Credit Report Reviews & Comparison

Editor's Note:

There are currently no special offers for Transunion, but this doesn't detract from the fact that they are both competitively and fairly priced.

Summary

Transunion are one of the three major credit bureaus that lenders, employers and even credit report companies everywhere have access to. They provide your credit scores and reports to everyone who needs to be in the know, so why not go to them directly? They offer you exclusive features and packages that you simply won't find anywhere else on the market as a result of their standing in the credit report world, and they are the only provider to offer you both FICO and VantageScores in addition to the standard TransUnion credit score. You can rest assured that you are getting the most comprehensive, current and accurate reports for a mere $17.95 per month.

Overview of Pricing

In such a competitive credit monitoring market where your financial information and safety are paramount, why not choose one of the three most trusted providers there is to give you exactly what you need? Almost everyone who has access to your personal and financial data in order to calculate your creditworthiness uses Transunion; and now they are offering you the exact same services, and even more, directly. With exclusive trusted software and prime features extended to you personally at competitive prices, why would you go anywhere else? For $1 you will receive a free Credit Score and a 7 day trial and monthly membership fees are a very reasonable $17.95 after that.

Do you know how important it is to keep an eye on your credit scores and credit reports? Have you heard the hype surrounding credit monitoring services? Well many people have and as a result the demand in the credit report industry has gone through the roof! When it comes to finding the right credit score and credit report services for you going with the industry giants may seem like the best idea around, but do the big boys really know what they're doing when it comes to monitoring your important personal and financial information? Let's take a look at Transunion and the services that they offer you to see whether or not those in the know are actually in the know.

Credit Monitoring, Reports and Scores

Because Transunion are one of the three major credit bureaus (one of the ones that all of the other credit report companies work from!) they are able to offer you some exclusive features and deals that you are unlikely to find anywhere else. When you create an account online you can begin to view and monitor your personal TransUnion credit report and score. If you decide to enrol in TransUnion's monthly services, which include a credit monitoring service, you will be able to view specific alerts that are associated with your credit scores, as and when they are taken from all three major credit reporting agencies- Equifax®, Experian® and TransUnion®.

TransUnion offers both FICO and VantageScores in addition to its own TransUnion credit score and as these are the most commonly used financial software's by lenders it's not often that individuals and credit report companies alike have access to them.

Unlike every other major competitor in the industry, TransUnion offers unique tools and services that are custom made specifically for business owners, too. Whether you own a small business or a large corporation they offer you your company credit scores and credit reports respectively. You will have access to marketing tools, consumer credit data, fraud protection and debt collection tools that are similar to the standard consumer features, but they are custom built and tailored to suit your businesses needs.

Identity Theft Protection and Tools

TransUnion has some of the most comprehensive credit monitoring tools available in the industry to help you to both track and manage your finances. The TransUnion Plus Money Manager allows you to track your credit score over periods of time and will automatically send you alerts when any changes are made to your financial accounts.

It also allows you to gain access to your credit score from VantageScore and gives you the capacity to update it twice a month. This feature will give you a more accurate idea your credit score as it is seen by lenders and whether or not it is fluctuating. Summaries of your overall debts and credit limits are also on hand and you can easily file a dispute regarding any financial discrepancies that may appear on your credit score, with the three major credit agencies.

Unlike every other major competitor in the industry TransUnion offers unique tools and services that are custom made specifically for business owners, too. Whether you own a small business or a large corporation they offer you your company credit scores and credit reports respectively. You will have access to marketing tools, consumer credit data, fraud protection and debt collection tools that are similar to the standard consumer features, but they are custom built and tailored to suit your businesses needs.

Other Features & Highlights

Transunion also offers these extra features and highlights:

• Email and text notifications
• Identity Theft Protection
• Monthly credit statement management for businesses
• Unlimited access to your TransUnion credit report and score.
• TransUnion monitoring
• FICO monitoring
• ID Theft Insurance
• Marketing services, fraud and identify management, risk management and collections management for businesses

TransUnion also employs the Fraud Victim Assistance Department (FVAD) to assist consumers with fraud and identity theft issues. They can help you identify potential fraud and issue a security freeze if necessary. They can also help you learn how to protect your children from identity theft.

Pricing Issues

You can get a free credit score and a credit report for $1, as is standard for all credit report companies, and you will be automatically enrolled into a 7 day credit monitoring trial program which costs $17.95 per month to continue. You won't be charged if you cancel this service during the trial period. This is a little on the high side, but if you consider all of the tools and features, it's reasonable if it fits your specific needs.

To Sign Up

To sign up all you need to do is provide your basic information, create your account and then verify your identity. It's pretty quick and no more invasive than other credit report company sign-ups, and then you are ready to go ahead and get your scores and reports.

How is the Customer Service?

For help and customer support from Transunion you might need to go around the houses. You need to click a multitude of links from the 'contact us' page just to gain access to the phone number and address. On the up side, there are different contact phone numbers for each individual need, i.e. fraud alerts, credit score inquiries and credit report dispute claims. They boast an extremely helpful customer service team and an extensive FAQ section too.

Overall

Transunion certainly do have a comprehensive and unique amount of tools and services that you simply can't find anywhere else. If you take aside the fact that TransUnion don't promote exactly what they do on their website (which can be extremely off putting for customers who have not read reviews such as this), they have an impressive track record for giving customers what they need. Putting the safety of your personal and financial information in their hands is probably a much more sensible idea than putting it in the hands of some of their competitors, but make sure to search around before you commit to anything.