With increasing security breaches and compromised information in government systems, banks, and company websites, there’s a chance your confidential information could be stolen. Consider the facts if you’ve thought identity theft can’t happen to you or your family. The Federal Trade Commission reports that consumers lost more than $8.8 billion to fraud in 2022, and hackers may use your information within nine minutes of accessing it.
With increasing cases of fraud and identity theft each year, securing a reliable identity monitoring service can help protect your financial information and security. Below, you’ll find a comprehensive CreditScoreIQ review to understand whether it’s a good fit for you.
CreditScoreIQ offers robust security features and premium protection at a minimum cost. You could get a membership for as little as $6.99 per month. All plans come with up to $1 million in stolen funds reimbursement, underwritten by AIG. Whether you’re working to raise your credit score, need utility payment reporting and credit monitoring, or are concerned about identity theft, CreditScoreiQ offers solutions.
The family plan makes it easy to help protect the whole family for the same price. Premium features range from Social Security number monitoring and dark web monitoring to Bitdefender Total Security’s premium internet monitoring and antivirus solution. You can try out a CreditScoreIQ plan for just $1 for seven days, allowing you to test features, check your credit reports, and decide on a plan that fits both your budget and your goals.
- Affordable identity and credit monitoring
- Dark web monitoring
- Social Security number tracking
- Get access to reports from all three credit bureaus with premium plans
- Premium VPN services included
- Family protection at no additional cost
- Basic plans are limited to a single credit report
- More costly than some competitors
CreditScoreIQ Ratings at a Glance
CreditScoreIQ Product Offering
CreditScoreIQ, powered by the industry-leading IdentityIQ, offers four tiers of coverage, from a basic, cost-effective Secure plan that costs just $6.99 per month. Premium plans increase to $9.99 for Secure Plus, $19.99 for the Secure Pro plan, and $29.99 monthly for the Secure Max plan.
All plans include up to $1 million in stolen funds reimbursement, underwritten by AIG. You can also get annual plans for a discount, with the Secure Plus at $102 annually and the premium Secure Max plan at $306 for an annual membership.
While all four plans from CreditScoreIQ offer some credit monitoring features, the more expensive plans include features like a credit score simulator and tracker, alerts for significant score changes, and family protection with $25,000 identity theft insurance for additional family members, underwritten by AIG.
For consumers with poor to fair credit scores, these features can be key to raising your credit score and planning the steps to higher credit and greater financial opportunities.
The CreditScoreIQ customer care team is responsive. You can see that they've worked to resolve complaints online regarding third-party suppliers.
The best way to reach CreditScoreIQ customer care is by phone. The 100% U.S.-based team is available by phone from Mondays to Fridays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CST and Saturdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. CST. It is closed on Sundays.
You can reach customer service at 877-875-4347. Even if you leave a message on the answering system, you can expect a reply within 24 to 48 hours. Customers report that it's easy to get help, and it's also easy to cancel the service by phone if needed. Email support is also available. The customer service rating loses a point for the lack of a chat customer service option.
CreditScoreIQ offers robust security and takes significant steps to safeguard users’ information. It works with Bitdefender Total Security to offer robust antivirus scanning and a cybersecurity suite that can help protect you against online threats. Key security features offered by CreditScoreIQ include:
- Identity theft insurance underwritten by AIG
- Premium VPN
- Bitdefender Total Security Antivirus
- Real-time credit monitoring
- Access to credit reports from all three major credit bureaus
- Identity protection
- Dark web and internet monitoring
- Family protection
- Utility payment reporting (to improve credit scores)
- Identity restoration support
However, any identity or credit monitoring software is only as secure as the actions of individual users, so you'll still have to take basic steps to help protect your information. For example, don't transmit sensitive information over public Wi-Fi or without a VPN. If you have to make a sensitive transaction on public Wi-Fi, turning on the CreditScoreIQ VPN helps protect your data.
Other internet safety measures to help protect yourself include:
- Don't enter your Social Security number on any website unless you're sure it's a legitimate financial site you use normally.
- Don't click on links in emails asking for private information. Instead, navigate directly to the site (such as your bank) or use the app to help avoid being a victim of phishing scams.
- Regularly check your credit reports for inaccuracies and dispute the inaccuracies with the relevant credit bureaus.
The basic Secure membership costs just $6.99 per month or $71.30 per year when billed annually. However, for that price, you'll miss out on some of the more attractive premium features, including real-time credit monitoring from all three credit bureaus. The premium Secure Max plan comes out to $25.50 monthly for an annual membership.
Not sure which plan is right for you? You can get a 7-day free trial for just $1 upfront, allowing you to test the plan features and see whether the premium memberships are worth the cost. For example, you can check your credit reports from all three major credit bureaus and see whether the monitoring features can give your family peace of mind.
CreditScoreIQ reviews from consumers consistently rank it as easy to use. While it's only available to U.S.-based consumers, it is available in all 50 states.
The setup process is simple. You'll be asked a few basic questions, including your name, Social Security number, and address. Then, CreditScoreIQ will ask questions to verify your identity and the information you included before setting up your account. You should be able to set up an account and pay for service in under 10 minutes.
Once you have an account, you can easily access credit reports and scores and start setting credit-building goals. The premium plan offers a user-friendly interface and intuitive user experience, making it on par with or above competitors.
CreditScoreIQ vs. Competitors
Security and identity protection is a booming business. CreditScoreIQ has a number of competitors. For example, ID Watchdog, IdentityGuard and PrivacyGuard Identity Protection offer similar services. While all offer credit monitoring, dark web monitoring and identity protection, they differ in offerings.
Not all plans come with identity theft insurance or access to credit monitoring with at least one credit bureau. PrivacyGuard only offers credit bureau monitoring with premium plans and doesn't offer a family plan. Most plans don't offer security features as robust as Bitdefender Total Security's online and anti-virus protection.
CreditScoreIQ comes very close to getting a perfect five. It loses a few points overall for its pricing and the lack of a chat option to reach customer service. However, it stands above competitors in security and identity protection features and insurance, its main business offering. Likewise, with a seven-day $1 trial, consumers can try out the credit-building and monitoring features to understand which plan best meets their needs.
In this age of internet security threats, everyone needs to take personal identity and credit security seriously. CreditScoreIQ offers a robust, cost-effective solution to help protect your sensitive data and enhance online security.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CreditScoreIQ a legit site?
Yes, CreditScoreIQ is a legit credit monitoring and identity protection website that can help protect your family’s identity and personal information online. CreditScoreIQ has been in business for more than 10 years. The CreditScoreIQ parent company has won awards for excellence and customer service, adding to the company’s legitimacy.
What is CreditScoreIQ?
CreditScoreIQ is an identity protection and credit score monitoring service that also bundles premium VPN offerings. The service is known for its reliability and strong protection. IdentityIQ helps you to protect your identity by monitoring your Social Security number, other personal information, and credit. You’ll receive alerts of possible suspicious activity and also get help restoring your accounts if you’re a victim of identity theft.
How accurate is my score?
Your credit score on CreditScoreIQ is linked to all three major credit bureaus and is as accurate as the information on your credit bureau reports. It’s important to carefully check information and report inaccurate information to the relevant credit bureau.
Can I trust CreditScoreIQ?
Yes, you can trust CreditScoreIQ to help protect your personal information and build robust security features to ensure privacy.
Submit Your One Minute Opinion
About Alison Plaut
Alison Kimberly is a freelance content writer with a Sustainable MBA, uniquely qualified to help individuals and businesses achieve the triple bottom line of environmental, social, and financial profitability. She has been writing for various non-profit organizations for 15+ years. When not writing, you will find her promoting education and meditation in the developing world, or hiking and enjoying nature.