A:  Yes, Identity Guard does have a toll-free phone number you can call for more information about their product: 1-855-727-5801. Identity Guard customer service representatives are available via that phone number from 8am to 8pm EST Monday through Friday. This is a dedicated line for NextAdvisor readers, so you'll still be able to get the free 30-day trial AND 25% off the subscription price (bringing price down to $14.99/mo) of top-rated Identity Guard TOTAL PROTECTION® when you call in.

A:  TrustedID's identity theft protection service will not prevent your husband from using his bank or credit union accounts. That's because TrustedID doesn't monitor the activity within your bank account, but instead scans for the fraudulent use of your bank account number(s) in hundreds of public record databases and the Internet black market. If any unusual activity is detected you'll be alerted. To activate this functionality make sure to enter your bank and credit union account numbers into your online TrustedID account when you enroll (or you can login post-enrollment and add it).

TrustedID doesn't just monitor your bank account number though, read our TrustedID review to learn more about the service and how it helps protect you from identity theft. Right now NextAdvisor readers can even receive a special deal, getting a free 14-day trial and 10% off the subscription price, bringing the cost down to $9.38 per month (w/annual prepay).

A:  Lifelock does help protect your bank account from fraudulent use (and a whole lot more – see our Lifelock review for details). The basic Lifelock service will monitor the Internet black market for fraudulent usage of your bank account number and alert you if it occurs.You'll be prompted to enter your personal information during enrollment, so make sure to add your bank account numbers if you want to monitor for them.

Their enhanced Lifelock Ultimate service includes Internet black market monitoring, plus additional protection for your bank accounts. Lifelock Ultimate scans for changes to contact information on your existing checking and savings accounts, thus helping reduce account takeover by alerting you when your account holder information changes. It will also alert you if new checking or savings account are opened in your name.

We really like Lifelock (and Lifelock Ultimate) as an identity theft protection service. And right now Lifelock is offering NextAdvisor readers a free 30-day trial as well as 10% off, so it's a great time to try it out at no charge.

A:  Yes, TrustedID IDEssentials will help protect both your debit/credit cards and your bank accounts from fraudulent use.  When you sign up for TrustedID, you will need to enter any debit/credit and bank account numbers you wish to have monitored.  Once you've entered this data, TrustedID will patrol the Internet black market for any suspicious use and alert you if it occurs.

In addition to monitoring the Internet black and public records for your personal information, top-rated TrustedID IDEssentials also provides 3-bureau credit monitoring, access to all three of your credit reports and scores, medical record protection and anti-spyware software.  Right now TrustedID is offering NextAdvisor readers a free 14-day trial, so you can try it out at no cost.  The best part is you'll get access to your 3-bureau credit scores and reports when you sign up for the free trial, and they are yours to keep even if you cancel during the trial period.

A: LifeLock Ultimate includes all of LifeLock's identity theft protection features, but adds a number of enhancements. LifeLock Ultimate's upgrades include 3-bureau credit monitoring, expanded monitoring for identity theft,  public and court record surveillance, scanning for fraudulent new bank accounts, alternate name scanning, and monitoring of unregulated global networks and file-sharing sites. They also include monthly tracking of your TransUnion credit score and nationwide monitoring for any non-credit related payday loans opened with your name, birth date or Social Security number.

As mentioned above, LifeLock Ultimate members receive monthly updates to their TransUnion credit score and their scores are tracked over time in graphic format. The service doesn't include the equally relevant Equifax and Experian scores, but the host of identity theft protection features it offers more than makes up for this slight lapse. Overall both LifeLock and LifeLock Ultimate are great identity theft protection services and you can try either one for free with their generous free 30-day trial.

If you're interested in a service that is more focused on your credit files and scores, we recommend PrivacyGuard. PrivacyGuard provides 3-bureau credit monitoring, all 3 credit reports and all 3 credit scores. And all of your 3-bureau credit reports and scores are updated monthly, a great feature that not many other services offer. Right now NextAdvisor readers can sign up for PrivacyGuard's 30-day trial for $1 and get all 3 credit reports and scores

A:  Yes, Identity Guard TOTAL PROTECTION® monitors the Internet black market for any bank account numbers you register.  It also scans for the fraudulent use of your credit cards, Social Security number, address and other personal information.  Although Identity Guard automatically starts monitoring the SSN, address and credit card you sign up with, you'll need to manually enter your bank accounts and any other credit cards into your account.  Make sure you do so, because if you don't register this additional information you won't be taking full advantage of the comprehensive Identity Guard service.

In addition to proactively monitoring for your personal information, Identity Guard also provides 3-bureau credit monitoring, free 3-bureau credit scores at sign up and a free Internet Security suite with your membership.  Right now Identity Guard, our top-rated identity theft protection service, is offering NextAdvisor readers a special deal – a free 30-day trial and 25% discount.  That means you'll get 3-bureau credit scores and a public records report for free when you sign up for the trial, and they are yours to keep even if you cancel.  You'll also get a whopping $5.00 off, bringing the monthly price down from $19.99 to $14.99.  All-in-all a pretty darn good deal.

A:  Identity Guard® TOTAL PROTECTION will walk you through the steps to set a fraud alert at each of the 3 credit bureaus.  Identity Guard will not help you set up credit freezes. You can always do this on your own although there is typically a cost that varies on a state by state basis.

If you're interested in an identity theft service that will set credit freezes for you, Trusted ID IDEssentials is an excellent choice. Trusted ID features an add on to their service called CreditLock that will do this on your behalf. There is a cost of $44.95 to lock your credit reports with all 3 bureaus and $39.95 to unlock them, but you would have to pay even if you did it on your own. Trusted ID is one of our top reviewed identity theft protection services and offers a free 14-day trial to NextAdvisor readers.

Before you move forward, it's a good idea to distinguish between what a fraud alert and a credit freeze are.  A fraud alert is set for 90 days and asks the 3 major credit bureaus to verify your identity by using "reasonable policies and procedures" prior to opening an account in your name.  Typically this means they will call you to confirm.  A credit freeze completely prevents any new creditors from being able to access your credit report for any reason.   To learn more about the differences between credit freezes and fraud alerts see our Fraud Alert and Credit Freeze Guide.

A:  No, you don't.  Our top-rated Identity Guard TOTAL PROTECTION® provides both comprehensive identity theft protection and thorough 3-bureau credit monitoring.  Upon signup for their free 30-day trial, you'll also receive free 3-bureau credit scores, a free public record report and free Zone Alarm Internet Security Suite software – yours to keep even if you cancel during the trial period.  We like Identity Guard so much, we even rated them #1 in our identity theft protection reviews and credit monitoring reviews.

A:  Good question!  A couple of our top-rated identity theft protection services offer protection for your children too.  Most people don't realize it, but children are easy prey for identity thieves because their lack of credit history means they usually don't have any credit records.  Therefore, the occurrence of credit-related identity theft can go undetected for quite some time. And even if a child does have a credit report it typically isn't checked until after they turn 18, which means fraudulent activity could have happened without anyone being aware of it. That's why it's a good idea to subscribe to an identity theft protect service that will help protect your child.

Both of these services we discuss below are highly recommended by NextAdvisor, and are great choices to help protect your children from identity theft.  They both also offer free trials to NextAdvisor readers, so you can give them a test drive without reaching into your pocketbook.

TrustedID's IDFreeze will protect your entire family, including your spouse and children, for just $13.46 per month (with annual prepay). The only requirement is that everyone has to be living at the same address. IDFreeze will monitor the Internet black market for your child's Social Security number, bank accounts, name and address. It also monitors the Internet and public records for any changes to or misuse of your child's name, address, or Social Security number. In addition your child will be given an Identity Threat Score which provides a gauge of his/her individual risk level.  Right now Trusted ID is offering NextAdvisor readers a free 14-day trial, so you can test drive it free of charge and see if it's a good fit.

Identity Guard TOTAL PROTECTION® features an add-on service called kID Sure. kID Sure monitors the Internet black market for your child's Social Security number (SSN) and registered bank account numbers, scans public records for you child's SSN and name, and provides ongoing monitoring of applications submitted using a child's data. It also features ID Risk Assessment^® of your child's current risk level for identity theft.  Although kID Sure requires that you sign up for Identity Guard TOTAL PROTECTION first ($14.99/mo with NextAdvisor discount), it's just an extra $4.99 per month per child. Identity Guard is extending NextAdvisor reader a 30-day free trial of their TOTAL PROTECTION service, so you can see if the service is to your liking before adding kID Sure to it (Note: there is no free trial for kID Sure).

A: Our top-rated identity theft protection solution, Identity Guard TOTAL PROTECTION® includes free anti-virus, firewall, anti-phishing and anti-spam software from Zone Alarm Internet when you sign up. Your subscription also includes PRIVACYPROTECT® and MOBILE LOCKBOX® technology to help protect you from hackers and thieves attempting to access your personal information and online transactions. We gave customer support a call and found that once you sign up for Identity Guard and download the Zone Alarm software to your computer, only that particular computer will be protected.

If you sign up for an Identity Guard subscription through NextAdvisor, you'll get the discounted monthly price of $14.99, which is a really great deal. Although this is not a "trial" price and there are no immediate plans to change the monthly price, like most other services, Identity Guard cannot guarantee that the price will always stay the same. If they do raise the price in the future, they'll notify you ahead of time via email. Then if you feel the value isn't in it for you anymore you can choose to cancel your subscription. Since it's a monthly subscription you're not tied into any long-term contracts.

We have to say we really like Identity Guard's identity theft protection service because it is the most comprehensive out of all the identity theft services we review. Identity Guard monitors your credit reports at all 3 credit bureaus and includes free 3-bureau credit scores. It also monitors public records for any changes in your name, scans databases for application or Social Security fraud, and monitors the Internet's black market for any use of your credit cards or other personal information. Right now they are even offering NextAdvisor readers a free 30-day trial, so you can check it out and see if it meets your needs. If you don't think it's the service for you, just cancel during the trial period and you won't be billed. You'll get to keep your credit scores and the ZoneAlarm Internet Secuity suite for free, even if you cancel during the trial, so it's a win-win.

A: No, it doesn't. A credit freeze is specifically related to the information on your credit report and means that no new creditors will be able to access your credit report for any reason. It will help prevent anyone from applying for a new credit card using your information, but it does not have anything to do with preventing purchases on the credit cards you already have.

If you have concerns about your identity being compromised or having someone use your credit cards without your permission or knowledge, it would be wise to call your credit card company and cancel the card. They will reissue a new card with a new number free of charge. You should also consider subscribing to one of our top ranked identity theft protection services. Several of the services we review offer free trials and even free credit scores, including Identity Guard TOTAL PROTECTION®.

Q:  I'm pretty sure my identity has already been stolen.  What can I do about it?

A: We're sorry to hear about this, because we know having your identity stolen can be very stressful. The first thing you should do is follow the comprehensive steps in our What To Do If Someone Has Stolen Your Identity blog post. You should also seriously consider a top-notch identity theft protection service like Identity Guard TOTAL PROTECTION®.

Identity Guard Total Protection provides comprehensive identity theft protection, which will be especially important in a situation like yours. They start with daily 3-bureau credit monitoring, the gold standard for catching any potential identity thieves that may have opened an account in your name. But they also provide extensive fraud prevention measures including monitoring the Internet black market for the use of your Social Security number, credit cards or bank account numbers. In addition they monitor public records for changes to your name, address, license and registrations, criminal records, civil court records and bankruptcy filings.  Identity Guard subscriptions also include free anti-keylogging software, mobile security software and Zone Alarm Internet Security Suite.

Right now Identity Guard is offering a free 30-day trial and 18% off the subscription price to NextAdvisor readers. This means not only do you get free identity theft protection for a month, but you'll also receive free 3-bureau credit scores to boot. All-in-all a great deal from our top-reviewed identity theft protection service.

A: It depends on which identity theft protection service you select. Most base their protection on a per-person basis, so they charge separately for each person. However, TrustedID offers a great family plan that covers everyone living at the same address, so both husband and wife would be covered.

TrustedID is an excellent value at just $20 per month for the family plan (with annual prepay), and provides it's members with a broad range of identity theft protection features. TrustedID IDEssentials monitors the Internet black market for any suspicious activity involving your personal information such as your credit cards, bank accounts and Social Security number. Trusted ID also monitors the Internet and public records for any changes to or misuse of your Social Security number, name or address. Other features include medical record protection, free anti-spyware software and a host of other features.  In addition, IDEssentials provides 3-bureau credit monitoring and  all 3 credit reports and scores when you sign up.

Overall, we think TrustedID IDEssentials is a great deal, and right now they are offering a free 14-day trial and 15% discount if you sign up for one of their annual plans. And if after your sign up you don't feel the service is a good fit for you, you can cancel during the trial period free of charge and still keep you free credit reports and scores.

A: If your identity is compromised while you're subscribed to IDENTITY GUARD Total Protection®, you'll have full (free) access to the ID Theft Recovery Unit (ITAC).  The ITAC will be with you from start to finish, walking you through the steps that need to happen to resolve the issue and helping you get your good name and credit back.  The exact steps vary depending on what type of identity theft event has occurred, but common steps include setting up a case report for you, setting fraud alerts on your account, helping to notify creditors of any suspicious activity and sharing data with law enforcement agencies.  In addition, if it's needed the ITAC will work to have the fraud removed from your credit history.  And if there are any legal fees, affidavits or notary fees involved in resolving the issue, Identity Guard's 1 million dollar loss reimbusement will cover the expenses.

Overall, we think Identity Guard Total Protection is an excellent identity theft protection service.  And right now they are offering NextAdvisor readers a free 30-day trial and a 15% discount, so you can sign up free of charge and see if the service is a good fit for you.

A: TrustedID IDEssentials monitors the Internet black market for any suspicious activity involving your personal information such as Social Security number, credit cards and bank accounts.  They also monitor your 3-bureau credit reports for changes and the Internet and public records for any changes to or misuse of your name, address, or Social Security number.

If any changes are noticed in your credit reports, you will be notified via email.  If any unusual activity is seen during the Internet black market and public record monitoring, TrustedID will call you on the phone.

Right now TrustedID is offering NextAdvisor readers a 14-day free trial of their service.  As an added bonus you'll receive all 3-bureau credit scores and reports when you signup for the trial.  These scores and reports are yours to keep, even if you cancel during the trial period.

A: First, you've done a smart thing by carefully going through your credit report for potential errors or discrepancies.  Make sure you've gone through all of your 3-bureaus reports from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion and not just one of two, because the information on them can differ. The information on your credit reports is provided to the credit bureaus by creditors, lenders, insurers, employers and other companies with which you may have a financial relationship.  If you find an error, you need to contact the specific credit bureau with the error.  Although this sounds onerous, you can submit a dispute request online.  The links for each of the bureaus are below.

Equifax
Experian
TransUnion

Regarding whether your identity has been compromised, it's possible.  However, it's also possible that it's an honest mistake as street names are often misspelled.  If this is the only error on all 3 of your credit reports and there is no indication anyone has tried to open a credit line under your name, you're probably safe.  But the possibility of identity theft still exists.  Nowadays thieves can use your name and identity to gain access to everything from your medical insurance to a mortgage.

To be safe, it's smart to sign up for an identity theft protection service like Identity Guard TOTAL PROTECTION®. Identity Guard will monitor your 3-bureau credit reports and alert you if change occurs. They will also monitor public records for any changes in your name, scan databases for application or Social Security fraud, and monitor the Internet's black market for any use of your personal information or credit cards. In addition they provide members with free anti-keylogging software, mobile security software and lost wallet protection.  As an added bonus when you sign up for their free 30-day trial you'll get all 3 of your credit scores.

Q:  If both my wife and I sign up, can we both do so under one account (i.e. give you both our Social Security numbers), or would we need to purchase two separate accounts?

A: Trusted ID, one of our top rated identity theft protection services, offers family plans that will cover both you and your wife.  The plan actually includes everyone living at the same address, so if you have children or inlaws living with you it would cover them too.  When you sign up you'll need to provide both your wife's and your Social Security number, as it is an unique identifier that allows TrustedID to access your credit history.  Also, TrustedID needs to know your Social Security number so they can monitor for the suspicious or fraudulent use of it.

There are 2 family plan options.  IDFreeze is a bit cheaper, at $13.46 per month (paid annually), but doesn't include credit report monitoring or credit scores.  However, it does provides comprehensive identity theft protection by monitoring the Internet black market for your Social Security number, bank account numbers, credit cards, name and address.  IDFreeze also monitors public records for changes to or misuse of your Social Security number, name and address.  In addition, IDFreeze includes lost wallet protection, free fraud alerts, medical record protection, junk mail reduction and free anti-spyware software.

IDEssentials includes everything that IDFreeze offers, but also provides 3-bureau credit monitoring, access to all three of your credit reports and scores, and a Facebook privacy app.  IDEssentials is a little more expensive at $20 per month for the family plan (paid annually), but still an excellent value as it includes the gold standard of identity theft protection—3-bureau credit report monitoring.

Right now TrustedID is offering a free 14-day trial for both IDFreeze and IDEssentials, which is a great way to try it out and see if their service is a good fit.  Plus, if you choose IDEssentials you'll get to keep your credit scores even if you decide to cancel during the trial period.

Q:  My husband has lost his wallet.  We cancelled his credit card, but are concerned about the Social Security number on his Medicare card and also his driver's license.  Which identity theft protection service would cover both my husband and me?

A: Losing your wallet can be a traumatic experience, but immediately cancelling your credit cards is the right thing to do.  You should also cancel any debit cards that might have been in his wallet and have the bank reissue them.  Here's a tip—since most people can't recall everything in their wallets, you might want to consider photo copying all the items in both of your wallets.  Then if your wallet goes missing you'll  know right away what needs to be cancelled and be able to take action.

As you mention, it's also a good idea to sign up for an identity theft protection service to help protect your personal information from fraudulent use. TrustedID IDEssentials offers a family plan for just $20 per month (with annual prepay), which is a 15% discount over the monthly plan.  This cost covers everyone in your family living at the same address regardless of their age, so both you and your husband would be covered.

Right now TrustedID IDEssentials is even offering a free 14-day trial for readers who sign up from the NextAdvisor site.  As soon as you sign up you get access to your credit scores and reports from all 3 bureaus, as well as 3-bureau credit monitoring.  And if you decide to cancel during the trial period, you still get to keep your free credit scores and reports,  which makes this an especially great deal.

Q:  What is the best identity theft protection company that the Better Business Bureau would recommend?

A: Our top-rated identity theft protection company, IDENTITY GUARD ®, also has an "A+" rating from the Better Business Bureau—their best available grade.  They've also been a member of the BBB since 1996, which says something about their longevity.  Combine this high praise with robust identity theft protection features and you have a very strong product indeed.

Identity Guard starts with daily 3-bureau credit report monitoring and free 3-bureau credit scores.  In addition, they monitor the Internet black market for suspicious or fraudulent use of your bank accounts, credit cards and Social Security number. They also include monitoring of public records for any changes to your name, address, license and registrations, criminal records, civil court records and bankruptcy filings.

Identity Guard also help protect your computer and mobile phone from prying eyes, providing free anti-keylogging software, mobile security software, and Zone Alarm Internet Security Suite. Zone Alarm is a full-fledged Internet security suite that includes anti-virus, anti-spyware,  firewall and anti-phishing capabilities. Zone Alarm by itself is $70, but when you sign up for the free 30-day trial you get to keep it for free.

That's right, Identity Guard is offering a free 30-day trial to NextAdvisor readers, plus an exclusive discount of $3 per month off the cost. This brings the price after the 30 day trial period down to $14.99 per month.  And if you don't feel that Identity Guard is a good fit for you, just cancel during the trial period and you won't be charged a thing.  Plus you'll get to keep your free credit scores and the Zone Alarm Internet Security Suite software.

Q:  Do any of your identity theft protection services monitor for social security theft and who is applying for your credit?

A: Yes, they do. Both IDENTITY GUARD® and Trusted ID, our top identity theft protection services, would be a great choice for you.  As soon as you sign up for Trusted ID it begins monitoring the Internet black market for any suspicious use of personal information like your Social Security number, credit cards or bank accounts.  It uses the Social Security number you entered when signing up, but you'll need to add your bank account and credit card numbers.

Trusted ID also monitors all 3 credit reports from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, and will alert you if it sees any changes.  3-bureau credit monitoring is a great way to stay in constant touch with your credit history, and will let you know if anyone is applying for credit using your personal information.  In addition you'll get all 3 credit reports and credit scores at sign up—free of charge.

But Trusted ID doesn't stop there, it includes a whole host of extras like medical record protection and a suite of identity theft protection tools with free anti-spyware software and free anti-phishing software.  Right now Trusted ID is offering a free 14-day trial to NextAdvisor readers, so it's a good time to sign up and try it out without having to pay.  If you're not happy with the service, just cancel during the trial period and you won't have to pay a cent.  Plus, you'll get all 3-bureau credit scores and reports free of charge.

A: I'm assuming you are referring to a credit freeze (sometimes called a credit lock or security freeze). Credit freezes prevent anyone from viewing your credit report, except yourself and any companies with whom you have a pre-existing relationship.  The requirements and costs for setting credit freezes vary by state, but since it seems you've already completed the process this isn't an issue.

In order to unfreeze your credit reports, you'll need to contact each of the 3 credit bureaus.  Fortunately, this can be done online at the following links.  Charges to unfreeze your reports depend on your state of residence, but they usually are about $5-$15 per bureaus.

Equifax:           https://www.freeze.equifax.com
Experian:         http://www.experian.com/consumer/security_freeze.html
TransUnion:    https://annualcreditreport.transunion.com/fa/securityFreeze/landing

A: As you mention, Identity Guard TOTAL PROTECTION® provides credit scores from all 3 credit bureaus when you sign up, and updates them on a quarterly basis thereafter. To see your scores, you just need to log in to the Identity Guard member center.

When you sign up for Identity Guard you'll also get your 3-bureau credit reports.  Then you'll get quarterly updates to your credit reports, which is a little different from the full reports you get at sign up. The updates aren't the complete reports, instead they make things a little easier by just including what has changed since your last report update. That way you can quickly scan through and double check any changes. Of course, Identity Guard's credit monitoring alerts you of key changes to your credit reports on an ongoing basis, but it makes sense to take the time to review these changes on a quarterly basis.

In addition you'll get a free public record report when you sign up, and an updated one every quarter. Add to this Identity Guard's identity theft protection features, a 30 day free trial, free Zone Alarm software and 18% off the price and it's a pretty darn good deal that we highly recommend.

A: Both of our top rated identity theft protection services, Identity Guard TOTAL PROTECTION® and Trusted ID protect your bank accounts and provide computer protection.  When you sign up for these services, you need to take the time to register your bank accounts numbers and credit cards so they can patrol for suspicious activity on either.

Identity Guard and Trusted ID help to protect your computer from fraud with their included computer software.  Identity Guard includes Zone Alarm Internet Security software, a total Internet security suite providing anti-virus, anti-spyware, firewall, and anti-phishing protection with your subscription. Trusted ID includes free anti-spyware software from highly reputable Sana Security with your membership.

Both Identity Guard and Trusted ID are offering free trials if you sign up from NextAdvisor.   Take a look at these and other top rated identity theft protection services to see if they will be a good fit for your needs.

A: The short answer is yes!  Many people find themselves in similar straights, where they have lost their wallet or some other piece of personal information and then they worry about identity theft.  Most identity theft services, including IDENTITY GUARD®, will cover you as long as you sign up prior to the occurrence of any actual identity theft.

Identity Guard's extensive fraud monitoring will scan the Internet black market for use of your credit cards or personal information, monitor public records for changes in your name or address, and scan databases for application or Social Security fraud. You'll also get 3-bureau credit monitoring, quarterly credit score updates, ZoneAlarm security suite software for your computer and mobile security software.  And once you're a member, it's even easy to place fraud alerts with the credit bureaus if you want to take that extra precautionary step.

Right now Identity Guard is offering a free 30-day trial to NextAdvisor readers.  With the loss of your personal information, this is a great time to try Identity Guard out free of cost and protect yourself at the same time.

Q. How often are babies' and children's identities stolen?

A. Good question. It might not seem worth it to check your child's credit reports, but according to the FTC, 400,000 children have their IDs stolen each year, 51 times more often than adults. Why? With clean credit histories, kids are easy targets, and many thefts go unnoticed for years, until the child—now an adult—applies for a credit card, loan, or mortgage. So if you want to keep your children's identities safe, consider our favorite identity theft protection services for families: TrustedID and LifeLock.