Mel Himes & Assocaites Insurance Agency, Inc will be offering one of the best identity theft products on the marketing in the coming weeks.
Read what U.S. News 360 Reviews reporter Kristen Hampshire says about IdentityIQ –
IdentityIQ is a U.S.-based identity theft protection company founded in 2009 that offers four tiers of security to guard your personal identity. Its premium Secure Max plan offers free coverage for family members, while some competing plans at similar price points don’t. IdentityIQ also provides $1 million in recovery insurance for all plans, which is another benefit that some other companies only provide with their higher-priced offerings.
CEO Scott Hermann is at the helm of IdentityIQ, bringing 25 years of identity theft experience and a mind for growing the 12-year-old business, which he joined in 2017. IdentityIQ is the flagship brand of IDIQ, and the company also includes the DataBreachIQ and MyScoreIQ products. DataBreachIQ offers planning, monitoring and recovery for businesses that experience a data breach. MyScoreIQ delivers credit score monitoring and information with FICO scores and reports.
IdentityIQ has 100% U.S.-based customer service and support, unlike some of its competitors.
IdentityIQ ties for No. 3 on our list of the Best Identity Theft Protection Services of 2021. It stands out with features like $1 million in recovery insurance for all plans, free family protection with the Secure Max plan, and a credit score tracker for a monthly fee that costs less than other premium plans.
Identity Theft Protection Plans Offered by IdentityIQ
IdentityIQ offers four plans. The most basic is the Secure plan for $6.99 per month, which includes daily credit monitoring from one bureau and dark web monitoring, up to $1 million in stolen funds reimbursement, coverage for lawyers and experts if your identity is stolen, some personal expense compensation, Social Security number alerts, synthetic ID theft protection, file-sharing network searches, assistance if your wallet is lost, reports on your checking accounts, opt-out options for junk mail and do-not-call list, and a U.S.-based identity restoration service.
IdentityIQ’s Secure Plus plan is $9.99 a month and includes everything in the basic offering along with change of address notifications and annual three-bureau credit reports and scores.
The Secure Pro plan costs $19.99 per month and includes everything in Secure Plus, along with enhanced credit report monitoring, notifications about crimes committed in your name, alerts to credit score changes, and biannual three-bureau credit reports and scores.
The most comprehensive plan is Secure Max for $29.99 per month. You’ll get everything in the Secure Pro plan as well as a credit score tracker and simulator, family protection with up to $25,000 in identity theft insurance, identity fraud restoration with limited power of attorney, and monthly three-bureau credit reports and scores.
All IdentityIQ plans, including the most basic offering, provide $1 million in identity theft recovery insurance and access to a U.S.-based customer service team.
A key benefit of IdentityIQ’s Secure Max plan is free family protection and insurance coverage of up to $25,000. Other Top Identity Theft Protection Companies of 2021 we ranked charge extra to cover children or spouses. Another differentiator is the $1 million in stolen funds reimbursement no matter what plan you choose. Typically, companies only provide this amount of coverage if you select the premium plan. For these reasons, IdentityIQ is tied for No. 3 on our list of the Best Identity Theft Protection Services of 2021.
A downside to IdentityIQ is that it does not provide social media monitoring that sends alerts if someone is using your name or other information to create a fake account or if a criminal steals photos. Also, IdentityIQ does not offer members an app, so you must use the website for monitoring your account.
Overall, IdentityIQ’s four plans offer comprehensive monitoring and identity protection alerts, including benefits like free coverage for kids and $1 million in stolen funds reimbursement. You can get three-bureau credit report monitoring without buying the most expensive plan since the Secure Pro subscription also offers this feature. But if you use social media often and want identity theft monitoring that combines computer monitoring, you won’t find it from IdentityIQ.
IdentityIQ offers four plans, beginning with the entry-level Secure plan for $6.99 a month that offers basic features like one-bureau credit reports and dark web internet monitoring. Even with this plan, you get up to $1 million in stolen funds reimbursement. For $3 more per month, the Secure Plus plan provides annual three-bureau credit reports and scores alerts with application monitoring and change-of-address alerts. The Secure Pro plan for $19.99 adds three-bureau credit report monitoring and includes all the features from lower-priced plans with the addition of alerts on crimes committed in your name and score change alerts. The most robust Secure Max plan costs $29.99 for extra features like a credit score tracker and credit score simulator, family protection with up to $25,000 in identity theft insurance, identity fraud restoration with limited power of attorney, and monthly three-bureau credit reports and scores.
Compared to other Top Identity Theft Protection Services of 2021 we ranked, the IdentityIQ Secure Max costs $5 less than LifeLock’s premium plan but it lacks features like cyber security and a mobile app. The Secure Max plan is $6 more than IdentityForce‘s most comprehensive plan. But if you plan to add children to your plan, IdentityIQ is a better value because family coverage is free vs. $2.75 per child with IdentityForce.
How to Buy IdentityIQ
- Compare and Select a Plan. IdentityIQ spells out the features of each plan so you can select the one that suits your needs.
- Create an Account. You can only sign up online, and the process begins by creating an account with your name, email, address, phone number and a password you choose.
- Provide Your Information. IdentityIQ requires you to provide financial account information, your Social Security number, date of birth and other personal information for monitoring purposes.
To buy IdentityIQ, compare available plans by reviewing the features listed on the company website. Decide what’s most important to you – if you want the additional protection of Secure Max or a basic Secure plan. To sign up, IdentityIQ asks you to create an account by providing your name, email, address, and phone number. You’ll choose a password, and then IdentityIQ will ask you for personally identifiable information like your Social Security number, bank account number, and credit card number. Providing this information is important so the company can effectively monitor and prevent identity theft.
You can only sign up for IdentityIQ service online.
What Is IdentityIQ’s Trial Period?
IdentityIQ sometimes offers a seven-day trial for $1 but doesn’t provide refunds. Other companies in our rating offer free trial periods ranging from seven to 60 days as part of their typical enrollment process. Only IdentityIQ and Zander don’t offer a refund if you decide not to continue before the trial period ends.
IdentityIQ Customer Service
IdentityIQ’s customer service team is U.S.-based, and this is a feature the company promotes as a benefit for members. You can call IdentityIQ customer service at 877-875-4347 during regular business hours, which are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CST Monday to Friday, and Saturdays 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST. Customer service is closed during certain holidays. IdentityIQ doesn’t have a mobile app, but you can contact customer service online when you sign into your account. From there, you can respond to notifications and take steps to recover your identity if your personal information is compromised.
How U.S. News Evaluated Identity Theft Protection Service
We explain what matters most to consumers, experts and professional reviewers when it comes to identity theft protection. Then we provide an unbiased evaluation of identity theft protection products. Our goal is to empower consumers with the information and tools they need to make informed decisions.
