Experian is one of the most trusted brands in identity protection. They see numerous risks on a daily basis, which helps them create ideal strategies for their customers.
The company boasts a repertoire of tools that facilitate the understanding, monitoring, and repairing of consumer credit.
Their identity theft protection services are both inexpensive and immensely beneficial in safeguarding your identity. I put the service to the test myself and I’ve included a comprehensive Experian IdentityWorks review below.
If you’re interested in exploring what the two different protection plans might entail, here is what you can expect with the Plus version:
- Dark Web Surveillance with alerts whenever your credentials show up
- Identity Theft Insurance up to $500,000 with stolen funds reimbursements
- Identity Theft Monitoring & Alerts with notifications of changes that are made in your name
- Experian CreditLock so you can lock and unlock your credit file
- Experian Credit Monitoring with alerts whenever changes are made to your credit file
- FICO Score Alerts* based on Experian data
With the Premium plan, you can benefit from the utmost protection available:
- Identity Theft Insurance up to $1 Million
- Financial Monitoring
- Court Record Alerts
- Social Network Monitoring
- 3-Bureau Credit Monitoring
- 3-Bureau FICO Score Alerts
Best Use of Experian IdentityWorks and its Features
In an age where our identities are increasingly becoming targets for fraud, identity theft protection services remain a necessary part of our personal safety. Of course, no one is going to be able to offer a 100% guarantee that your identity will never be stolen. But what you can do is stay alert and take the necessary actions whenever someone tries to get access to your accounts.
One of my favorite IdentityWorks features is the daily FICO score alert service. This has been an essential tool for improving my FICO score, as I could keep a close eye on the trends and patterns that affected my creditworthiness.
Experian IdentityWorks offers safe and reliable identity theft protection services. It notified me of any suspicious activity, which helped protect my credit score. It also monitored the people who have access to my bank account details.
With the power to lock and my your Experian credit file right from my member dashboard, enrolling with IdentityWorks provided a great way to prevent potential misuse of my personal information.
The best identity theft protection solutions provide considerable coverage in their insurance policies. This is the same with IdentityWorks Plus, which will reimburse you for up to $500,000 in expenses related to the incident. The Premium plan doubles that amount to $1 million, which is a typical amount across the industry.
Experian IdentityWorks Price
The IdentityWorks plans are divided into two levels: Plus and Premium. While each of these tiers provides some security, the Premium level offers the best service, protection, and support.
There are plans that cover just one adult and the Experian IdentityWorks prices are:
Billed Monthly | Billed Annually | |
Plus | $9.99 | $8.30 |
Premium | $19.99 | $16.70 |
There are family plans that cover one adult and up to 10 children, with prices such as:
Billed Monthly | Billed Annually | |
Plus | $14.99 | $12.50 |
Premium | $24.99 | $20.80 |
The ultimate family plan covers two adults and up to 10 children, with prices such as:
Billed Monthly | Billed Annually | |
Plus | $19.99 | $16.70 |
Premium | $29.99 | $24.99 |
A 30-day free trial is available to new customers looking to try out their services. Be sure to review their terms of service before signing up.
If you’re considering long-term protection, I recommend you choose the premium plan to get the most cost-effective solution. There is a substantial discount when you choose to pay annually.
Customer Service
Experian IdentityWorks offers a wide range of customer support options to ensure that you have a simple and effective experience. I contacted them by chat and email. No matter which option I chose, I had the same great experience with their dedicated representatives.
Privacy
IdentityWorks will provide you with a service that spot checks your identity and credit in real-time. They will collect information about you, such as your address and Social Security number (you must give permission for this specific information to be collected). However, Experian stores all your vital information in a highly secure encrypted database.
In 2015, one of the largest data breaches up to that time was announced by Experian. The company claimed a database containing over 15 million customer records was compromised. This included sensitive information such as Social Security numbers.
User Experience
Though it may seem complicated, IdentityWorks is incredibly easy to use. I found the personal dashboard provided a seamless experience, with tabs that helped me locate accounts, configure security settings, enable important alerts, etc. Once I signed up, the wizard walked me through the process of protecting any existing accounts.
The Bottom Line
While IdentityWorks doesn’t offer as extensive identity theft protection services as some of its competitors, it does offer a more affordable price. The platform monitors your identity, credit history, and daily financial activity. It’s a great way for individuals to stay on top of their finances and prevent fraud.
Experian IdentityWorks offers a range of credit monitoring, identity protection, and online security products to help you protect against fraudulent activity. They also have some excellent educational resources available on their blog, such as how to keep your identity safe and how to improve your credit score.
If your privacy is important to you, choosing the best identity theft protection solution is the only way to ensure your information doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. Before you make a final decision, I have reviewed additional providers so you can find a solution for your specific needs.
*Credit score is calculated based on FICO® Score 8 model, unless otherwise noted. In addition to the FICO® Score 8, we may offer and provide other base or industry-specific FICO® Scores (such as FICO® Auto Scores and FICO® Bankcard Scores). Your lender or insurer may use a different FICO® Score than FICO® Score 8 or such other base or industry-specific FICO® Score (if available), or another type of credit score altogether.
** 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.