Credit Report Reviews & Comparison

Editor's Note:

For a limited time only LifeLock is offering a 10% discount and a free 30-day trial to all new members who sign up here.

Summary

One of the most recognized brands that can be found in the credit monitoring industry, you can expect to gain access to more personal ID monitoring services than you'd get from any other provider. All 3 credit scores are generated upon sign up which is generally hard to come by. You can choose between four exclusive packages (ranging from $5.99-$26.99) so the competitive pricing won't be a major issue.

Overview of Pricing

Although LifeLock offer Four packages- LifeLock Standard ($8.99 per month), LifeLock Advantage ($17.99 per month), LifeLock Ultimate Plus ($26.99 per month) and LifeLock Junior ($5.99 per month), each is competitively priced to suit the services provided. There are leading credit report companies out there that offer the same services for less, but these are usually much less comprehensive or focused on your specific needs.

When you want to gain some insight into your current financial status the best thing to do is gain access to your credit scores and credit reports. These contain important documented information that works to provide lenders an insight into how reliable and creditworthy you are. If they see a bad credit report they won't lend to you and it's as simple as that. Unless you can keep on top of your credit and manage your scores you won't get access to not just loans, but attractive features that typically come hand-in-hand with having good credit. So if you can use the information held within your credit scores and reports to improve your chances financially, which credit monitoring company should you trust to provide you with accurate information? Well here we are taking a look at LifeLock, one of the very first companies to dominate the credit monitoring industry, to see if they might just be the right provider for you.

Credit Monitoring, Reports and Scores

If you really want a company that knows their oats LifeLock may just be the credit report provider for you. These guys are one of the most recognized brands that can be found in the credit monitoring industry- ranking much higher than their leading competitors. They offer you personal ID monitoring, real-time information scanning, ID theft response and recovery services, and protection guarantees as standard. All 3 credit scores are generated when you sign up and you can access all of your credit information online at any time by way of an intuitive user interface and unique dashboard. You get monthly updates on your existing credit reports and scores and this will help you to both regulate and track all of your financial activity both quickly and easily.

LifeLock works hard to give you access to four exclusive packages:

• LifeLock Standard
• LifeLock Advantage
• LifeLock Ultimate Plus
• LifeLock Junior

As a result of these great packages, the original offering of a TransRisk credit scoring model has been replaced with the standard models from the three major credit bureaus. Although the TransRisk credit scoring model is obsolete, the replacement models (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) are in line with those seen by lenders and employers all over the world thus offering you the most current scores available.

Identity Theft Protection and Tools

LifeLock are one of the most comprehensive credit report monitoring companies in the field, using the latest technology available to track your personal information. Their primary methods include Identity Alert which allows for personal ID Geo-Tracking services, giving LifeLock the opportunity to both monitor and track exactly where your financial information shows up. Anonymous web trackers also work to search thousands of underground companies and 'black market' websites where your personal information and financial data may then be sold. LifeLock currently has direct access to quick-response fraud resolution teams, an extensive network of major credit lenders and service providers and even holds partnerships with Law Enforcement, the FBI and the National Organization for Victim Assistance to further assist in their bid to keep you safe.

LifeLock Junior works to protect your child's unblemished and also otherwise unmonitored credit file with tailored, proactive protection facilities that are designed to detect even the most minor discrepancies in their personal information files. This is a great package to have as the reality of identity theft using children's identities is majorly on the rise.

LifeLock Ultimate Plus is tailored to offer you the most comprehensive ID Theft protection services available across the board with checking and savings account application alerts, bank account takeover alerts, investment account activity alerts, credit inquiry activity, online tri-bureau annual credit reports and scores, file-sharing network searches and priority live member support 24 hours a day. No other credit report company on the market offers as many features as the LifeLock Ultimate Plus package does.

In addition to these essential packages and services you will receive instant alerts via phone, email or text message if your identity is at risk at any time and, should you fall victim to identity theft or credit card fraud, The Total Service Guarantee makes sure that LifeLock has access to up to $1 million to help them to recover your identity.

This means that if the worst was to happen, your first port of call would be LifeLock, who would not only employ the best experts in their respective fields to deal with your case (i.e. investigators, consultants and lawyers), but will put all of the necessary steps into place to both freeze and/or reinstate any affected areas of your finance. From the bottom to the top any service that you may need access to, to help you to resolve your stolen information issues and more, can and will be dealt with using the huge capital atrium that is at their disposal.

The great thing is that these features are available with any and all of LifeLock's packages.

Features & Highlights

Other features and services that you can expect from LifeLock are:

• Monitoring of Internet Relay Chat (IRC) channels
• Contacting peer-to-peer sources
• Searching hidden web services
• Accessing Botnets
• Data Breach Notifications
• Stolen ID Insurance
• Credit Card, Checking and Savings Account activity Alerts
• Investment Account activity Alerts
• Child identity theft protection

LifeLock also work to go the extra mile for you by contacting the three national credit bureaus on your behalf to both indentify and remove your personal information from pre-approved credit mailing lists, too.

How is the Customer Service?

Members have their own method of communication with the customer service team via the member portal (simply click a link from the contact page and enter your information to gain access) and staff are available via phone, fax or mail 24 hours a day, seven days a week- both nationally and internationally.

The team are said to be responsive and helpful when dealing with enquiries, but issues have arisen when existing customers want to downgrade their price plans.

The Sign Up

To get the right price plan and services for you simply follow the correct links; enter your standard personal information and some identity verification responses. You will be prompted to sign up other members of your family for other services, but as long as you watch what you click, you should be fine.

Pricing

You can expect to pay the following amounts for each package offered by LifeLock:

• LifeLock Standard – $8.99/month
• LifeLock Advantage – $17.99/month
• LifeLock Ultimate Plus – $26.99/month

These are reasonable rates in accordance to other leading credit report companies and services provided.

Overall

You might not know that LifeLock was involved in some legal run-ins initially, but these issues served to help them to become a leading, responsive company for customers everywhere. They learned from their mistakes and now take every step possible to ensure both a safe and trusted relationship with each of their members. Their services are now built upon trust, fresh and innovative theft protection technology and competitive prices. For many their services are varied and unbeatable in an industry where scammers are rife. If you want a credit report company with a long running, upstanding track record, you've found it.