Buzz
Capital One’s Credit Wise, a free credit monitoring service, will notify you if someone uses your Social Security Number to apply for new credit or open a financial account.
The service is available to everyone, regardless of whether you have a Capital One account. You can access it online or as an app for iOS and Android. It tracks credit reports from Experian and TransUnion, and will alert you if there are any changes or if your email or SSN appears on the Dark Web.
Other companies offer similar services, but often charge fees or limit access to their members (for instance, Discover offers free FICO scores for all, but SSN tracking is only available to cardholders).
Credit Wise also provides tips on improving your credit score and shows you how you rank in key factors like account history and credit usage.
One drawback: It would be beneficial if Credit Wise’s app required a pin for access, like some other financial apps that also monitor credit scores and reports. However, offering free SSN tracking is a great perk.
Correction: Friday, July 13, 2018: The previous version of this article mistakenly stated that NerdWallet’s app required a pin to access.
