Article Advise

submitted: Jul 30th 2008 | by: PaulWilcox | Total views: 1 | Word Count: 424 | |

Identity theft insurance coverage is big business for companies looking to profit from the fear of consumers regarding identity theft. This has provided consumers with many different ways to pay for identity theft losses. Generally all consumer identity theft coverage policies fall into one of two categories, prevention services and insurance coverage. Identity theft is best avoided but since no one is one hundred percent invulnerable to identity theft, insurance provides a nice soft place to land if you do fall victim.

Prevention Services

Credit monitoring, fraud alerts, and consumer counseling are all prevention services that provided when seeking identity theft coverage. Most lenders, all three credit reporting bureaus, and many independent companies offer some form of prevention services, but they usually provide this service for a fee. Occasionally, a lender will provide credit monitoring for free as a bonus for using their financial institution.

Typically these services work about the same way, the company tracks inquires and accounts on your credit report and notifies you immediately if something suspicious shows up on your record. Often the companies that offer identity theft coverage will also offer assistance in the form of advice or resources, if identity theft does occur. The fees for these services are customarily charged on a monthly basis and range from less than $10 to around $40 a month.

Insurance Coverage For Identity Theft

Insurance companies wasted no time in jumping on the identity theft protection bandwagon by devising policies to provide coverage to identity theft victims. Some homeowner policies include riders covering identity theft while also providing stand-alone policies for people who dont own homes or dont want to include the protection with their homeowners policy. The important thing to know if you are a consumer interested in identity theft coverage is whether or not you already are covered. Read your homeowners insurance policy to make sure that identity theft isnt already covered before purchasing additional insurance that you dont need.

If you find that you are in need of identity theft insurance, you can rest easy knowing that premiums for identity theft coverage are very inexpensive, only about $25 to $50 a year for coverage of about $15,000 or $20,000. The policy will cover any out-of-pocket costs associated with identity theft above the deductible value.

Keep in mind that although the average victim of identity theft only pays about $500 in fees and lost wages, this figure can sometimes be much larger in special circumstances. Consider your needs carefully and talk over the extent of identity theft coverage you should invest in with your insurance agent.

About the Author

Do you know identity theft can happen through your computer? If you're not running the right kind of internet security, your personal information can be stolen. Find out how to protect yourself at the Security Manor website. Visit http://www.securitymanor.com for more helpful tips

Comments

No comments posted.

You do not have permission to comment. If you log in, you may be able to comment.