Even business cards will require your SSN.

I use True Credit (from Trans Union) because I got a free year from my bank when they lost a hard drive or something that MIGHT have my information on it. It is coming in handy now since I've been playing the balance transfer game and want to make sure I stay on top of how my report looks.

Agree that fear is used to market these products, but fear is used to market many products. Apparently it works.

Most offer a free 30 day trial. If you are not worried about continuous monitoring, sign up for one and cancel after 30 days. A few months later, sign up for a different one and cancel. Rinse and repeat..... There are reports over at fatwallet that Privacy Matters will give you a $30 for a full year deal when you try to cancel.

I think true identity theft is rare, meaning someone actually opening many accounts as you. Simple credit card number theft is not a big deal as you are not liable and it can be cleared up quickly. I've had my bank and internet merchants notify me of suspicious activity long before it would even hit my bill, let alone credit report. If someone does "become you", they can do a lot of damage in a few months. Insurance policies may cover the cost in the long run, but if you go to apply for a mortgage and find out you owe $500K for stuff you never bought it is going to be a problem.