TransUnion’s TrueCredit.com Mortgage Simulator First to Assess Personal Credit Information

Further empowering consumers to understand their finances and manage their own credit health, TransUnion’s TrueCredit.com

announces its Mortgage Simulator. Available online now, Mortgage Simulator is distinguished from other marketplace offerings by its inclusion of a user’s most up-to-date credit information as part of its personalized loan rate analysis.

“You can save real money on your mortgage when you know the interest rate that you actually deserve to receive,” said Lucy Duni, Director of Consumer Education for TransUnion’s www.TrueCredit.com. “By using your current credit information in its analysis, our Mortgage Simulator can help you view yourself the way a lender will, which really empowers you as a loan applicant.”

For $9.95, Mortgage Simulator delivers a listing of mortgage rates for which an applicant should qualify, based on a nationwide survey of rates from the Heitman Group. Rates are continuously updated so users can check back to see if their rates have changed. Also included is a “What If” tool designed to help users determine how changing various factors — such as improving a current credit score or debt-to-income ratio can improve borrowing power. “When you understand how your financial standing today can impact what you’ll be paying for years to come, it can be a real motivator toward taking steps in the right direction,” added Duni.

Since 1999, TransUnion’s www.TrueCredit.com has helped millions of consumers manage their own credit health. Through a suite of educational materials, free monthly newsletters and easy-to-use products, the company helps consumers understand personal credit management and empowers them to achieve greater financial well-being. www.TrueCredit.com’s online products include credit reports, credit and insurance scores, credit monitoring, debt management tools and identity theft insurance services. www.TrueCredit.com is the direct-to-consumer arm of Chicago-based TransUnion Interactive, a subsidiary of TransUnion, a global leader in credit and information management. Manage your credit. Manage your life.(SM) www.truecredit.com

For more information or to schedule an interview with Lucy Duni, contact Steven Katz, TransUnion, at 312.985.2373 (skatz@transunion.com) or Zachary Hastings Hooper, The Rosen Group, at 202.862.4355 (zachary@rosengrouppr.com).

TransUnion

CONTACT: Steven Katz of TransUnion, +1-312-985-2373,

skatz@transunion.com; or Zachary Hastings Hooper of The Rosen Group,

+1-202-862-4355, zachary@rosengrouppr.com

Web site: http://www.transunion.com/

http://www.truecredit.com

With the economy reeling and home loan

rates at a nine-month high, lenders are scrutinizing individuals’ credit histories like never before.  According to Trend Data from TransUnion,mortgage loan delinquency (ratio of borrowers 60 or more days past due) reached a national average high of 3.23 percent for the first three months of 2008.  Many consumers don’t realize the impact of late payments on their credit score and thus, their finances.  A consumer’s capacity to effectively manage credit can be hindered by common misconceptions.  To assist consumers,

TransUnion’s TrueCredit.com addresses seven credit myths that may inhibit consumers from truly understanding how credit relates to their bottom line.

“Being knowledgeable about your credit standing is becoming increasingly more important by the day,” says Lucy Duni, vice president of TransUnion’s

TrueCredit.com.  “Businesses, ranging from insurance companies to wireless

providers and some employers, are now reviewing consumer credit information as

a routine part of their application processes.”

When it comes to credit, knowing fact from fiction and understanding how

to act is critical.  Following are common credit myths that may be preventing

consumers from engaging in effective credit management.

Myth: My score will drop if I check my credit.

Fact: Checking your own reports and scores is considered a “soft inquiry”

and has no negative impact on your credit score.

Myth: Reviewing any one of my three credit reports occasionally will tell

me everything I need to know about my credit standing.

Fact: Actually, occasional monitoring will give an incomplete snapshot of

your credit standing. You should, instead, check all three of your credit

reports and scores frequently throughout the year because the information and

scores contained in each of those reports can vary at any given point in time.

TrueCredit.com offers 3-Bureau Credit Monitoring, providing access to your

information when you want and even alerts you when something critical has

changed.

Myth: There’s only one score that all lenders use to determine my

credit-worthiness.

Fact: There are literally hundreds of different scoring models used by

lenders in the marketplace today. To see where you stand from a lender’s

perspective, scores can be purchased online, but it’s important to select a

service that provides summaries that are easy to understand.

Myth: Closing old credit card accounts will clean up your credit reports.

Fact: Some people advocate closing old and inactive accounts as a way to

manage their credit. In most cases, closing your older accounts will make your

credit history appear shorter, which can negatively impact your overall credit

standing.

Myth: Once you pay off a delinquent loan or credit card balance, the item

is removed from your credit report.

Fact: Negative information such as late payments, collection accounts and

bankruptcies will remain on your credit reports for up to seven years. Certain

types of bankruptcies stick around for up to 10 years. Paying off the

delinquent account won’t remove it from your credit report, but it will update

the account to indicate it as “paid.”

Myth: If I don’t pay a medical bill on time because I believe it is

incorrect, I can’t be held accountable.

Fact: If you fail to pay a medical bill in a timely manner, the delinquent

payment may be reported as late to a credit bureau. If you believe a medical

bill you have received is wrong or was sent to you in error, it’s best to

contact the provider to resolve or discuss the matter prior to the bill

becoming past due.

Myth: The “credit bureaus” report people as having either good or bad

credit.

Fact: Credit reporting companies compile information that is provided

directly and voluntarily by consumer lenders. If you have a credit card, home

or auto loan, or make other monthly payments, details of your payment track

record on these are likely being reported by those parties.

For more details about credit myths, visit TrueCredit.com

About TrueCredit.com

Since 1999, TransUnion’s TrueCredit.com has helped millions of consumers

manage their own credit health. Through a suite of educational materials, free

monthly newsletters and easy-to-use products, the company helps consumers

understand personal credit management and empowers them to achieve greater

financial well-being.  TrueCredit.com’s online products include credit

reports, credit and insurance scores, credit monitoring, debt management tools

and identity theft insurance services.  TrueCredit.com is the direct-to-

consumer arm of Chicago-based TransUnion Interactive, a subsidiary of

TransUnion, a global leader in credit and information management.  Manage your

credit. Manage your life(SM).  http://www.truecredit.com

TransUnion’s Trend Data database

The source of the underlying data used for this analysis is TransUnion’s

Trend Data, a one-of-a-kind database consisting of 27 million anonymous

consumer records randomly sampled every quarter from TransUnion’s national

consumer credit database. Each record contains more than 200 credit variables

that illustrate consumer credit usage and performance. Since 1992, TransUnion

has been aggregating this information at the county, Metropolitan Statistical

Area (MSA), state and national levels.

SOURCE  TrueCredit.com

Steven Katz of TrueCredit.com, +1-312-985-2373, skatz@transunion.com, or Aimee

Eichelberger, +1-312-568-7324, aeichelberger@c-k.com, for TrueCredit.com