Identity Monitor vs. Credit Monitor

Having options is one of the greatest things in a person's life, especially when the options pertain to important things like employment, living situations and protecting yourself from theft and bodily harm. While many people think of crimes as physical and face to face interactions, there are plenty of types of crimes that are not only devastating, but done entirely without contact between the thief and their victims. One of the most prominent of these types of crimes is identity theft, which can happen in very different ways. Luckily for consumers, there are methods available to help them keep their information as safe as is possible - no matter which type of theft they are most concerned about.

Credit Monitoring Services
This type of protection services focuses on the financial side of a person's life. The services that help to keep people safe when it comes to this are meant to monitor credit file data and alert you to certain activity that could indicate identity theft. While this type of service can't actually stop the activities of the thieves, it will alert you that something needs to be looked at more carefully, and potentially discussed with the institution in question. Credit monitors also cannot refund money or make account changes, but they can give you the opportunity to do so.

Services Monitoring Identity
Much like a credit monitor, an identity monitor takes a careful look at your most private details - but this service has nothing to do with money. Instead, this type of monitor looks for uses of personal details like names, addresses, civil and criminal history records and Social Security numbers in a variety of places - the internet, public records and thousands of databases. Using this service type is common for people that fear the compromise of their actual identity, which can in many cases be much more valuable than money or credit. These services also require users to enter in basic and pertinent information as they begin use, keep it updated as time goes by, and take note of the information that is presented to them, even though it may not show any presence of theft.

Making the decision to protect yourself by using either of these two methods is a step in the right direction when it comes to taking care of your life and your obligations. While these types of services are conveniently available to those that seek them, choosing to start using one or more of them should not be a split second decision - but rather one that should be made after careful research and contemplation.