These guides explain how to see your credit reports and scores for free and how credit monitoring services work. We do not offer credit repair.
Credit monitoring services
Paid monitoring alerts you after something changes on your credit. You can check all three reports free every week and freeze your credit for free first. How credit monitoring works and what it costs
Moneysilk may earn a commission if you sign up through a link below. That doesn't change the price you pay.
IdentityIQ Secure Preferred+
- Price
- $1.00 for the first 7 days, then $29.86/mo1
Prices and terms change. Check IdentityIQ's site before you sign up. General information, not financial advice.
Card sources and terms
- IdentityIQ partner plan chart for offer 4313014W and offer landing page, viewed Oct 29, 2026 (price: "$1.00 for the first 7 days, then $29.86/mo").
- After 7 days you're charged $29.86 a month, renewing monthly until you cancel. Cancel by phone at 877-875-IDIQ (4347) or, where available, in your member dashboard. Refund policy not published; check before subscribing. Terms as of 10/29/2026.
- Daily monitoring of all three credit bureaus, plus 3-bureau credit reports and scores every 30 days (IdentityIQ partner plan chart for offer 4313014W, viewed Oct 29, 2026).
- Dark web monitoring (IdentityIQ offer landing page, viewed Oct 29, 2026).
- Score model: not stated by IdentityIQ (checked 10/29/2026). Lenders may use a different score.
Credit-builder services
On-time payments are reported; so are late ones. No product can promise a score change. How credit-builder loans work
Sorted by name (A to Z). This is not a ranking.
Kikoff
- Plan
- Kikoff Credit Account (a credit line for buying from the Kikoff Store)
- Price
- Plans "start at $5/month for 12 months, for a total of $60, billed monthly" (Kikoff FAQ, as of 10/29/2026)
- Renewal
- Renewal terms after 12 months: not published in Kikoff's FAQ (checked 10/29/2026); check before signing up.
- Fees
- Kikoff's FAQ says "no interest, late fees, or other sneaky fees." Your bank may charge overdraft or insufficient-funds fees (Kikoff, 10/29/2026)
- How it reports
- Monthly (Kikoff's FAQ gives both start and end of month); can take up to 6 weeks to show.
- Bureaus
- Equifax, Experian and TransUnion (Kikoff FAQ, 10/29/2026)
- Cancel
- "You are always welcome to cancel your Kikoff account at any time" (Kikoff FAQ, 10/29/2026). How to cancel: not published in Kikoff's FAQ (checked 10/29/2026).
Self
- Plan
- Credit Builder Account (a loan held in a CD, paid back monthly)
- Price
- Prices, APR and admin fee: see Self's pricing page (checked 10/29/2026).
- Fees
- The admin fee is non-refundable, "even if you change your mind and close the account" (Self, 10/29/2026).
- How it reports
- At least once a month, starting after your first successful payment; payments aren't reported late until 30 days past due (Self, 10/29/2026)
- Bureaus
- Equifax, Experian and TransUnion (Self, 10/29/2026)
- Cancel
- You can "cancel your account at any time, as long as you haven't accrued any late fees you need to pay off first" (Self). You get back the principal you've paid, minus interest; the admin fee isn't refunded (Self). Payout generally up to 3 weeks after closing (Self)
We aren't paid for these links.
Terms change. Check each provider's site before you sign up. General information, not financial advice.
Guides in this section
Credit-Builder Loans and Secured Cards: How They Work
How credit-builder loans and secured credit cards work, what they cost, how payments get reported, and the risks to weigh first, per the CFPB.
Free Ways to Check Your Credit Report and Credit Score
How to get free credit reports from AnnualCreditReport.com, how often, other free reports under federal law, and where to find a free credit score, per the FTC and CFPB.
How Credit Monitoring Works and What It Costs: Free vs. Paid, Bureaus and Cancelling
What credit monitoring does and doesn't do, free and paid options, which bureaus are covered, identity theft insurance terms and how to cancel, with sources and dates.
How to Dispute Credit Report Errors With the Bureaus for Free
How to dispute a mistake on your Equifax, Experian or TransUnion credit report for free, what to include, what happens next, and when to contact the lender.
IdentityIQ Review: Secure Preferred+ Price, Features and How to Cancel
What IdentityIQ Secure Preferred+ includes, what it costs after the $1 trial, how to cancel, pros and cons, and the free options to try first.
Is Paid Credit Monitoring Worth It? Free Options First, Then One Paid Pick
Free ways to watch your credit (weekly reports, freezes, fraud alerts) and when a paid service like IdentityIQ might be worth the monthly fee.
What Is a Good Credit Score? FICO and VantageScore Ranges
What counts as a good credit score on the FICO and VantageScore 300-850 scales, what the score ranges mean, and which factors FICO says matter most.
Sources
- Free Credit Reports, Federal Trade Commission (accessed October 30, 2026)
General information only; not financial, legal or tax advice. Moneysilk is not a lender and does not make credit decisions. Read our editorial standards and corrections policy.