For a typical US household, start with a free credit freeze at Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. The FTC says a freeze is free to place or lift, does not change your credit score, lasts until you lift it, and stops new credit accounts in your name — including yours until you temporarily lift it. Paid identity monitoring is optional. It can alert you when something shows up in certain databases, but the FTC is clear that monitoring does not stop a new account, and most services will not alert you if someone files a tax return or claims government benefits in your name. If identity theft already happened, report it at IdentityTheft.gov for a free recovery plan. This is not a Norton LifeLock review; that comparison is How to compare Norton LifeLock identity theft protection.

The short answer

A free credit freeze at all three nationwide bureaus is the household default; pay for monitoring only if you want alerts about activity a freeze does not watch.

The FTC treats a credit freeze as something anyone can place, any time, even before a breach. A freeze does not watch your existing cards or bank login. Paid monitoring watches some databases and sends alerts. Those are different jobs. CyberGuardLab is independent. Referral fees may affect product placement on other pages. We do not invent lab scores or best-identity-service ranks. Buying nothing beyond the free freeze is a valid outcome.

What a credit freeze actually does

A credit freeze blocks new credit accounts in your name while it is on, at the bureau where you placed it.

The FTC freeze guide is specific: nobody can open a new credit account in your name, including you, until you lift that freeze. It does not lower or raise your credit score. It is free to place and free to lift. It lasts until you lift it. You place it at each of the three nationwide bureaus — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — because a lender may check only one of them. When you apply for a card, a car loan, an apartment, a job, or insurance, the FTC says to lift the freeze at the bureau that lender will use, then put it back.

A freeze does not stop someone who already has your existing card number from charging that card. It does not lock your bank login, your tax account, or your email. It does not replace a fraud alert. The FTC says you can place a freeze and a fraud alert together. An initial fraud alert is also free, lasts one year, and tells businesses to check with you before opening new credit. You contact one bureau for an initial alert; that bureau must tell the other two.

What paid monitoring does (and does not)

Paid identity monitoring watches selected databases and sends you an alert; it does not freeze new credit the way a bureau freeze does.

The FTC splits these products into credit monitoring, identity monitoring, recovery help, and identity-theft insurance. Credit monitoring watches your credit report and may tell you when a new loan or card appears, a company checks your history, a payment is marked late, or your address changes on the file. Identity monitoring looks in other places — change-of-address requests, new utility orders, payday-loan applications, some court records, or sites where stolen data is traded. Coverage varies by plan. Confirm what a plan actually monitors before you pay. For a plan-by-plan walk-through of one vendor, use the LifeLock comparison page linked above, not this guide.

The FTC also lists what most of these services will not alert you about:

  • Someone withdrawing money from your bank account (typical credit monitoring).
  • Someone using your Social Security number to file a tax return and collect the refund.
  • Someone claiming Medicare, Medicaid, welfare, Social Security, or unemployment benefits (typical identity monitoring).

You can already watch credit files yourself. The FTC free-reports article says AnnualCreditReport.com is the only authorized site for the free reports the law requires, and that all three bureaus have extended weekly free reports there. That is not the same as a push alert on your phone, but it is a real, no-subscription check.

Freeze vs monitoring

A freeze and a paid monitor answer different household questions; the table is the decision, not a scorecard.

Question Credit freeze Paid identity monitoring
Stops a thief from opening new credit? Yes, at each bureau you froze, while the freeze is on (FTC). No. It alerts you after something appears in a watched database.
Cost Free to place and lift (FTC). Usually a monthly or annual fee. Some banks or employers include a plan.
How long it lasts Until you lift it (FTC). As long as you keep paying, unless a free trial or benefit ends.
You can still get new credit Yes, after you lift the freeze at the bureau the lender uses, then freeze again. Yes. Monitoring does not block lenders.
Watches existing cards and bank logins No. Sometimes, if the plan includes account alerts. Confirm the fine print.
Tax refund or government-benefit theft Not the job of a freeze. FTC: most identity-monitoring services will not alert you.
Child under 16 FTC: request a free freeze; the minor process is different from an adult freeze. Only if the plan covers a minor. Confirm before you pay.

How to place a credit freeze

Place a freeze at all three nationwide bureaus, keep the PIN or login, and lift only the bureau a lender will check.

  1. Decide this is prevention, not a product review. Anyone can freeze for any reason. The FTC September 2025 alert repeats that a freeze is especially useful after identity theft, a lost wallet, or a data breach, but you do not have to wait.
  2. Set aside time for three separate requests. Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion each need their own freeze. The FTC tells you to contact all three. Have your legal name, current address, Social Security number, and date of birth ready. You will create or use a bureau login or complete their identity check.
  3. Place the freeze at the first bureau. Use that bureau’s credit-freeze page, phone line, or mail process. Save the confirmation and any PIN. Do not store the PIN in the same notes app as your Social Security number.
  4. Repeat at the second bureau, then the third. A freeze at one bureau does not cover the other two.
  5. If you also want a fraud alert, contact one bureau. The FTC: an initial alert lasts one year and that bureau must tell the other two. An extended seven-year alert is for people who already have an FTC identity-theft report from IdentityTheft.gov or a police report.
  6. If you have a child under 16, follow the bureau’s minor-freeze instructions. The FTC says the process is different from an adult freeze, and the freeze stays until you tell the bureaus to remove it.
  7. When you need credit, lift only what you need. Ask the lender which bureau they use. Lift that one. The FTC suggests putting the freeze back when the check is done.
  8. Keep a free report habit. Order reports at AnnualCreditReport.com, the only site the FTC names as authorized for the free annual (and currently weekly) reports. Ignore look-alike free-report sites; the FTC warns they may sell you a subscription or collect your data.
  9. If money or a new account already moved, stop shopping and file the report. Go to IdentityTheft.gov. The site’s own description is step-by-step advice to limit damage, report identity theft, and fix your credit. The FTC says you get a personal recovery plan, progress tracking, and pre-filled letters.

When paid monitoring can still make sense

Pay for monitoring only when you can name an alert or recovery job a freeze plus weekly free reports will not do.

Typical household reasons, none of which require a rank:

  1. You want a phone push when a new inquiry or account hits a credit file, and you will actually open those texts.
  2. You want a vendor that also watches non-credit databases (utilities, payday loans, some stolen-data dumps) and you have read what that plan includes.
  3. A bank, credit-union, card, or employer already includes monitoring and you are confirming it is on — not stacking a second paid plan on top.
  4. You want a case manager to help write letters after a theft. The FTC notes you can do much of that yourself for little or no cost through IdentityTheft.gov.

Identity-theft insurance, if a plan includes it, is usually about copies, postage, notary fees, lost wages, and some legal fees. The FTC says it generally will not repay money a scammer stole, and most policies will not pay if homeowners or renters insurance already covers the loss. Ask about the deductible.

If the only extra you want from a security suite is identity monitoring, read 5 antivirus extras worth paying for in 2026 before you add a whole antivirus bill. Antivirus on the PC is a different job; Is Microsoft Defender enough covers that.

If identity theft already happened

A freeze is still useful after theft, but the first official step in the US is a free recovery plan at IdentityTheft.gov.

The FTC identity-theft article: report to the FTC, get a personal plan, update it, and print pre-filled letters for bureaus, businesses, and collectors. English is IdentityTheft.gov; Spanish is RobodeIdentidad.gov; other languages can call 877-438-4338 and press 3. Place or keep the freeze at all three bureaus. Review bills, bank statements, and all three credit reports. A freeze plus a report does not require a paid monitor.

What this page is not

This page does not rank LifeLock or any other paid brand, and it does not assign editorial scores.

It is not a how-to for opening new credit in someone else’s name, not a stolen-data dump walk-through, and not tax-prep advice. It does not tell you to skip the freeze because a subscription covers it. Official recovery stays on IdentityTheft.gov and the FTC pages in Sources.

Keep the free freeze either way. Open a paid page only if you named an alert or recovery job you will use.

  • US identity monitoring in a suite: Norton LifeLock plans (paid link; confirm what the plan monitors and the renewal).
  • A household suite that sometimes bundles extras: TotalAV plans (paid link; confirm the renewal).
  • Recent independent-test notes, if you also want a PC suite: Bitdefender plans (paid link).
  • Many phones and PCs on one bill: McAfee plans (paid link; confirm the device limit).
  • Home Wi-Fi extras after the router is locked: Avast plans (paid link).

Read the LifeLock comparison and the extras guide before you click. Buying nothing beyond the freeze is still valid.

FAQ

Should I freeze my credit even if I was not in a breach?

Yes, if you want that protection. The FTC says anyone can place a freeze, any time, for any reason, and you do not have to wait for a leak.

Does a freeze hurt my credit score?

No. The FTC says placing or lifting a freeze does not affect your credit score.

Can I freeze and still buy a car or rent an apartment?

Yes. Lift the freeze at the bureau the lender or landlord will use, finish the check, then freeze that bureau again. The FTC recommends lifting only the bureau you need.

If I pay for identity monitoring, do I still need a freeze?

A paid monitor does not replace a freeze. Monitoring alerts; a freeze blocks new credit files from being opened at that bureau. The FTC presents both as tools you can use together.

Is this a Norton LifeLock review?

No. Plan details and comparisons for that brand live at How to compare Norton LifeLock identity theft protection.

Where do I report identity theft in the United States?

IdentityTheft.gov. The FTC says you get a free personal recovery plan. That report is also what you need for an extended fraud alert.