Start Building Your Child’s Credit
In an increasingly digital world, the threat of identity theft looms large, making it essential to safeguard your personal information. LifeLock and Experian are two prominent names in the identity protection space, each offering a range of features and services designed to keep your identity secure. Choosing the right service can be critical in protecting your information, finances, and peace of mind. This article provides an in-depth comparison of LifeLock vs. Experian, assessing their features and pricing to inform your decision when choosing an identity protection service.
Experian vs. LifeLock—An Overview
LifeLock, owned by Norton LifeLock, is a well-established name in the identity protection industry. It specializes in monitoring and protecting your personal information, credit, and identity. The company achieves this through a suite of services designed to detect, alert, and respond to suspicious activities related to your identity and finances.
Meanwhile, Experian is a globally recognized credit reporting company that extends its services to identity protection with IdentityWorks—Experian’s identity protection solution that focuses on credit monitoring with free credit reports and fraud prevention.
Features and Services
Both LifeLock and Experian provide a range of features for identity theft protection. To shed light on each service’s strengths and weaknesses, we’ll compare LifeLock’s and Experian’s features in the following key areas:
- Dark web monitoring
- Credit monitoring
- ID restoration
- Insurance and compensation
- Pricing
Dark Web Monitoring
Dark web monitoring involves actively scanning and tracking online spaces on the dark web to check if any of your personally identifiable information (PII), login credentials, or financial data is being traded without your consent. The goal of this monitoring is to provide you with timely alerts if your data is discovered in illicit online marketplaces. This allows you to take proactive measures to mitigate potential risks, such as:
- Changing passwords
- Implementing additional security measures
- Reporting the incident to authorities or relevant parties
LifeLock promptly notifies you upon detecting any of your information on the dark web so you can take immediate action, such as updating passwords or security questions to render the dark web information obsolete. In contrast, with Experian IdentityWorks, you can initiate your own dark web scan using the service’s dashboard at your convenience.
Credit Monitoring
Both LifeLock and Experian provide credit monitoring services but with subtle differences. LifeLock offers complimentary credit reports and FICO® credit score updates every 90 days, providing a more detailed look into your credit history. Being a credit reporting agency, Experian closely integrates its credit monitoring service with its credit reporting services by offering real-time credit report updates.
In both LifeLock and Experian’s lower-priced tiers, you can benefit from credit monitoring provided by a single credit bureau. However, when opting for their premium packages that come at the highest price point, you can enjoy the advantage of credit monitoring from all three major credit bureaus.
ID Restoration
In the unfortunate event of identity theft, both LifeLock and Experian will provide you with the assistance of a U.S.-based fraud resolution specialist to guide you through the recovery process and address any fraudulent activity in your financial profile. It’s worth noting that Experian IdentityWorks lacks round-the-clock live customer service options, unlike LifeLock. However, in the case of identity theft, Experian ensures you can access assistance as soon as possible.
Insurance and Compensation
In terms of insurance and compensation, both services provide coverage of up to $1 million, depending on the pricing tier selected. This coverage includes assistance with legal expenses, but there’s a distinction between the two services.
In all of its pricing plans, LifeLock offers up to $1 million in insurance as well as reimbursement for stolen funds, which ranges from up to $25,000 to up to $1 million based on the pricing tier. Meanwhile, Experian’s $1 million insurance coverage is exclusively available in its higher-priced tier.
Pricing
LifeLock and Experian offer different pricing plans for their identity theft protection services, allowing customers to choose the option that best suits their needs and budget.
Here’s an overview of Experian’s IdentityWorks plans for individuals and families:
| Plans | Cost |
| IdentityWorks Basic (Experian credit monitoring only) | Free |
| IdentityWorks Premium (individual) | $24.99 per month |
| IdentityWorks Premium (family) | $34.99 per month |
LifeLock also offers multiple plans with different pricing and benefits. Here’s what you can expect from its various pricing tiers:
| LifeLock Plan | Individual | Family (Two Adults) | Family (Two Adults and Five Children) |
| Standard | $11.99/month | $23.99/month | $35.99/month |
| Advantage | $22.99/month | $45.99/month | $57.99/month |
| Ultimate Plus | $34.99/month | $69.99/month | $79.99/month |
Due to its broader range of pricing options compared to Experian, LifeLock makes it more convenient to locate a tier that aligns precisely with your requirements and financial considerations. In addition to offering plans tailored to individuals, couples, and families, LifeLock provides three distinct pricing tiers for each plan to allow for increased flexibility and customization.
Which Identity Protection Service Should You Choose?
When deciding which identity protection service to choose, it’s important to consider various factors. For example, LifeLock offers comprehensive protection but comes with expensive plans and high renewal fees after the first year, which can impact long-term affordability. Additionally, LifeLock has recently experienced a data breach, raising concerns about the security of its systems.
Meanwhile, Experian provides a free basic plan for credit file monitoring but offers limited identity theft monitoring in this plan. Additionally, its premium service can be costly, and the lack of customer service that’s available 24/7 may be a drawback for those who require round-the-clock assistance.
If you’re seeking an alternative that combines comprehensive protection with affordability, FreeKick emerges as an excellent choice. FreeKick not only provides robust identity theft monitoring but also includes credit building features for children. This makes it an ideal solution for families looking to safeguard their identities and nurture their financial future without breaking the bank.
Never Fall Victim to Identity Theft With FreeKick
With a child’s identity being stolen every 30 seconds, this crime is more common than you might think—and it’s important to take every precaution you can. That’s where FreeKick by Austin Capital Bank comes in—it’s a two-in-one platform that protects your family’s identities and helps build credit for your children.
How FreeKick Protects Identity
FreeKick offers multiple identity protection features for both adults and minors. For you and your adult children, FreeKick offers the following services:
- Credit profile monitoring
- SSN monitoring
- Dark web monitoring for personal information
- Up to $1 million identity theft insurance
- Full-service white-glove concierge credit restoration
- Lost wallet protection
- Court records monitoring
- Change of address monitoring
- Non-credit (Payday) loan monitoring
- Free FICO® Score monthly
- FICO® Score factors
- Experian credit report monthly
For minor children, FreeKick offers:
- Credit profile monitoring
- Social Security number (SSN) monitoring
- Dark web monitoring for children’s personal information
- Up to $1 million identity theft insurance
- Full-service white-glove concierge credit restoration
- Sex offender monitoring—based on sponsor parent’s address
How FreeKick Builds Credit
Once you’ve secured your family’s identities, it’s time to think about their financial future.
With FreeKick’s credit building service, which is available for children aged 13 to 25, you can give your child up to five years of credit history once they turn 18. This will help them save $200,000 during their lifetimes by giving them access to more favorable loan terms and other financial perks.
You have to take three steps:
- Create an Account—Go to FreeKick.bank, sign up for an account, and choose a deposit amount you’re comfortable with
- Set It and Forget It—FreeKick will automatically start building 12 months’ worth of credit history for your children
- Keep Growing—After 12 months, you can close the account without any fees or continue building credit for your family for another year
FreeKick Pricing
FreeKick offers flexible pricing. There are two plans you can choose from:
| FDIC-Insured Deposit | Annual Fee |
| $3,000 | $0 (Free) |
| No deposit | $149 |
Each plan offers:
- Credit building for six children aged 13 to 25
- Identity protection for two parents and six children aged 0 to 25
Protect your family from identity theft and financial hardship—sign up for FreeKick today.
Freekick provides a double dose of financial empowerment and security for your whole family. It helps teens and young adults build strong credit profiles and offers identity motoring for up to two adult parents and six children under 25.
