TrustedID Premier is a service from Equifax to prevent identity theft. The protection consists of several features and plans that are aimed at safeguarding your personal information and restricting access to your credit report.
In the aftermath of the 2017 Equifax data breach, you may be reconsidering TrustedID as your chosen ID protection. In this article, we will take a detailed look at TrustedID, how it works, and the plans they have available to consumers.
How Does TrustedID Work?
TrustedID offers several essential services. If you enroll, you can access your Equifax credit report, but not reports from other credit bureaus like TransUnion or Experian.
TrustedID is useful to detect early signs of identity theft. You can also access your credit report to assess your financial health, take out a loan, open a new credit card account, or rent an apartment.
The service also includes three-bureau credit monitoring and alerts you whenever there are changes in your credit reports. Credit monitoring is the cornerstone of any identity protection service, and since TrustedID monitors the three major credit bureaus, you are widely covered.
One issue with three-bureau credit monitoring is that it doesn’t differentiate between suspicious and routine activity. Investigating every single alert can quickly become overwhelming and time-consuming.
In addition to monitoring your credit reports, TrustedID also monitors the dark web for misuse of your social security number. This feature allows you to detect identity theft before it can result in credit card fraud or any other related crime.
With TrustedID, you can also lock access to your Equifax credit report. If an identity thief applies for credit in your name, the lender will not be able to access your credit report. However, if you want to apply for a loan, you can instantly unlock your report to make it available to lenders.
Another product that is included with TrustedID is a $1 million identity theft insurance policy. If your wallet is lost or stolen, TrustedID will also help you cancel the cards that were in your wallet.
Plans Available
According to reviews, there are two identity theft protection packages available: ID Essentials Individual and ID Essentials Family. Both packages include the following:
- Three-bureau credit monitoring
- Credit report locking and freezing
- Medical record protection
- Internet black market monitoring
In addition to these packages, ID Essentials Family also includes family coverage, which the ID Essentials Individual includes only as an option.
After a year, the family plan costs $27.99 per month and $240 per year. The individual plan costs $14.99 per month and $125 per year. If you have the cash available, paying for the yearly plan can result in significant savings.
ID Theft Protection Details
TrustedID has several services in place to protect you against identity theft.
These services include social security number monitoring and internet scanning. TrustedID scans the internet to detect publications of things like your insurance policy, social security number, passport, credit cards, or bank account information.
This service can track one social security number, ten medical ID numbers, five passport numbers, six debit and credit cards, and five bank accounts. Whenever TrustedID detects any of the following in your name, they will alert you via email or SMS:
- Opening of a new bank account
- Credit report inquiry
- Address change
- Changes to your accounts
- Changes to public records
The credit lock and double-check features are effective in preventing fraud. TrustedID alerts you when your personal information has been compromised and helps resolve the issue and prevent it from happening again.
Company Info
TrustedID was founded in 2005 in Palo Alto, California, and acquired by Equifax, one of the three credit bureaus, in 2013. Equifax is active in 24 countries, and the company has more than 10,400 employees.
During the 2017 Equifax data breach, many people in the United States had their personal identifying information compromised, and TrustedID became Equifax’s solution to rectify the damage.
The company founders were both victims of identity theft, and they decided to create a solution to people in similar situations. Equifax also wanted to re-establish trust in the eyes of their clients.
As a result, the solutions that TrustedID offer are free to United States citizens for the first year. The company focuses on meeting a consumer’s essential requirements in the case of identity theft.
The Better Business Bureau awarded TrustedID with an A+ rating. Generally speaking, you can trust them to provide you with decent customer service. The Better Business Bureau monitored some complaints that TrustedID received and they were resolved satisfactorily.
Alternatives
Even though TrustedID has proven to be a solid option, the Equifax name still has some people worried. A few of the top ID theft protection companies include:
- Identity IQ – One of the top companies we have reviewed and a very popular choice.
- Complete ID – The id theft service of choice for Costco members.
- Reliashield – A $1 million insurance policy makes this company a solid option.
Pros
- Free service as the result of Equifax’s data breach
- Service includes data monitoring
- Mobile and convenient credit locking
- Triple-bureau credit monitoring
- Lost wallet assistance
- Identity theft insurance up to $1 million
- Identity protection for the entire family
Cons
- No antivirus software
- No social media monitoring
- Signing up for TrustedID’s services is not a straightforward process
- Equifax suffered a major data breach in 2017, which may affect their trustworthiness.
Company Information
- Website – https://www.trustedid.com/
- Phone – (888) 548-7878
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