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IDENTITY THEFT INFO > PROTECT Yourself > Why Stolen Identity Coverage May Be Your Best Bet

Why Stolen Identity Coverage May Be Your Best Bet

After years of working, planning, and dreaming, you’ve finally moved into your dream home. Everything’s in place under your new roof.

But you’re a planner.  You’re thinking ahead.  What about break-ins?  What about that expensive flat-screen TV you just bought?  What about your jewelry and appliances?

You think, “I’d better get a burglar alarm.” In fact, you already know which one you’ll buy, the kind that “automatically alerts” the authorities in the event of burglary, fire, and so on.

Fast forward.  You’ve just returned home from work to find your front door has been kicked in.  The alarm, while certainly loud and obnoxious to the neighbors for the thour or so it was blaring, has since turned off.  No one is around.

You discover that your kitchen has been vandalized.  Your TV is gone.  Your dresser has been ransacked, the good jewelry mostly gone.

What now? 

BUNK ALERT:  Credit monitoring and identity “security” services are essentially burglar alarms for your credit files.  Just like a home security system, they’ll (hopefully) sound an alarm if someone has attempted to open accounts in your name, or tried to access your credit files – but usually AFTER the fact. When it comes to cleaning up the mess – these services will mostly leave consumers high and dry.

Alarms are nice, but most consumers need additional protection.

The problem with identity theft is that, unlike a home invasion, identity theft happens silently and for the most part, invisibly.  But the resulting damage can be just as costly.  And while alarms may tell you something’s happened, they won’t solve any of your (new) money-costing problems.

Plus, once the crime has occurred, not only will you have to prove you’ve been harmed, but you’ll also be responsible for reclaiming and restoring your good name. 

“During that time that you’re cleaning up the mess — that is going to take anywhere between 6 months and two years — you don’t have credit,” said Jay Foley, of the Identity Theft Resource Center in San Diego.

This is where most consumers will wish they had bought Stolen Identity Coverage in the first place.

Stolen Identity Coverage Is Where the REAL Benefits Begin

Discovering that your identity has been stolen is only the beginning. Without adequate coverage, you may be required to spend a lot of your own time and money.  

It’s at this point that you’ll want to have a reliable, professional resource – including legal representation, if necessary - in place. 

Consider:

• You’ll likely spend days or weeks of your own time on the phone.
• You’ll be confronted with a complex maze of paperwork to manage.
• You’ll likely need professional legal assistance to help you deal with (often uncooperative) credit bureaus, lenders, government agencies, medical care providers, and others.

Why would any sound-minded consumer risk this unnecessary headache?  We consider the cost of Stolen Identity Coverage a small price to pay, given the potential risk.

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