to cover multiple accounts, even if they’re with multiple different institutions.
And if you already have identity theft protection from your financial institutions, LifeLock can supplement that with additional resources. Plus, you can configure LifeLock’s coverage to include your family, adding another level of protection that isn’t included in most financial institutions' identity theft protection services.
LifeLock also offers up to $3M of the identity theft coverage on the Total plan, which may help with eligible stolen funds, personal expenses, plus fees for lawyers and experts when restoring your identity.
Multi-bureau credit monitoring
In addition to dark web monitoring and configurable identity theft protection plans, LifeLock also offers multi-bureau credit monitoring. There are three major credit bureaus in the United States, though many identity theft protection services monitor only one.
On the core plan, LifeLock monitors two credit report bureaus, while on the Total and Advanced plans, LifeLock monitors all three major credit bureaus. LifeLock’s multi-bureau monitoring provides a greater chance of detecting suspicious activity and fraud on your accounts compared to competitors that monitor only a single bureau.
Scam protection coverage
Between LifeLock’s monitoring services, you’ll be alerted when certain activity or changes may indicate potential fraud or identity theft "have coverage for certain eligible losses and expenses if your identity is stolen".
Should you become a victim of a scam, LifeLock’s Total and Advanced plans offer scam protection coverage. The Advanced plan offers up to $5K in scam protection reimbursement, while the Total plan offers up to $10K for covered scams. This helps fill gaps when your bank does not provide scam reimbursement.
How much does it cost to protect your identity?
Identity theft can happen to anyone at any time, no matter how closely you guard your account passwords and digital footprint. That's why it's essential to have identity theft protection.
Regardless of the tier of service you choose, all of LifeLock’s plans provide you with broad identity theft protections. The question is how many banking or investment accounts you need to cover.
The LifeLock Core plan costs $12.49 monthly or $124.99 annually. If you go for the annual payment plan, that's $10.42 a month, saving you $24 on an annual subscription. The Core plan covers up to two financial accounts and will auto-renew at the end of the month or year ensuring continuous coverage.
The Advanced plan costs $19.99 monthly or $199.99 a year (only $16.67 a month), while the Total plan costs $34.99 monthly or $349.99 annually (only $29.17 a month). The Advanced plan covers up to five banking or investment accounts, while the Total plan covers an unlimited number of accounts. The Advanced and Total plans also feature auto-renewal so you don’t need to worry about a break in coverage.
The Advanced and Total plans also come with scam reimbursement and identity theft reimbursement, in addition to the AI-powered scam detection, data breach monitoring, identity protection, and recovery services included in the Core plan.
Ultimately, $29.17 a month is not a lot of money to spend on securing your identity.
