With the beginning of every new year millions of us decide to make changes to our lives. The gyms are packed in January and start feeling normal again in February as those of us, who really weren’t as resolved to change as we thought, drop out. Make this the year you tackle your finances instead. The first step to any change is assessing where you are at. GoFreeCredit can help you with this.

Wrestling your finances into shape is just as hard as tackling the shape of your body. You need an action plan. A plan designed with you in mind, so that you aren’t doomed to failure before you ever start. Congratulate yourself on having made it to Step 1. Since you are reading this, you have acknowledged that your finances could improve. Here are the next steps to take:

Assess where you are at

Entire books have been written on this step alone. Luckily, it is not that complicated. Make a list of your checking and savings accounts and any other accounts you may own. Don’t forget those retirement accounts you may be contributing to at work. Next figure out your debt. This is where a credit report can come in handy. Check out GoFreeCredit where you can not only receive your credit reports but also your credit scores from the three major credit reporting agencies with a free trial of their credit monitoring service. A credit report is a handy tool. It will tell you if you forgot about any accounts you opened a long time ago.

Write down your financial goals for this year

This is where you list items such as paying down debt, building an emergency fund.

Make a list of your major financial goals for the next decade

Are you hoping to buy a house? Pay for college? Go on the trip of a lifetime? Write it down and attach a price to it, preferably a rather generous price, so you don’t find yourself short funds when you think you should have arrived at the goal.

Find the waste

Take another look at that credit report you received from GoFreeCredit and pretend your life is a job and you have to justify to your boss, that’s you in this case, what those accounts paid for.

Cut the waste

If you find one that is just impulse buying that does not help with your goals, cut the associated credit card up and start paying off any balance remaining in that account. As soon as you have it paid off, that money should flow into your savings for the goals you identified. Look at the rest of your life. Are you living like a saver or a spender? Maybe you don’t really need all of the lights in your home on when you are actually sitting in front of the TV for hours.

Increase the earnings

This may be as simple as putting your money in an interest bearing savings account. You may have to find more ways to make money. It all depends on your goals. Don’t forget that you can increase your earnings by paying less interest on debt. Look at those credit scores you can get from GoFreeCredit and see what you could do to increase them. The higher your scores, the lower the interest rate is at which an institution is willing to lend you money. Money not spent on debt, is money earned as well.

Assess the plan and adjust it as needed

How often you do this depends on how much oversight you need to stick to your plans. At a minimum, you should do this once a year, but when you are first starting out, monthly is good.

Remember, you are the person in charge of your financial future. If you expect something to change, you have to follow through and make the changes. Nobody else will do it for you.

CreditReport.com provides consumers with access to their credit reports and scores, a credit monitoring service, as well as easy and inexpensive access to credit profiles.  As a member of the Experian family, you could say that CreditReport.com is the daughter of Consumerinfo.com and granddaughter of Experian.

ConsumerInfo has been in operation since 1995.  While Experian, with a presence in over 60 countries, has been around for even longer.  As an industry leader, Experian has delivered over 20 million credit reports to over 3 million members.

The main aim of CreditReport.com is to provide products and services that help individual consumers understand their personal finances and provide access to monitoring services for consumer peace of mind.  The latter is the key to identifying abnormal activity quickly which is essential in preventing fraud.

The information available through CreditReport.com is also useful, as it tells you where you stand financially in one simple number – your credit score.  This magic number will determine whether or not you qualify for a loan or credit card, the interest rate you are granted and sometimes even if you make the shortlist when applying for a job.

7-Day Trial

If you want a peek at the service without any major commitment, you can purchase a 7-Day trial membership for just $1.  Just to add the feel good factor, that $1 is actually donated to DonorsChoose.org, an online charity that offers funds to classrooms in need.

With this 7-Day ‘peek’ you will not be restricted in anyway.  You will have unlimited access to your credit report, credit score  and the credit monitoring service for 30 days, as well as daily monitoring of your credit reports from the main three credit bureaus:

• Equifax
• Experian
• TransUnion

Your trial membership at CreditReport.com also provides unlimited access to an analysis of your credit history and email alerts whenever there is a change to your credit history.  These changes could range from late payments to a credit card charge dispute.

You may cancel anytime within the 7-Day period without charge.

Another benefit of CreditReport.com is that you can sign up for the website’s newsletter and you don’t even need to be a member.  This newsletter offers credit-related news and tons of beneficial information regarding credit and related topics such:

• How to raise your credit score
• How to avoid becoming a victim of credit card fraud or identity theft.

Main Membership Benefits

If you do decide to sign up for a full membership, you will need to part with $19.95 every month.  If after signing up you decide the CreditReport.com service is not for you, you can cancel at anytime.  Cancellation does not mean all ties are cut however; you will still receive daily as well as bi-monthly credit monitoring and alerts.

Other benefits of the service include:

– Fraud resolution support

This service offers access to CreditReport.com representatives who can assist you if you become a victim of identity theft. With this service, you could be eligible to receive a customized fraud resolution kit, as well as access to a toll-free number where support staff will walk you through identity theft resolution options. The staff can even help you place a fraud alert on your credit report.

– $50,000 product guarantee

If you fall victim to identity theft because of the failure of CreditReport.com to provide identity protection services, the company will reimburse you up to $50,000 for expenses incurred that are directly related to your identity theft and/or its resolution.  Please note that you have to prove you were actively using the service as described in their terms and conditions for this to apply.

– ChildSecure

With this service, you can enroll any/all eligible children and CreditReport.com will be on the alert for any credit applications or use of their personal information.

Member Support

CreditReport.com provides a fairly in-depth FAQ database on their website. If you have more complicated questions, or prefer to speak with a live representative, CreditReport.com offers both telephone and email support.

The Bottom Line

CreditReport.com is most beneficial if you want to access credit monitoring services and regular updates of your credit score.  If you want a more all encompassing identity theft protection/resolution service then there are other products in the market that protect against the various elements of identity theft.

For example, if you want protection that will recover lost or stolen debit and credit cards, with CreditReport.com, you will need to sign up for the CardSafe program which is an additional $19.95 per year in addition to the regular monthly membership.  Other services offer this protection and more as part of the package for a comparative cost.

Overall, the company offers a great credit monitoring service for the price and there is ample customer support to assist you along the way.

Credit Sesame is a financial company that offers debt management and credit monitoring services.  The company was founded in 2010 and is backed by institutional advisors and venture capital firms.  The aim of Credit Sesame is twofold, the first is to help consumer’s access smarter loans thus saving money and the second is a service that allows you to take control of your credit.  In this review, we will focus on the credit monitoring aspect of Credit Sesame.

So just what does this service entail?  Credit Sesame provides:

• A free credit monitoring service which is updated monthly
• Unbiased financial advice which is suited to your unique situation
• Tools to give you a better understanding of your credit score and overall debt position

Credit Sesame will show you your financial position at a glance.  They do this by analyzing all your debts such as mortgages, credit cards, loans and other debt.  At the end of the analysis, which takes only a few minutes, you will be provided with your free credit score.  That’s right….there is no fee for this service.

There is another arm of Credit Sesame which is to find affordable loans for consumers and when a loan is sold, the company takes a fee from the bank so the credit monitoring service is offered to customers at no charge.

With Credit Sesame, in addition to monthly credit updates, consumers are provided with trending graphs which are very simple to use.  These graphs allow you to track your financial position at any time.

When you sign up for the service you will need to provide basic information about yourself including your social security number.  The company uses the social security number to access your score from Experian.  The company states that it takes security very seriously and uses similar protection products like those used at the major banks.

Things to Note

Credit Sesame does not provide you with a FICO score, instead they use the National Equivalency Score from Experian. In addition, the company does not access information from the other credit bureaus. The FICO score is the score most lenders would use when assessing your credit worthiness, and they are available from TransUnion, Equifax and Experian, the three main credit bureaus.

The National Equivalency Score provided by Credit Sesame is Experian’s version of the FICO score.

Bottom Line

Credit Sesame offers a basic credit monitoring service with the aim of helping you find better loans.  It seems as though loan referral is the main business and the credit monitoring is a free way to attract potential customers.  The company does not access all three credit bureaus and there is no mention of identity theft services.  There are certainly better credits monitoring services on the market.  You may need to pay a small fee for what’s out there, but in return you will get a more comprehensive service.

FreeCreditScore.com is a consumer credit reporting site owned by ConsumerInfo.com.  Experian is the parent of both companies.  ConsumerInfo.com has been in operation since 1995 and serves more than 3.1 million members.

Experian is a major player in the credit industry and the company serves customers in more than 90 countries worldwide.
FreeCreditScore.com offers credit monitoring, credit score monitoring and a credit score centre where they explain how your credit score works and what factors affect it.

Try Before You Buy

FreeCreditScore.com offers a free 7-day trial membership when you order a free credit report.  When you sign up you will be required to provide your credit card details, and in order to verify your credit card you will be billed $1.  This fee will be reversed within a few days, so in fact you pay nothing for the trial membership.

If you do not intend to use the membership beyond the 7-day period, you must cancel your membership.  If you do not cancel, you will be charged $14.95 monthly.

During the free trial and full membership, FreeCreditScore.com will use your Experian information to calculate your credit score.  The score shown on the company’s home page, monthly statement and score center is also based on the information at Experian.

If you want FreeCreditScore.com to monitor your TransUnion and Equifax information you will need to pay a one-time fee for your Three-Bureau Report and Scores.

Full Membership Benefits

If you live in New York you are not eligible for the membership, but as a full member you have a number of benefits available to you:

PLUS score and Experian Credit Report:

The PLUS score ranges from 330 to 380 and it is a score model which was developed by Experian.  While it is not used by lenders for assessing your credit worthiness, it will give you an indication of your overall credit worthiness.

Daily alerts regarding changes to your credit:

One important step in fighting ID fraud is being aware of unauthorized activities.  The daily monitoring alerts will help you identify and address unauthorized transactions quickly.

Fraud Resolution Support:

FreeCreditScore.com staff is available to assist you if your cards have been stolen or lost.

Product Guarantee

If the products or services of FreeCreditScore.com failed, and you or any enrolled children fall victim to identity theft then the company will reimburse you for certain expenses incurred, subject to their terms and conditions.  The guarantee usually covers, stolen funds, legal fees, lost wages, private investigators and other miscellaneous charges.  For a full list, please read the extended terms and conditions to familiarize yourself with what is covered.

Additional Services

For added protection and an enhanced service, the following can be purchased alongside your membership:

ChildSecure:

This product is designed to protect your child’s credit. For an additional $6.95 per month, FreeCreditScore.com will alert you if anyone tries to apply for credit in your child’s name. Only children registered under the ChildSecure product would be protected and the product limits the number to five enrolments.

CardSafe:

This is a card registry product that allows FreeCreditScore.com to keep a log of your credit cards.  If your cards are lost or stolen then you don’t need to call all the credit card companies, one call to FreeCreditScore.com and they will do all the legwork for you.  CardSafe is available for $19.95 every year or just over $1.66 per month.

Support

As a member of FreeCreditScore.com , there are a number of methods to access support staff:

• You can email support@FreeCreditScore.com
• The customer care team is available to answer you queries at 1-877-300-2506.  The call centre is open Monday-Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday- and Sunday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific Time

Bottom Line

FreeCreditScore.com offers a basic credit monitoring service which you can build on by adding additional services for additional costs.  There are other services on the market which offer monitoring of all three bureaus for the price FreeCreditScore.com charges for Experian monitoring only.  At the end of the day you will need to decide if you need the basic service or if a more comprehensive product will better suit your needs.

Formed in 2003, Intelius is an identity protection company that offers a variety of services which gives its customers peace of mind. The services, which we will explore in depth later in the review, range from the provision of credit scores, ID theft protection and credit records monitoring.

In 2008, Intelius delivered more than 3.2 million reports to customers. It is a very popular service as it attracts over 1 million people to its website every day.  The company also has over 20 billion records in house.

Since starting in 2003, Intelius has contributed to local and national charities.  Today the company continues to provide predictive intelligence to its customers to help them make informed and important everyday financial decisions.

Test the Product

To determine if the Intelius product is right for you, there is a 7-day trial available. To access the trial, you will need to activate an Identity Protect membership which will provide the following services:

• A individual identity information report
• Identity monitoring service which monitors your credit and debit cards, social security number, public records and bank accounts
• Email fraud alerts
• ID theft insurance and assistance with identity recovery

If this service is not right for you, you can cancel within the 7 day period and pay nothing.  If you love the product, then do nothing and the payment card you provided when you signed up will be charged the monthly fee of $19.95 plus tax.  This fee will stand for each month you are a member.

Even if you use the product for a month or two, you can still cancel at any time; you are not tied into a contract period.

One disclaimer to note however is that the credit monitoring associated with the Identity Protect Membership starts the Sunday after you enrol so depending on the day you enrol you may not get this benefit immediately as part of your free trial.

Protection Benefits

As a full member you can enjoy the following benefits:

Instant credit score and credit report –

This benefit allows you to see who has been viewing your information and you can track and view your own credit score.

Identity Theft Protection

Intelius provides $1 million worth of ID theft insurance and an ID recovery kit.  In addition you have access to the fraud resolution experts 24 hours per day, seven days per week.

Public and Credit Reports Monitoring

This service allows you to monitor changes to your public records and credit reports.  Intelius will also send you alerts for signs of possible identity theft.

It is good to note that as part of the Identity Protect service, whether you opt for the trial or the full membership, you will have access to all 3-Bureau credit monitoring reports.

Additional Services

If you want added services you can purchase an annual subscription of TrueRep for $7.50 per month and this time you are tied into a one-year contract.  The cost for a month-to-month subscription is $9.95 per month.  This service allows you to take control of your online reputation.  You can control what information is posted about you online.  Much like a credit score you will be assigned a reputation number out of 100 and the higher the number the more reputable you are.

Support

There are a number of ways to contact Intelius support staff. Customer support is available Monday to Friday from 5.00am to 8.00 pm and 6.00am to 4.30pm standard time on Saturday.  The FAQ section offers a host of information to help you find the answers you need.

Bottom Line

Intelius offers comprehensive credit monitoring and identity theft to consumers.  If you want additional services like TrueRep or other search products, then you can subscribe to these separately.  The range of services offered by Intelius is designed to protect you not only financially but they provide information to help you make decisions that can protect you physically as well.  Overall the ID theft and credit monitoring services are quite adequate when compared to other products on the market.

TrueCredit is a service offered by TransUnion Interactive Inc. TransUnion has provided information management and credit management services for over 40 years.  Their main aim is to promote greater consumer understanding and awareness of credit so that they can better manage their finances.  In addition the services are also offered to businesses so they can better manage customer relations and minimize risk.

TrueCredit offers fraud-watch emails and TransUnion data.

Try Before You Buy

If you are unsure if TrueCredit will meet your needs, there is an option to trial the service for 7 days. This 7 day trial gives you access to credit monitoring services with one free credit score. Alerts regarding changes to your credit will be limited to one bureau only.  To benefit from monitoring with alerts from Equifax and Experian, you will need to purchase a full membership.

Consumers can cancel the service at any time during the trial period at no cost.  If the service is adequate and you wish to continue, no action is required and the monthly cost would be $11.95.  New York residents would need to pay additional taxes.

To sign up for the free trial, you would need to provide basic personal information and verify your identity.

Full Membership Benefits

As a full member, you will benefit from a free TransUnion credit score plus unlimited updates.  Any critical changes to your credit score that occur at the three bureaus will be emailed to you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  This includes fraudulent activity, new accounts, late payments and new inquiries.

TrueCredit also offers credit trending and personalized debt analysis.  As part of the credit trending service, customers will have visual representation in the form of graphs and charts which shows their income, debt, available credit etc.  ID theft specialists are available around the clock, toll free, if there is a problem of that nature. Members will also have the ability to unlock and lock their TransUnion credit report.

TransUnion offers a free newsletter and you can opt-in for this service during the ordering process.

You can cancel your monthly subscription at any time.

Identity Theft Protection

To help you protect your credit and identity, TrueCredit offers specialist information to educate consumers on ways to prevent identity theft.  There is an online library filled with strategies that you can access.  In addition, TrueCredit provides up to $25,000 ID theft insurance.

Additional Services

After searching the company website, it does not seem as if TrueCredit offers any additional protection services.  It is pretty much what you see is what you get.  And the main service remains the credit monitoring.

Support

TransUnion offers several ways to contact customer support and there are dedicated representatives available for the following:

Credit disputes:  800-916-8800 Monday – Friday Hours: 8 am – 11 pm EST

Credit reports and scores: 800-888-4213

Fraud and identity theft: 800-680-7289

Bottom Line

The service offered by TrueCredit is very basic.  While it may meet the needs of the average consumer, for those wanting enhanced identity theft services and protection, there are better products on the market.

Superior products are available for comparable costs or just a little more money.  Another point is that there are no add on services. While most other services allow you to add to the basic package for a small fee, TrueCredit does not provide this option.

Equifax has been in operation for over 100 years and has provided protection services to both consumers and businesses. With over 7000 employees in 15 countries, Equifax has its headquarters in Atlanta. Equifax offers three types of consumer credit services namely the Advantage Plan, the Premier Plan and Score Watch.

The Advantage Plan is the most popular service and it offers the essentials of identity protection and credit monitoring.

Try Before You Buy

If you want to trial this product before committing to a full membership, you will be out of luck. Experian offers full memberships only.

Full Membership Benefits

For $16.95 per month, the Advantage Plan offers the following services:

• Comprehensive Monitoring of your Experian, TransUnion an Equifax credit reports along with automated alerts when key changes occur
• Customer service access 7 days a week
• Profile and credit scores for all 3 bureaus once annually
• Continual access to your Equifax credit score
• Simulate the impact of future financial decisions with Interactive Score Estimator
• Ability to correct errors on your report with the online dispute option.

For $19.95 per month, the Equifax Complete Premier Plan provides the services of the Advantage Plan plus the following:

• All inclusive protection – assistance in cancelling cards, passports, driver’s licences etc.
• Automatic Fraud Alert to help you detect possible identity theft
• Ability to lock your Equifax credit report. This blocks creditors or lenders from accessing your information until you want them to
• Web Detect – monitors Internet sites and alerts you when your information is traded online. Please note that as Internet trading sites change their addresses often, WebDetect may not be able to search every site, so there are no guarantees all traded information would be monitored.
• Fast pay plan option – this helps you reduce debts faster by using the information on your Equifax report
• Score monitoring from your Equifax information

Identity Theft Protection

Under the Advantage Plan, Equifax offers identity theft protection insurance up to $25,000. The Complete Premier Plan however offers up to $1 million identity theft insurance. This insurance reimburses you for certain losses and expenses associated with ID theft. It is best to read all the terms and conditions of the plan to ensure you know exactly what is covered.

Additional Services

Equifax offers an identity report which costs $9.95 for unlimited 30 day access. This report allows you prove your own credit worthiness or view that of others. This is particularly useful when doing private leasing, sale or purchase transactions. You are in full control of what information you share so privacy is maintained.

Support

There are several options to contact Equifax support staff. Consumers can initiate disputes, freeze credit files and log into the member center and read frequently asked questions all online. For customers who still use snail mail, post should be addressed to Equifax Credit Information Services, Inc. P.O. Box 740241. Atlanta, GA 30374.

Bottom Line

For the budget conscious who need a basic working service, the Complete Advantage plan is very adequate and is the most popular service amongst consumers. If you want to benefit from additional protection and a higher identity theft insurance payout, for $3.00 extra the Premier plan is certainly worth looking into.

Both products monitor all three bureaus which is the best option, however the final decision really depends on what consumers need.

Money has been rather hard to come by recently. This makes it difficult to be able to pay your bills on time, buy needed items, or take a little time off and travel. The frequency of your paycheck may also make it difficult to have the money on hand when you need it. Getting a Quick Quid Payday Loan may be just what you need to hold you over until the next payday comes.

The Quick Quid Payday Loan Company makes it very easy to get the payday advance you need. There is no long and drawn out process. In fact, you can actually get your money within an hour. The amount of money you can get is good, too, which is up to £1,500. New customers are limited to a maximum of £1,000.

Newcomers to Quick Quid Payday Loan Company Get A Special Discount

If you have never used the services of Quick Quid Payday Loan to get instant payday loans, then you should know that you could get a great price on your first one. By using their special promo code when you apply, you are entitled to get 50 percent off of the regular amount of interest.

How Long Does It Take to Get A Payday Advance?

In most cases, you can have your money within an hour. It will only take about five minutes to fill out the application at Quick Quid Payday Loan, and then they will check it out. If everything looks good to them, it is most likely that you will get your loan put directly into your bank account within one hour. This is conditional, however, on filling out the application on normal weekdays – before 10:00 PM.

What Are the Requirements Needed to Get A Payday Advance?

It is not difficult to get a payday advance from the Quick Quid Payday Loan Company if you live in the United Kingdom and are at least 18 years old. This is one feature that makes them very attractive if you need cash in a hurry. One thing that will not affect your ability to get this type of loan is your credit score. While you probably will still be able to get a loan with poor credit, it will probably only affect the amount of money you can get. The Quick Quid Payday Loan Company is known to give out loans – even to those whose credit score is less than desirable – as long as some other conditions are met.

Another qualification is that you will have to have been employed at the same place for some time and have a regular income. You will also need to have a bank account from which a direct debit can be made.

What Are the Advantages of Using Quick Quid Payday Loan Company for Instant Payday Loans?

One clear advantage of using the Quick Quid Payday Loan Company is that getting additional loans is quicker and easier. Although this depends on successful repayment of loans as they become due, it will also enable you to get more money with time. There is a limit, however, of £1,500.

Instant payday loans are not designed to be used over a long period of time. The interest on them is higher than traditional loans, and you are usually required to repay them within one month – or when your next paycheck comes. You can use the money in anyway that you wish – or just pay your bills, buy that item, or enjoy that extra outing or event. A payday advance can help you have the money you need until the next payday.

If you need help monitoring your credit and cleaning up your online profile, it is worth your time to look at TrustedID. Their package is so complete, financial expert Suzy Orman teamed up with TrustedID to sell her Identity Theft Kit & monitoring service back in 2008!  She still promotes TrustedID, only it will cost you more to buy it through her website.

Free Trial

TrustedID will give you a free14-day trial that includes a free credit score and a full credit report from all three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion). Plus, they will scan your private information to find vulnerabilities online.

Full Membership Benefits

TrustedID’s identity theft service, called IDEssentials, offers a comprehensive package if you are willing to pay in advance and make at least a 3 month commitment. It breaks down to $10.42 a month for an individual, $20 a month for a family plan – but they do bill you for the entire year at the start.

$125/year – Individual Plan

$240/year – Family Plan for all members of your household, including college students

• Daily credit report monitoring with three major credit bureaus
• Public database search for unusual activity with your information
• Internet scan for misuse of bank account, credit card & social security numbers
• Fraud alerts when a new credit line is opened
• 24/7 online access to credit reports

They’ll also:

• Remove your name from marketing databases
• Review your health insurance to prevent fraudulent claims
• Provide software to protect home computers from spyware and phishing scams
• Scan your social media privacy settings to reduce risk
• Send monthly status reports, news and advice

Additional Services

• Identity Threat Score – cool, proprietary gimmick that gauges your risk level based on how much personal information is listed in public & private database records.

• CreditLock – freezes your credit report to prevent new credit lines from being opened. A live chat operator quoted me an extra $25 fee in Arizona, but every state is different.

Business Services

• Data Breach Solutions Group gives immediate help to companies that get hacked.
• Employee Benefits Solutions Group provides ID theft protection for workers.

Product Guarantee

$1 Million dollar warranty is offered on some services if your personal information is stolen. This includes internet ID theft, but the guarantee is a limited reimbursement for out-of-pocket costs. Most guarantees are similar, so read terms and conditions carefully.

Support

You don’t need to be a member to ask questions. You can call operators 24/7 at 1-888-548-7878, e-mail them at help@trustedid.com, or chat online with a specialist.

Bottom Line

This award-winning California company has been around since 2005, funded by leading venture capital firms and promoted by top financial experts. It consistently releases new products and features, while offering competitive prices. The website offers complete explanations on its features, provides live chat with specialists and offers tip driven articles that nonmembers can access.