Identity Guard® Identity Theft Protection Review
Identity Guard® offers a suite of identity theft protection services and three different levels of coverage. Their offerings are supported by IBM® Watson™ AI and dedicated case managers.
Many or all of the companies featured provide compensation to LendEDU. These commissions are how we maintain our free service for consumers. Compensation, along with hours of in-depth editorial research, determines where & how companies appear on our site.
Identity Guard® Identity Theft Protection
What we like:
Integration of IBM® Watson™ AI.
| Plans | Value, Total, Ultra |
| Monthly Individual costs (billed annually) | $7.50, $16.67, or $20.83 |
| Identity Theft Insurance | $1 million** |
| Features | IBM® Watson™ AI, case manager, risk management score, online identity dashboard, mobile app |
The internet can be a dangerous place, and the fact that most of us keep so much personal information online means we should be protected at all times. Identity Guard has been providing identity theft protection services for over 20 years, cementing the company as an authority in the industry.
What makes Identity Guard unique is that the company has partnered with IBM® Watson™ artificial intelligence in order to apply predictive analytics to the field of data protection. Combined with Identity Guard’s other services, the company is able to offer very comprehensive protection to customers.
In this review:
Identity Guard identity theft protection plans
| Value | Total | Ultra | |
| Individual fee (billed annually) | $7.50 per month | $16.67 per month | $20.83 per month |
| Family fee (billed annually) | $12.50 per month | $25.00 per month | $29.17 per month |
| Insurance** | $1 million | $1 million | $1 million |
| Dark web monitoring | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| High-risk transaction alerts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Personal threat alerts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Monthly credit score* | No | Yes | Yes |
| 3-bureau credit change alerts | No | Yes | Yes |
| Bank account takeover alerts | No | Yes | Yes |
| New account opening alerts | No | Yes | Yes |
| Credit & debit card monitoring | No | No | Yes |
| 401k & investment account monitoring | No | No | Yes |
| Home title monitoring | No | No | Yes |
| Criminal and sex offender monitoring | No | No | Yes |
| USPS address change monitoring | No | No | Yes |
| Visit website | Apply | Apply | Apply |
All of Identity Guard’s product tiers offer the same suite of standard features, which includes support from a dedicated case manager. They also provide alerts for high-risk transactions and personal threats.
Where the products differ is in the number of alerts and extras they offer. The higher-tier products offer credit scores* and bank account alerts. The Ultra plan takes it a step further with a three-bureau credit report and a social insight report.
Identity Guard’s three products are available in individual or family plans. The individual plans only cover one primary user. The family plans cover all adults and children living at the same residence.
- Advanced identity theft protection with IBM® Watson™ artificial intelligence
- 24/7 monitoring with the fastest alerts through mobile app notifications and email1
- Monthly credit score* and 3-bureau credit report
Pros and cons of Identity Guard
To help evaluate if Identity Guard makes sense for you, weigh this list of pros and cons against your personal identity protection needs:
Pros
- The AI-backed protection and dedicated case manager
- $1 million in theft insurance** is more than enough to cover most issues.
- There are different product tiers and plans from which to choose, depending on personal needs.
- Easy online enrollment can be completed in minutes.
Cons
- Adult family members living at different addresses are not eligible for inclusion in family plans.
- Customers must provide personal information to make use of identity protection services.
- Some customers reported problems with identity verification, account access, and support.
How to sign up for Identity Guard
Signing up for Identity Guard only takes minutes and can easily be done on the company’s website. Here are the steps to follow in order to get protected:
- Select a plan. Identity Guard offers three tiers of plans with different alerting and protection capabilities. Additionally, prices vary based on whether you’re selecting an individual plan or a family plan.
- Provide necessary enrollment information. This includes your name, address, phone number, email address, date of birth, Social Security number, and credit card number (for billing purposes).
- Provide family information (optional). If you’ve selected the family plan, you can provide the names and email addresses of other plan users.
Coverage begins immediately after enrollment.
Alternatives to Identity Guard
If Identity Guard ultimately isn’t the right choice for you, here are some other identity theft protection programs that are worth a look:
- LifeLock works in tandem with Norton Security to protect users from computer threats such as ransomware, viruses, and spyware. The company’s identity theft insurance includes compensation for theft, personal expenses, and legal fees.
- ReliaShield offers competitive prices that are among the industry’s best, as well as coverage perks including unlimited restoration services. This includes a specialist who works on your recovery case until your identity is restored. ReliaShield boasts a 100% success rate when it comes to identity restoration.
- IdentityIQ offers similar services to its competitors, but with an emphasis on credit monitoring. The company offers a basic security package at $6.99 per month that focuses primarily on credit. Higher-tier plans offer increased coverage and identity protection.
* The score you receive with Identity Guard is provided for educational purposes to help you understand your credit. It is calculated using the information contained in your TransUnion credit file. Lenders use many different credit scoring systems, and the score you receive with Identity Guard is not the same score used by lenders to evaluate your credit.
** Identity Theft Insurance underwritten by insurance company subsidiaries or affiliates of American International Group‚ Inc. The description herein is a summary and intended for informational purposes only and does not include all terms‚ conditions and exclusions of the policies described. Please refer to the actual policies for terms‚ conditions‚ and exclusions of coverage. Coverage may not be available in all jurisdictions.