The Best Identity Theft Protection Services of 2022

We have all heard horror stories about identity theft. Not only is it astonishingly easy for thieves to steal your identity, but it often comes with little recourse and can take years to repair your credit when it happens. Seniors are especially susceptible to identity theft because they are less likely to use tools that help to keep their identities secure. As people age, the danger becomes even greater, because a person may experience dementia or other cognitive impairments that go unchecked before things get to a serious enough point that someone steps in to manage that person’s affairs.

A few years ago, I interviewed my client and friend, Anne Tegtmeier, about her experience with her mom getting dementia and being taken in by scammers. You can read that blog post and listen to the podcast here. The interview really shows how difficult it can be to deal with these issues. It took Anne and her sister a year, a GoFundMe, and a conservatorship to be able to stop the scammers from stealing from their mom.

Obviously, I want you to do your estate planning so that your family can easily step in and take action if you become unable to manage your finances to this degree. You can read about our estate planning and elder law services here.

Another step you may want to take is getting an identity theft protection service in place. Our friends at Caring.com have put together a guide for choosing a service. From the folks at Caring.com:

You might not think twice as you use your favorite password on multiple websites, throw away an old credit card statement, or answer an unsolicited phone call from an unfamiliar company representative. However, any of these situations can make you a prime target for thieves wanting to steal your personal information. Unfortunately, seniors are particularly vulnerable to identity theft because they are typically less suspicious and have larger amounts of personal savings and home equity. To make matters worse, they are also unlikely to routinely double-check their financial transactions, so problems often go unnoticed. 

If these thieves can get your personal information, they may apply for credit cards or open up new loans in your name. Then, after they accrue massive debts, they fail to pay them back, leaving you with the bill and tanking credit. This type of theft is only becoming a bigger problem. In 2021, the Federal Trade Commission received 2.8 million fraud reports totaling losses of over $5.8 billion, an increase of 70% from the year prior. 

Fortunately, identity theft protection services are available to help keep your information secure 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and alert you to anything suspicious. In this guide, we’ll share the benefits offered by 9 of the best identity theft protection companies and walk you through how to choose the right service for you.

You can find that guide here. It is thorough, recommends nine different services, and provides additional tips for avoiding identity theft. With the holidays coming up, you may want to review this resource and share it with your family members. An identity theft protection service could even be a great gift you give to a loved one this year.

If you want to get started on your estate plan, read about our estate planning services and schedule an appointment. Simply contact us at (503) 235-5150 or email us to schedule an appointment with the mention of this blog post.

To your family's health + happiness.

~Candice N. Aiston