Bank of America checking accounts do not include credit monitoring as a standard feature

Bank of America does not offer credit monitoring through its standard checking accounts. If you hold a Basic Checking, Advantage Checking, or Premium Checking account, you will not receive credit score tracking, credit report access, or fraud alerts tied to your account.

Bank of America does offer a separate product called MyAdvisor Credit Monitoring, but this is a standalone service you must enroll in separately—it is not bundled with any checking account tier. The service costs money and is not included in your monthly account fees, even if you maintain a high balance or pay a monthly maintenance fee.

If credit monitoring matters to you, you have two paths: pay for Bank of America's standalone service, or use free credit monitoring from other sources that do not require a Bank of America account at all.

Key Takeaways

  • Bank of America checking accounts—Basic, Advantage, and Premium—do not come with credit monitoring of any kind.
  • MyAdvisor Credit Monitoring is a separate paid product you must enroll in on your own; it is not part of your checking account.
  • Many banks and credit card issuers offer free credit monitoring to their customers, but Bank of America does not include this with checking.
  • You can access free credit reports and credit scores from sources outside your bank, such as the three major credit bureaus or third-party monitoring sites.

What Bank of America checking accounts actually include

Bank of America's three checking tiers—Basic, Advantage, and Premium—focus on transaction features and fee waivers, not credit services. Basic Checking gives you a debit card and online banking. Advantage Checking adds higher interest rates on balances above a certain threshold and waives certain fees if you meet a monthly direct deposit requirement. Premium Checking is designed for customers with larger balances and offers higher interest rates and additional fee waivers.

None of these accounts mention credit monitoring in their feature lists. Bank of America does not use credit monitoring as a competitive tool for checking accounts the way some other banks do. If you want credit monitoring from Bank of America, you are purchasing a separate service, not receiving a perk of your checking account.

How Bank of America's MyAdvisor Credit Monitoring works

MyAdvisor Credit Monitoring is Bank of America's standalone credit monitoring product. It tracks your credit file at the three major bureaus—Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion—and alerts you to changes like new accounts, inquiries, or address changes. The service also provides your credit score and shows you factors that affect it.

This service requires a separate enrollment and a monthly or annual fee. Bank of America does not disclose the exact cost on its public website; you must contact the bank or log into your account to see current pricing. The service is optional and separate from your checking account relationship, meaning you can have a checking account without it and can cancel it without affecting your account.

Free credit monitoring alternatives that do not require Bank of America

You do not need to pay Bank of America or any bank for credit monitoring. The three major credit bureaus—Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion—are required by federal law to give you a free credit report once per year at AnnualCreditReport.com. You can stagger these reports throughout the year to monitor your file regularly at no cost.

Many credit card issuers include free credit score tracking and monitoring alerts with their cards, regardless of whether you bank with them. Discover, Capital One, and American Express all offer free credit score access to cardholders. Some employers and insurance companies also bundle free credit monitoring into their benefits packages, so check what you may already have access to through work or existing policies.

Third-party sites like Credit Karma and Credit Sesame offer free credit monitoring and score tracking without requiring a bank account. These services make money through advertising and referrals, not subscription fees, so the monitoring itself is genuinely free. They track changes to your credit file and send alerts, much like a paid service would.

Why banks differ on credit monitoring bundling

Some banks include credit monitoring with checking accounts; others charge for it separately; still others offer it only to premium customers or credit card holders. Bank of America's choice to keep credit monitoring separate reflects a business decision to monetize it as its own product rather than use it as a checking account incentive.

Smaller regional banks and some online banks have taken the opposite approach, bundling free credit monitoring into checking accounts to compete on total value. If credit monitoring is important to you and you are comparing banks, this difference is worth noting—but it is not a reason to stay with or leave Bank of America if your checking account otherwise meets your needs.

How to check what you actually have with your Bank of America account

Log into your Bank of America online account or mobile app and look at your account features and benefits. The checking account summary will list what is included—debit card, online bill pay, mobile deposit, and any fee waivers you may have access to for. Credit monitoring will not appear on this list because it is not part of the account.

If you have enrolled in MyAdvisor Credit Monitoring separately in the past, you will see it listed under a different section of your account, usually labeled "Services" or "Products." If you do not see it there, you are not currently subscribed to it.

What to do if you want credit monitoring

Start with the free option: pull your annual credit reports from AnnualCreditReport.com and check them for errors or fraud. This costs nothing and takes about 15 minutes per bureau. If you want ongoing monitoring between annual reports, use a free third-party service like Credit Karma or check whether your credit card issuer already provides score tracking.

If you decide you want paid monitoring from Bank of America specifically, log into your account and search for MyAdvisor Credit Monitoring, or call Bank of America at 1-800-432-1000 to ask about enrollment and current pricing. Compare the cost to what you would pay for monitoring through other banks or standalone services before you commit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I get credit monitoring if I have a Bank of America credit card?

Credit card benefits vary by card type. Some Bank of America credit cards include credit score tracking or monitoring, but this is separate from checking account benefits. Check your specific card's benefits guide or log into your credit card account to see what is included. Checking account holders do not automatically receive credit card benefits.

Can I get a free credit score from Bank of America?

Bank of America does not provide free credit scores through checking accounts. If you enroll in MyAdvisor Credit Monitoring, you will see your score, but that service costs money. Free credit scores are available from your credit card issuer, Credit Karma, or directly from the credit bureaus.

What happens if I find fraud on my credit report?

Contact the credit bureau that reported the fraudulent account or inquiry directly—do not rely on your bank to handle it. File a dispute with the bureau in writing or through their online portal. You can also file a report with the Federal Trade Commission at IdentityTheft.gov. Bank of America's credit monitoring service (if you have it) will alert you to changes, but it does not resolve fraud for you.

Is MyAdvisor Credit Monitoring worth paying for?

That depends on what you need. If you already have free monitoring through a credit card or employer, or if you are comfortable checking your annual free reports, paid monitoring may be unnecessary. If you want continuous monitoring and alerts and do not have it elsewhere, MyAdvisor may be worth the cost—but compare it to other paid services first.