CNBC's top credit monitoring services for 2024.
The costs of the services mentioned below are current at the time of publication.
Keep track of your credit score and detect fraudulent activities with credit monitoring services that scan the dark web and public records for your information.
Several free services offer limited coverage, while those with more comprehensive features, such as triple-bureau credit monitoring and identity theft insurance, usually require payment.
In order to identify the top credit monitoring services of 2024, CNBC Select evaluated and compared numerous services that offer a range of free and premium plans with varying levels of credit protection based on the features mentioned above. (Read more about our methodology.)
Best for VantageScore access
What is CreditWise from Capital One? It's a free credit monitoring service that doesn't require a credit card number to sign up and offers a range of features. It's open to everyone, including Capital One cardholders.
CreditWise offers unique benefits such as weekly VantageScore credit score updates from TransUnion, real-time credit report updates from both TransUnion and Experian, dark web scanning, and social security number tracking, setting it apart from other free credit monitoring services.
You can use a credit score simulator to determine how different actions, such as paying off debt or closing a credit card, may affect your credit score.
Best for FICO Score access
This free credit monitoring service from Experian enables you to sign up without providing a credit card number. You'll receive real-time alerts about new inquiries and accounts opened in your name, changes to your personal information, and suspicious activity detected on your Experian credit report.
Experian offers a range of features comparable to those in premium Experian IdentityWorks plans, making it a great no-cost option. Upon signing up, you receive a one-time dark web surveillance report that scans over 600,000 web pages for your Social Security number, email, or phone number.
Best for families
Aura offers specialized plans for couples and families, which not all services provide. Its family-oriented features include family alert sharing, parental controls, video gaming with cyberbullying alerts, and child identity protection with Social Security number alerts.
Aura offers a comprehensive suite of services that includes a white-glove fraud resolution team, email alias generation, automated child sex offender geo-alerts, three-bureau credit monitoring alerts, and monthly VantageScore access.
Best for extensive features
What is IdentityForce? IdentityForce provides the most comprehensive security features that safeguard your information across multiple websites and platforms, including the dark web, court records, and social media. The service scans your accounts on sites such as Facebook, Instagram, and X for any inappropriate activity that may be deemed offensive or discriminatory.
UltraSecure+Credit offers standout benefits such as alerts for potential fraud on bank, credit card, investment accounts, medical ID, Social Security number, and address. Additionally, this plan provides three-bureau credit monitoring and credit score updates. You can also track how your score changes over time and simulate how certain actions can impact your score.
Best for credit and identity protection in one
What are the three plans offered by PrivacyGuard, and which one provides the best combination of features, such as daily triple-bureau credit monitoring, monthly credit score and credit report tracking, public and dark web scanning, and identity theft insurance?
PrivacyGuard offers comprehensive coverage with exclusive features such as an identity fraud resolution agent, financial calculator suite, neighborhood reports, emergency travel assistance, and medical records reimbursement.
Best for low cost
What are the plans offered by Experian IdentityWorks? They provide the most affordable options, including a free basic plan and free trials for their other two paid plans. These plans are ideal for families, as they cover one or two adults and up to 10 children, helping to keep track of their credit.
Experian IdentityWorks offers credit monitoring, dark web surveillance, Social Security number and change of address alerts, and identity theft insurance across all plans.
Best for most accurate credit score
What is FICO Advanced used for? It is the most accurate for credit score updates and is utilized in over 90% of lending decisions.
FICO Advanced plans provide 28 versions of your FICO Score, identity theft insurance worth $1 million, and access to U.S.-based identity theft experts for 24/7 assistance in case of identity theft.
The Basic plan monitors your credit at Experian and tracks new account inquiries and openings, balance changes of $1 or greater, changes in account status, if your utilization rate exceeds 75%, and a few more credit-related actions.
The three credit bureaus, Equifax, TransUnion, and Experian, provide advanced and premier review reports that include additional factors beyond the basic review reports. These factors include changes to the name on your credit report (Equifax only), new employment listed (TransUnion only), and fraud alerts placed (TransUnion only).
Why trust CNBC Select?
Our mission at CNBC Select is to deliver top-notch service journalism and in-depth consumer advice to our readers, enabling them to make well-informed decisions when it comes to their finances. Each credit monitoring review we publish is the result of thorough reporting by our team of expert writers and editors, who possess extensive knowledge of credit monitoring products. At CNBC Select, we are committed to maintaining our journalistic standards and ethics, even when it comes to earning a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links. Our methodology outlines the process we use to select the best credit monitoring services, which are based on rigorous research and testing.
Our methodology
CNBC Select evaluated and compared 12 credit monitoring services that provide various free and paid plans to determine which ones offer the most benefits to consumers.
We prioritized the following features when evaluating the top free credit monitoring services.
- Ranking of credit monitoring services was based on the number of credit bureaus they monitor, with higher scores given to those that track multiple reports.
- The majority of free credit scoring services use VantageScore, while lenders rely on FICO Scores in about 90% of their lending decisions.
- The ranking of a service that scans the dark web for personal information such as your name, social security number, address, and other data was higher.
We prioritized the following features when evaluating the top-rated paid credit monitoring services.
- Cost: Lower-cost services that offered more benefits ranked higher in our reviews.
- Credit reports from all three bureaus, Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion, were ranked higher because they provide more comprehensive coverage.
- Since lenders rely more on FICO Scores than VantageScores when making lending decisions, services that provide FICO Scores were given higher rankings.
- Monitoring personal information on the dark web is difficult since it's not easily accessible.
- We evaluated the effectiveness of identity theft insurance services and examined the coverage limit. Our research revealed that the top-rated services provide up to $1 million in coverage for eligible expenses related to resolving and restoring your identity.
We took into account CNBC Select audience data, including demographics and engagement with our content and tools, when possible.
Credit monitoring services can only notify you of any changes to your credit report, not correct or prevent any mistakes.
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