Identity Guardís top level package is one of the most expensive identity protection services at $17.99 per month, and on paper provides more features that the cheaper Equifax ID Patrol is $14.99 per month. However consumers should be asking themselves is this additional cost actually worth it, and do the additional features actually provide any more protection?
Identity crimes are becoming more prevalent every year, and although identity protection services can help, in reality there is no 100% way to safeguard your personal data completely. In many cases you could be paying for services that you already have, or can actually carry out yourself for free. This is true of two features on Total Protection:
* Wallet Protection ñ this service assists you if you lose you wallet, guiding you through reporting any lost plastic cards or identity documents. However Identity Guard cannot do this for you, only give you advice on how to proceed, and this you can get for free from your card issuers directly.
* ZoneAlarm ñ this software can be installed onto your computer to protect it from spyware, but these days most computer owners all ready have full anti-virus and anti-spyware programs already installed on their computers.
When you consider that two features of the Total Protection package are not really necessary, it does make the lower cost of ID Patrol seem like the more sensible option, especially as it also has a feature missing from Total Protection, identity theft insurance, which can help you to cover the costs in the event you become a victim of identity crimes.
