Identity Guard Vs Lifelock

Identity theft and fraud have unfortunately become a lot more common in recent years. Even if you are really careful, it’s possible to have your information stolen or coerced from you through trickery, and that can open up a lot of problems.

You don’t have to rely on luck and paranoid precautions to protect yourself, however, as there are services that can do the work for you and help prevent any kind of identity theft-related mishaps.

With so many to choose from, which one is right for you? That’s what we aim to find out in this overview, as we will compare Identity Guard(R) and Lifelock, two of the biggest names in identity theft protection.

We will weigh up the pros and cons of each option to help you decide which one would best suit your particular needs.

Key Takeaways

• Identity Guard and Lifelock are both excellent services that share similarities, each one has some different features, benefits, and drawbacks to consider.
• Identity theft protection services provide monitoring for identity theft fraud, tools to deal with it if it happens, and in some cases insurance to cover legal costs and damages.
• Identity theft protection is something that every internet user should consider, as identity theft crimes are more and more common.
• Identity theft protection has a wide range of benefits and features that we will cover in greater detail.
• We will cover how Identity Guard and Lifelock stack up to one another with a direct comparison.
• While both services have their pros and cons, ultimately you will have to decide which benefits are right for you.

Identity Guard Vs Lifelock, Which Is Right For You?

As mentioned, this overview will be comparing Identity Guard as well as Lifelock. These two companies are both big names in this field of protection, and at first glance, they may seem rather similar.

They do share some similarities, but both have their unique aspects to consider. Some of these would be a plus for some and a drawback for others. You may be wondering which one is right for you, and that isn’t something that can be answered in just one line.

Instead, we need to show you both services in greater detail so that you can choose which one would best suit your needs.

What Is An Identity Theft Protection Service?

Essentially, an identity theft protection service is exactly what it sounds like from the name. These services aim to protect you from attempts to steal your information or your identity. Different services do this in different ways, but the two we’re looking at today will essentially monitor incoming and outgoing information on your network and look out for any suspicious activity.

If any such activity is detected, you will be notified, and in some cases assisted by your protection service. Certain tiers of each service can also allow for up to $1M in insurance** to cover legal fees or damages, but we will look into that in more detail later on.

You can also see how to report identity theft in this article on the subject.

Is Identity Theft Protection Something You Actually Need?

If you’ve never had an identity theft incident happen to you, it may seem farfetched and unlikely. It’s the kind of thing you may assume mainly happens to celebrities and billionaires, but it can happen to anyone. In fact, we have already covered how identity theft is more common than you may realize.

Everyone is susceptible to falling for a smart trick or malicious piece of software, and you can fall victim to it no matter how smart or careful you are with your online activity. For some more tips on how to protect yourself, check out this article on 4 of the best ways to prevent identity theft.

When identity theft occurs, it can be devastating. You may have sensitive information released that could impact your life and career, or your information can be used to clear out your bank account, resulting in a loss of your life savings.

These are extreme examples and the ramifications can vary, but identity theft is something you should avoid and prevent at all costs. Using identity theft protection is the best way to prevent these attacks and have a backup if you fall victim to it.

For more information, we have previously covered some of the reasons why identity theft protection is a good idea.

What Are The Benefits Of Identity Theft Protection?

Now that we have covered why identity theft protection is so useful, let’s take a closer look at some of the more specific benefits.

• Enhanced Fraud Prevention For Peace Of Mind – Having fraud prevention protocols in place will help prevent you from falling victim to links and tricks involved with fraud.
• Expert Assistance For Fraud Remediation – Even with identity theft protection, it’s not impossible that you could still fall victim to fraud and other attacks. If you do fall victim to such an attack, experts from services like Identity Guard will be there to assist you through the process of securing yourself and taking the next steps to mitigate damage.
• Reducing The Risk Of Asset Compromise – Asset compromise can take many forms, but usually entails sensitive information being used against you or without your consent, resulting in many kinds of losses. Identity theft protection can help to keep assets and information more secure.
• Dark Web Monitoring For Early Detection – The dark web is very basically any sites on the Internet that aren’t accessible through normal search engines and need additional software to access. The dark web can be very useful for purposes such as circumnavigating censorship or privacy breaches, but it’s also a potential hotbed for illicit activity, as it’s harder to track anyone using it.Identity Guard and similar services will scan the Dark Web for any information pertaining to you that could be circulating without you ever knowing about it.
• Secure Online Protection with Antivirus & VPN WiFi Encryption – These services will also often provide additional protection such as integrated antivirus software and VPN services to make your browsing and internet activity even more secure and confidential.
• Convenient Password Management for Online Security – Having passwords that are easy to guess and acquire is basically like giving scammers the key to your information with a big bow tied around it. Having varied and complicated passwords is a way to prevent this, but it can get confusing to remember and keep track of it all.

That’s why password management software can securely help you to manage passwords without getting bogged down by all the different passwords you need in your day-to-day life.

Identity Guard Vs Lifelock, How do They Compare?

Social Media Monitoring

As we mentioned earlier, social media monitoring can be incredibly helpful in preventing fraud and identity theft. Both Identity Guard and Lifelock offer social media monitoring, but it’s worth mentioning that it is not a feature included in all tiers.

With Identity Guard, it is only included in the top Ultra tier. For Lifelock, it is only included with the Ultimate Plus tier.

Identity Monitoring

Identity monitoring can come in many different forms. One way it can be implemented is through Dark Web scans. Basic dark web monitoring is available on all tiers across both services. Lifelock also offers additional fictitious identity monitoring for their Advantage and Ultimate Plus tiers.

Credit Monitoring

Credit monitoring is an important facet of identity protection, so naturally, it’s included in some form or another with both services. Impressively, Identity Guard features 3 bureau credit monitoring for their mid-tier Total and top-tier Ultra services.

Lifelock features 1 bureau monitoring for the lower Standard tier, 2 bureau for the mid Advantage tier, and 3 bureau monitoring for the top Ultimate Plus tier.

Home Title Monitoring

Home title monitoring will include features such as preventing scammers from draining equity from your home, alerts to changes to any deeds, and investment protection.

Home title monitoring is included in the top Ultra tier for Identity Guard, and is also included in the top tier Ultimate Plus tier for Lifelock.

As we have covered before, identity theft can be devastating later on if you want to try and buy a house.

Lost Wallet Help

Losing your wallet can be an awful occurrence, as you could lose cash and personal information that can be used against you. Both Identity Guard and Lifelock offer services that can aid you in such an instance.

Identity Guard will assist you with canceling credit cards while also monitoring credit reports for fraud. They can also assist in helping you access up to $2000 in emergency cash from your accounts.

Lifelock offers a similar service, as they will also help you to cancel credit cards and other such services. They will not offer credit report monitoring or access to emergency cash, as Identity Guard does.

Customer Service

Both services provide a few different ways to contact them in an emergency. On Identity Guard’s contact page, you will have options to phone them directly or email them for queries or reports.

Lifelock similarly has a contact page where they also offer options like live chat and phone numbers to contact them directly.

Online Web Security

Both services offer a wide range of general web security protocols that will protect you as you browse and access the web. For example, Identity Guard features Safe Browsing across all tiers.

Password Vault And Management

Earlier, we mentioned how password management can be a great feature to have. This is one area where Identity Guard has an advantage, as they have a password manager through all tiers.

To access this with Lifelock, you will need to utilize the partnered Norton antivirus software.

Plan Options

Each service has various tiers and plans you can choose from. We will first look at Identity Guard’s plans.

They have three tiers: Value, Total, and Ultra. Naturally, each higher tier has more benefits and features. Additionally, you have the individual plan, or you can upgrade each tier to a family plan that is slightly more expensive but covers up to 5 adults and unlimited kids.

Lifelock has three tiers as well, including Standard, Advantage, and Ultimate Plus. Their plans include individual and two separate family plans. One covers two adults, and the other covers two adults and up to five kids.

Max Insurance Coverage

Both services offer potential insurance payouts that you can utilize if need be. It’s very simple with Identity GuardGiard, as they offer up to $1M in insurance payouts across all three tiers.

It’s more fragmented with Lifelock, as the coverage depends on the tier you choose. You can get up to $1 050 000 in coverage with the Standard plan. This is split into lawyer expenses, stolen funds reimbursement, and personal expense compensation.

It goes up to $1 200 000 for the Advantage tier and $3M for the Ultimate Plus tiers, split in the same way. The fund for lawyer fees is $1M across all tiers, and the differences come in how much is afforded for the stolen funds reimbursement and personal expense compensation.

Pricing And Plans

Finally, we will break down the pricing for each tier and plan for both services. As mentioned earlier, Identity Guard has individualhas an individual and family options for their tiers. The pricing for each is as follows:

	Value	Total	Ultra
Individual	$7.50/Mo	$16.67/Mo	$25/Mo
Family	$12.50/Mo	$25/Mo	$33/Mo

Alternatively, Lifelock has a pricing of:

	Standard	Advantage	Ultimate Plus
Individual (Paid Annually)	$7.50/Mo	$14.99/Mo	$19.99/Mo
Individual (Paid Monthly)	$9.99/Mo	$17.99/Mo	$23.99/Mo
Family (Paid Annually)	$12.49/Mo	$23.99/Mo	$32.99/Mo
Family (Paid Monthly)	$14.99/Mo	$28.99/Mo	$39.99/Mo
Family (+2 kids Paid Annually)	$18.49/Mo	$29.99/Mo	$38.99/Mo
Family (+2 kids Paid Monthly)	$21.99/Mo	$35.99/Mo	$46.99/Mo

It should also be noted that the prices listed for Lifelock are limited offers, and the price will increase after a year. You can see more information on the pricing on this page.

Overall, we feel Identity Guard has the better pricing, especially because their family plans feature 5 adults and unlimited kids, whereas you’re limited to 2 adults and 2 kids with Lifelock depending on the tier.

Key Differences: Lifelock Vs Identity Guard

Overall, in terms of services, both Identity Guard and Lifelock are fairly comparable. It comes down to smaller differences and services offered, and the breakdowns of what is offered in each tier on each services webpage are well worth reading through, as it will ultimately be up to you to decide which one has services better suited to you.

What Are Identity Guard’s Pros And Cons?

As we have seen throughout this review, Identity Guard provides many excellent services to help protect you against identity theft and fraud. While Lifelock does have a few cheaper tiers, Identity Guard is ultimately the more affordable option, even on the higher tiers.

Some downsides include that their customer service is not quite as accessible, and the lower tiers do miss out on some important features for identity protection.

What Are Lifelock’s Pros And Cons?

Similarly, Lifelock offers some impressive features and benefits. They are also noteworthy for accessible customer service options 24/7, which will make reaching them easier than Identity Guard.

Their pricing, tiers, and plans are a lot more confusing to navigate, however. They also work out to be more expensive while covering fewer individuals. They do have one or two features Identity Guard lacks, but the increased price doesn’t necessarily add too many additional benefits to compensate.

Summary: Identity Guard Or Lifelock- Which Is Better For You?

This overview has shown us that both of these services are excellent options for identity and fraud protection. There certainly are pros and cons to both services, and it’s worth noting that you will need to pay for higher tiers to enjoy all benefits.

When asking which is right for you, it can depend on your overall preferences and circumstances. Overall, we would probably tend to choose Identity Guard, especially for larger families or if you want to spend less without much in the way of lost benefits.

Alternatively, Lifelock would probably be best for those who prioritize having quick access to customer service.

Whichever one you choose, we are confident that you will be pleased with what is on offer and be more at ease as you navigate the modern Internet landscape.

* 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 Equifax 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.