Credit Monitoring:  

One of the great things about this service is that it is offered directly from TransUnion. The data is straight from the horse’s mouth rather than filtered through a secondary service. This offers you unlimited access to your TransUnion credit report and score.

It doesn’t cost anything to get a copy of your TransUnion credit report. When you order the report you are automatically enrolled in the credit monitoring program, which costs $11.95 per month (this is the price to only monitor your TransUnion information). As long as you cancel this service during the initial 30-day trial period you will not be billed. We should probably reemphasize that this product only monitors your TransUnion information.

As with many other credit monitoring services, TransUnion will notify you by email of any changes to your report within 24 hours.

Identity Theft Prevention:  

TransUnion 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.

If you elect to have TransUnion monitor your credit report, they provide you with a $25,000 insurance policy (unless you are a resident of NY) that can be used to help you recover your identity.

TransUnion does not offer debt reduction services directly, but instead offers them through TrueCredit.com.

If you find inaccuracies in your TransUnion credit report you have the option to dispute them either online, or in writing via traditional mail. Dispute filed online are generally handled more quickly.

One nice thing about TransUnion is that they provide a lot of information about the dispute process. They don’t expect you to know exactly what needs to be included in the disputes and offer a service that allows you to quickly check on the status of your dispute.

If you have additional questions about how to dispute information on your TransUnion credit report, check out the Credit Dispute FAQ on their website.