MyFICO review | ITProPortal

Now that we’re spending so much of our time online, purchasing the best identity theft software is an increasingly valuable investment. Damage to your reputation, especially your credit score, can cause untold headaches if you’re trying to reach particular financial goals, like buying a house or a new car. Luckily, there are plenty of tech solutions out there, including MyFICO.

MyFICO primarily helps you check and monitor your credit score, as it’s a consumer spin-off from the company FICO, which introduced the industry standard, three-digit FICO credit score 30 years ago. Our MyFICO review looks at the product’s features and plans to see if it’s right for you.

Today’s best MyFico deals

Plans and pricing

You can choose the number of bureaus you want to monitor (Image credit: MyFICO)

MyFICO has three monthly subscription levels: Basic ($19.95 a month), Advanced ($29.95 a month), and Premier ($39.95 a month). You can also purchase a one-off credit report.

All three subscription plans include a range of features to help you monitor and repair your credit score, such as score reports, score and credit monitoring, identity restoration (where damage to your score through criminal activity can be erased), and a score simulator to see how your credit score may change when you make certain financial decisions.

There are three major differences between the pricing levels. The Basic subscription monitors just one credit bureau (in this case, Experian), whereas the Advanced and Premier packages monitor all three of the major bureaus (Equifax and TransUnion in addition to Experian). If your credit score changes, it will be registered by one bureau and, eventually, the other companies will be notified. 

So, a one-bureau package will still allow you to check for unexpected shifts in your score. But MyFICO’s three-bureau packages allow you to compare your scores across all the featured bureaus, making it easier to spot errors and differences that might negatively impact your ability to get credit in the future.

Interestingly, the Basic package includes a monthly update – as does the Premier – but with the Advanced package, you will only get updates every three months. Therefore, for the quickest and most comprehensive score reporting, the Premier package is the best choice.

A one-off report can be purchased for $19.95 (one-bureau) or $59.85 (three-bureau). These can help you prepare for a new credit application, but may not be so useful in monitoring for potential identity theft, as they will only give a snapshot of your score at the time, rather than showing any unexpected changes.

Features

MyFICO's webpage promoting its FICO scores feature

Check your FICO score and specific scores for different lenders  (Image credit: MyFICO)

MyFICO primarily focuses on helping you check and monitor your credit score, but there are additional services that can help you with other aspects of identity protection. 

MyFICO gives a detailed initial look at your FICO score and monitors this over time. You can also see a specific score used for mortgage lenders, auto lenders, and credit cards. You will then receive regular credit reports, which update all FICO score versions and show you the details of your rating.

You can also see a graph of your FICO score over time, which is especially useful if you’re aiming for particular financial goals. MyFICO’s FICO score simulator meanwhile lets you map out how your score might change if you buy a house or increase your credit limit. These features are more useful if you’re looking to get credit, but less so on the identity protection front.

MyFICO also monitors for changes to your FICO score and wider credit changes, such as newly opened accounts, new addresses, or name changes. Alerts come via your MyFICO app. This is a useful way to get an early warning of potential identity theft.

In addition to $1m identity theft insurance, with a MyFICO subscription, you will have access to 24/7 lost wallet protection and identity restoration services. In both cases, a team of experts is waiting to help you with these tricky situations. If your wallet is lost or stolen, they will support you in canceling and reordering credit cards, identity documents, and drivers’ licenses. 

In turn, if your credit score has been affected by criminal activity, the experts will undertake the task of restoring your identity by filing reports, sending letters, and handling legal issues.

Interface and in use

A demonstration of MyFICO's user portal in a classic design

MyFICO’s classic user portal is clean and simple (Image credit: MyFICO)

Setting up your account is fairly quick. Once you’ve entered your address and other contact details, MyFICO will verify your identity and begin monitoring. You can access your scores, alerts, and reports through the user dashboard, which is available either in a clean and simple classic design or slightly more modern beta version. MyFICO also comes in app form for Android and iOS. 

Support

MyFICO's support center homepage

The MyFICO Support Center is easy to use  (Image credit: MyFICO)

MyFICO’s website houses a thorough education section. There is also an FAQ section to help you navigate a range of common issues. If you have further questions, the MyFICO forum is lively and active, and even hosts credit score-improvement challenges for members. Further support is available for all by email or phone from Monday to Saturday.

The competition

If you’re looking for more comprehensive online identity monitoring, Norton LifeLock’s most expensive package, at $25.99 a month (on special offer as of April 2021), monitors a wider range of online locations than MyFICO, including file-sharing networks and the dark web. However, it doesn’t include as many credit score tools as MyFICO. You can read our full Norton LifeLock review for more details.

Alternatively, for increased online safety, IdentityForce includes anti-phishing and anti-keylogging software to protect your identity while you surf. This is in addition to a wide-ranging monitoring service, identity restoration team, and credit score simulator. At $19.99 a month (on offer as of April 2021) for three-bureau monitoring, it’s a cheaper choice than MyFICO with more included in the package. Read our IdentityForce review to find out more.

Final verdict

MyFICO comes from credit score experts, and you can tell. With plenty of tools for checking, monitoring, and restoring your credit rating, MyFICO works well if you are thinking of making a big purchase in the near future. Although it’s not the cheapest or widest-ranging identity protection software in the market, for keeping an eye on your FICO score, MyFICO is a solid choice. 

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