TransUnion is second oldest credit bureau in the United States. It originated in 1968 as part of the rail industry as a leasing company for railcars. The Chicago-based Corporation came into the world of consumer credit and finance with the 1969 acquisition of the local Credit Bureau of Cook County (CBCC). With the acquisition of CBCC, TransUnion led the way to modernizing the way in which information was reported. They automated the process from old-fashioned card files kept to filing cabinets to the then state-of-the-art method of tape-to-disc transfer. They were also the first credit bureau to establish a way to store and obtain information online.
TransUnion Annual Reports
Like the two other major credit bureaus, TransUnion offers its credit services information to lenders. They also provide access to consumer credit reports directly via the government’s AnnualCreditReport.com website and through their own website (TransUnion.com). TransUnion considers the following factors when generating the TransUnion annual report:
- Your history of payments (if you have been on time or late)
- If you have outstanding debt (they recommend that you have balances under 35 percent of your credit limit)
- Your credit account history (generally, the more established you are, the more attractive you are to a lender)
- If you have had any recent inquires on your credit (every time a lender checks your credit score, it shows as what’s known as a hard inquiry, which can cause a drop in your scores)
- The types of credit you have (a mixture of credit card accounts and loans typically indicates healthy credit)
TransUnion Credit Scores
TransUnion’s credit score range starts at a lower number than the FICO Score range – Experian’s scoring begins at 300 and extends to 900. Additionally, the TransUnion credit score model interprets a good credit score as what some credit bureaus consider an excellent credit score. This is very important to keep in mind when you are looking for a loan. Each lender has different requirements and use different scoring models to determine your creditworthiness, so you should check with the lender first before they request your credit information. This will give you time to freely obtain your TransUnion credit score on your own and also to make any necessary improvements to your credit report, like removing negative items to better your score.
How To Get Your TransUnion Credit Score
If you want to obtain your credit report from TransUnion, you can obtain your free TransUnion annual report from the www.AnnualCreditReport.com website or directly from TransUnion on their website (please note that if you obtain the TransUnion annual report from their site, it is under the terms of a free trial use of their services). You can also call AmONE toll-free at 1-800-809-1107 to speak with one of our trained financial search specialists. Our financial search specialists can help you obtain your TransUnion annual report, teach you, free of charge, how to understand your credit score, and also walk you through the process of improving your credit scores, if needed. If you prefer, you can use our free service by entering in your information on our simple credit solutions form to be matched instantly with the right credit solution for you.
