In part one of this review we went over the basic features of the TrueCredit 3 in 1 credit monitoring solution. I recently decided to sign up for this service since it looked like it had the most comprehensive credit monitoring coverage that I could find. While I’ve only had it for about a week, I’ve been able to look around and see all the tools available when you sign up. I thought it would be a good opportunity to share that inside knowledge with you so you can decide whether or not it’s a good fit for your credit monitoring needs as well.
Last time we talked about the basic features like unlimited access to your credit reports and scores and also some of their other features. I’d like to show you some of the other credit tools they make available to you with the service and through some of their affiliates. While TrueCredit’s attempt to be your one-stop credit shop probably isn’t going to be your holy grail of credit needs, it does an amicable job of getting closer.
Debt Analysis
Your TrueCredit account includes a debt analysis tool that allows you to enter in your monthly income and expenses, factor in your debt, and give you an analysis on what your debt situation currently looks like.
TrueCredit Lock
Another nice feature of your account is that you have access to lock your TransUnion credit report at the touch of a button. I think more people would use the lock feature on their credit reports if they had instant online access to do it. I know for me personally I don’t lock my credit reports just because it’s too much of a hassle to call all three and do it. Plus, whenever I need to open it up again, I have to call all three again and go through it all over. With this feature, I’m much more likely to do it because I know I can quickly log in and change it if need be.
Mortgage and auto tools
Also provided in your account are various mortgage and auto tools that can help you make financial decisions. For mortgages there is a property valuation tool as well as a mortgage simulator. For automobiles they have the ability to get a CARFAX vehicle history report to make sure the car you’re looking at buying has a clean history. Using CARFAX for auto purchases is a must, even if you don’t have the TrueCredit service.
Insurance scores and legal resources
TrueCredit also provides you the ability to get your insurance scores (?), which correlates your credit behavior to the likelihood that you’ll file an insurance claim. I have never heard of this before, so I’m not sure how valuable it is. I haven’t decided whether or not it’s worth the extra $10 to try it out, but as of right now I’m not planning on using it. There’s also a section of legal resources (estate planning, business forms, etc) that can be had for a discount through one of their affiliate companies.
Overall, the TrueCredit 3 in 1 credit monitoring solution has a lot of positives. The unlimited access to all three credit reports and scores and the ability update them daily is great. The easy to use dashboard, email alerts, and additional trending are all beneficial and useful to the average consumer. While they try to sell you add ons and affiliate products often, that’s a small price to pay (in my opinion) for the superior access to your credit information. While the price ($14.95/month) is higher than other credit monitoring solutions, TrueCredit’s solution offers the most features. So far, I’d have to say that if you’re looking for a credit monitoring package, this one is highly recommended.
