History of TransUnion in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: May 15, 2025

TransUnion is one of the three largest American credit reporting agencies, collecting and aggregating data on over a billion consumers globally, including nearly every credit-active consumer in the U.S. With headquarters in Chicago, Illinois, it serves over 65,000 businesses. While smaller than Experian and Equifax, TransUnion generated US$1.3 billion in revenue in 2014. The company plays a significant role in the financial industry by providing credit information used by lenders and other businesses to assess risk.

1968: TransUnion Formed

In 1968, TransUnion was originally formed as a holding company for Union Tank Car Company, making TransUnion a descendant of Standard Oil through Union Tank Car Company.

1981: The Marmon Group Acquired TransUnion

In 1981, The Marmon Group, a Chicago-based holding company, acquired TransUnion for approximately $688 million.

2003: Lawsuit Awarded to Judy Thomas

In 2003, Judy Thomas of Klamath Falls, Oregon, was awarded $5.3 million in a successful lawsuit against TransUnion because it took her six years to get TransUnion to remove incorrect information in her credit report.

2006: Sloan Files Suit Against Credit Agencies

In 2006, after spending two years trying to correct erroneous credit information that resulted from being a victim of identity theft, a fraud victim named Sloan filed suit against all three of the US's largest credit agencies, including TransUnion. TransUnion settled out of court for an undisclosed amount.

2010: Acquisition by Goldman Sachs and Advent International

In 2010, Goldman Sachs Capital Partners and Advent International acquired TransUnion from Madison Dearborn Partners.

September 2013: TransUnion Acquired eScan Data Systems

In September 2013, TransUnion acquired eScan Data Systems of Austin, Texas, to provide post-service eligibility determination support to hospitals and healthcare systems. The technology was integrated into TransUnion's ClearIQ platform.

October 2013: CreditVision Launched

In October 2013, TransUnion launched CreditVision, an updated credit score offering that includes trended data to help predict consumer repayment and debt behavior.

November 2013: TransUnion Acquired TLO LLC

In November 2013, TransUnion acquired TLO LLC, a company that leverages data in support of its investigative and risk management tools. Its TLOxp technology aggregates data sets and uses a proprietary algorithm to uncover relationships between data.

2014: TransUnion acquired TLO

In 2014, TransUnion acquired Hank Asher's data company TLO.

2014: ResidentCredit Service Initiated

In 2014, TransUnion initiated ResidentCredit, a service making it easier for property owners to report data about their tenants on a monthly basis, after an analysis found that reporting rental payment information to credit bureaus can positively affect credit scores.

March 2015: Settlement with New York Attorney-General

In March 2015, TransUnion, along with other credit reporting companies, Experian and Equifax, agreed to help consumers with errors and red flags on credit reports, following a settlement with the New York Attorney-General. Credit-reporting firms are required to use trained employees to respond when a consumer flags a mistake on their file.

June 25, 2015: TransUnion Becomes a Publicly Traded Company

On June 25, 2015, TransUnion became a publicly traded company for the first time, trading under the symbol TRU.

2015: TransUnion Acquired Trustev

In 2015, TransUnion acquired Trustev, a digital verification company specializing in online fraud, for $21 million, minus debts.

January 2017: TransUnion Fined by CFPB

In January 2017, TransUnion was fined $5.5 million and ordered to pay $17.6 million in restitution, along with Equifax, by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) for deceiving consumers about the usefulness and actual cost of credit scores and luring them into costly recurring payments for credit-related products with false promises.

June 2017: Jury Rules Against TransUnion

In June 2017, a California jury ruled against TransUnion with a $60 million verdict in the largest Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) verdict in history. The damages were awarded to consumers who were falsely reported on a government list of terrorists and other security threats.

October 2017: Website Redirecting to Malware

On 13 October 2017, the website for TransUnion's Central American division was reported to have been redirecting visitors to websites that attempted drive-by downloads of malware disguised as Adobe Flash updates.

2017: TransUnion Acquired FactorTrust

In 2017, TransUnion acquired FactorTrust, a consumer reporting agency specializing in alternative credit data.

April 2018: TransUnion to Buy CallCredit Information Group

In mid-April 2018, TransUnion announced it intended to buy UK-based CallCredit Information Group for $1.4 billion, subject to regulatory approval.

2018: Most complaints filed at CFPB

In 2018, credit bureaus had the most complaints of all companies filed with the CFPB by consumers, with 34% of all complaints directed at TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian that year.

September 2021: TransUnion Announced Acquisition of Neustar

In September 2021, TransUnion initially announced the acquisition of Neustar for $3.1 billion, which was completed in December 2021.

October 2021: TransUnion Announced Acquisition of Sontiq

In October 2021, TransUnion initially announced the acquisition of Sontiq, which included IdentityForce, for $638 million. The acquisition was completed in December 2021.

December 2021: TransUnion Completes Acquisitions of Neustar and Sontiq

In December 2021, TransUnion completed the acquisitions of Neustar, initially announced in September 2021 for $3.1 billion, and Sontiq which included IdentityForce, initially announced in October 2021 for $638 million.

March 2022: Data Breach at TransUnion South Africa

On 17 March 2022, TransUnion South Africa disclosed that hackers breached one of their servers and allegedly stole data of 54 million customers, demanding a ransom to not release it. The group N4ughtysecTU claims responsibility.

April 2022: CFPB said TransUnion is 'incapable of operating its businesses lawfully'

In April 2022, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) said TransUnion is "incapable of operating its businesses lawfully".

February 2023: Rebranding of B2B Products

In February 2023, TransUnion announced it was rebranding its "thousands of existing B2B products into seven business lines," including TruAudience, TruValidate, TruContact, TruVision, TruIQ, TruEmpower, and TruLookup.

January 2025: Buying a Majority Stake in its Mexican Arm

In January 2025, TransUnion was observed buying a majority stake in its Mexican arm in a deal worth around $560 million. TransUnion's stake in Trans Union de Mexico is said to be shot up around 94%, from a current 26%.