Lifelock vs Trusted ID: So how do you pick between them the two?

Start by figuring out what you want to have covered. The main thing is do you even need a full service identity protection program? The obvious answer to this is yes. Without these companies I would be open to several attacks on my identity and credit, and so would you.

Price Comparision

You will also have to think about how much you want to pay for your protection. LifeLock offers $9.50 per individual adult and an additional $2.25 per child that you add. Yes, even your children need the protective services these days from companies like these. I have known friends who had children whose identity was stolen, and given to illegal immigrants. Trusted ID offers a $10 per month deal for an adult with a $19.99 deal for families.

However, this is on a month to month basis; if you are looking at the long term yearly payment then LifeLock is the way to go. Trusted ID adds on a lot of cost for a family deal per year.  But LifeLock offers $99 per adult, per year, with an additional 22.50 for children. Trusted ID throws on a $189 Family deal with the usual $99 per individual adult. This is great for larger families, but if you are a smaller family then you might be paying for more people that you actually have in your family.

Extra Charges

Besides the extra overall cost, Trusted ID tends to have fee charges for extra services that are offered in the basic LifeLock plan. LifeLock has even thrown on a couple extraprograms that make them even more unique than the other identity protection programs. Mostly the Trusted ID program is good if you don’t mind extra fees and excessive payment for covering your family. They offer most of the same programs as LifeLock, but Lifelock provides great quality service.

Final Words

In my experience LifeLock has had excellent customer service. With a small family, the Trusted ID family plan just isn’t worth it making LifeLock the ideal choice. More importantly I know I am secure with the LifeLock system. In fact the CEO of the LifeLock system trusts in LifeLock so much that he has made his Social Security Number public information to dare thieves to try and hack his systems. With that much confidence you definitely know the LifeLock is a good system, but in the end it is always your choice that makes the final decision.

Enroll Today For LifeLock.com And Receive Proactive Identity Theft Protection!

Typically in the past, cash back credit cards were giving cardholders meager rebates of 1% on all or most of your purchases. However, if you check some of the reward programs these days you will see some offers giving back 3-5% rebates on many purchases (i.e-gas, groceries, and utilities).

Because these credit cards usually charge higher interest rates, rewards card tend to be the most suitable for consumers who pay off their entire balance every month. Cardholders who like to carry revolving debt would be wise to choose a card with a low interest rate. The majority of all reward card programs are usually not appealing for these type of cardholders.(Possible exception: Discover Motiva Card- see below)

Relatively, many cash back reward programs are usually only appealing to big spenders because they cap the rebate amount you can receive in any month and/or in a year, and a few pay back a relatively small percentage until a certain spending level is reached.

In general, try to stay clear of reward cards who try to tack on annual fees on your statements. Also, be weary of reward cards that expire if they are not used within a specific time frame, or make it difficult to redeem points on the card. Unless the reward programs have especially attracting features (like a high rebate of 5%), I would bury these programs in the sand…

Now for the good news!! I have found and signed up to a few cash back reward cards which offer attractive features and no annual fees(unless offers have recently changed as of today….) Take at look at the cash back rewards cards below, and tell what you think. Also, if you have chance you should check cashback offers at MyMoneyBlog. I have found great offers and information on his site.

Blue Cash from American Express pays 5% cash back for grocery store, drugstore, and gasoline purchases after you spend $6,500 within a year, and 1% of any given purchase personally, I have been using my Blue Card for a few years now, and their program is the most reliable.

American Express One Card- This program only gives you 1% cash back of your purchases, but it places your cash rewards directly to a savings account, which pays an annual rate of 2.75%(rate as of July 30). Also, an additional $50 is place in your savings account when you make your first purchase. The OneCard hits you with a $35 annual fee, but that is waived in the first year (just make sure they do).

Discover Motiva Card-Now here’s an interesting concept, the Motiva Card gives back the cardholders seventh monthly interest payment as rebate each time the cardholders makes six consecutive monthly payments where a minimum payment is due. So I wouldn’t sign up for this card if you like paying off your balances every month. This card is more suitable for cardholders who do not pay off their card in full every month, and carry a balance. The Motiva Card currently charges a 4% APR(annual percentage rate) for the first 6 months and 12 months on balance transfers. After the introductory period, the APR goes up from 11% to 19%.

Chase Freedom Visa Signature Card- Last, but not least is the Chase Freedom Visa Signature card that gives 1% cash back on most purchases and 3% on the purchasing categories the cardholder spends the most money in any given month. The main categories include gas, groceries, utilities, department and drugstores. For more information visit the Chase credit card site.