What Is a TransUnion Event?

A TransUnion event is any entry that appears on your TransUnion credit report, ranging from a new account opening to a change in payment status, and it can influence your credit score and the credit offers you see.

For example, a hard inquiry from a mortgage application may knock a few points off your score for up to 12 months; a delinquency that moves to collections can stay on the report for seven years and pull your score down significantly; a loan you pay off in full may boost your score after the event ages; and a fraud alert or address update shows up on the report without affecting the score.

You'll see these items in the 'recent activity' section discussed later in the FCRA‑based guidelines, and you'll learn where to locate them on your report in the next section.

You find a TransUnion event by logging into your TransUnion report and looking at the detailed account listings that follow the summary page. The report breaks down every creditor, public record, collection and inquiry, so the event appears right next to the corresponding entry.

Each line shows the event type, date and current status; a missed payment lives under the creditor's row, a foreclosure or bankruptcy shows up in the Public Records block, and a new credit pull appears in the Inquiries section (see the earlier 'what a TransUnion event means for you' for impact basics and the next '5 common TransUnion events you'll see' for examples). TransUnion credit report overview

You'll typically see five types of TransUnion events on your report.

• New credit account opened - shows the lender, account number, opening date, and initial credit limit.
• Hard credit inquiry - records a lender's request to view your credit for a loan, mortgage, or credit‑card application; it may affect your score for up to two years.
• Late payment reported - marks a missed payment of 30 days or more; the severity (30, 60, 90 days) influences how much it can lower your score.
• Account closed - indicates that you or the creditor closed an existing credit line, which can change your overall credit utilization.
• Public record entry - captures bankruptcies, tax liens, or civil judgments; these remain on your TransUnion report for up to ten years.

A TransUnion event can cause your credit score to rise, dip, or stay flat depending on the event's type and timing. A hard inquiry from a new credit card, for example, may lower your score by a few points for up to 12 months, while a newly reported on‑time payment can lift it within a billing cycle. Conversely, a delinquency or charge‑off can drag the score down substantially and remain on your TransUnion report for seven years under the FCRA.

Lenders weigh each TransUnion event differently, so the same event can affect scores across credit models in varied ways. A rent‑payment report added to your file might boost a FICO 9 score but have little impact on a VantageScore 4.0. Understanding these nuances helps you predict how a single entry will ripple through your overall rating, a topic we'll explore further in the next section on how lenders use TransUnion events to judge you. Learn more about how credit events shape scores

Lenders scan every TransUnion event on your credit report to gauge risk, set interest rates, and decide whether to approve credit.

• Event type matters - A hard credit‑card application, a missed mortgage payment, or a bankruptcy each signals a different level of risk.
• Recency drives impact - Recent events (within the last 12 months) weigh heavier than older ones that are still on the report.
• Severity influences pricing - A 30‑day late payment may raise your APR modestly, while a charge‑off can push rates to the top of the scale or trigger a denial.
• Pattern recognition - Multiple late payments across accounts suggest a chronic problem; a single isolated event may be viewed as a blip.
• Contextual factors - Lenders compare the event to your overall credit mix, utilization, and income to decide if the risk is manageable.

Knowing how lenders interpret these signals prepares you for the next section on how long TransUnion events stay on your report.

TransUnion events remain on your TransUnion report for a set period defined by the Fair Credit Reporting Act, so you can plan when they will drop off.

• Late payment, collection, charge‑off, or repossession: up to 7 years from the date of first delinquency
• Hard inquiry (a type of TransUnion event): up to 2 years, but only the most recent 12 months affect scores
• Public record such as bankruptcy: up to 10 years from filing date
• Tax lien (if filed): up to 7 years after it is released or paid
• Positive account history (on‑time payments, credit‑limit increases): remain indefinitely as long as the account stays open
• Account closed in good standing: stays on the report for up to 10 years

For the official timeframes, see the Fair Credit Reporting Act guidelines.

A wrong TransUnion event can be corrected or removed by filing a dispute directly with TransUnion.

1. Pull your latest TransUnion report and locate the inaccurate event. Note the account number, date, and description exactly as shown.
2. Collect proof that the event is incorrect - payment records, bank statements, or a letter from the creditor.
3. File the dispute within 30 days of receiving the report. Use TransUnion's online portal, call 1‑800‑916‑8800, or mail a certified‑mail letter that includes: your name and address, report date, a clear statement of the error, why it's wrong, and copies of supporting documents.
4. TransUnion must investigate and respond within 30 days (45 days if you submit additional information). If they cannot verify the event, they must delete it from your credit report.
5. Review the result. If the event remains and you still disagree, add a brief statement of dispute to the item on your report and consider contacting the furnisher directly or escalating to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. For step‑by‑step guidance, see the FCRA dispute guide.

You have a legal right to dispute any inaccurate TransUnion event within 60 days of receiving your TransUnion report, and TransUnion must investigate that dispute within 30 days.

When you file, you can: • submit the dispute online, by phone, or in writing, • receive a written acknowledgement and a copy of any new or corrected TransUnion report, • add a brief consumer statement that will appear on future reports, • request a free copy of the updated report after the investigation closes.

If the investigation verifies the event, TransUnion must supply the source of the information and give you 5 business days to request a free copy; if it finds an error, the event must be corrected or removed, and the updated report is sent to you within 5 days. These rights flow from the Fair Credit Reporting Act and give you leverage to keep your credit file accurate, setting the stage for the alert tools we discuss next.

TransUnion lets you create alerts straight from your online account; once you log in, enable email or text notifications and TransUnion will ping you whenever a new TransUnion event appears on your TransUnion report.

If you prefer a third‑party watchdog, the credit‑monitoring service from The Credit People also offers instant alerts for any changes, including new accounts, late payments or inquiries.

Fine‑tune the settings to receive only the event types that matter to you, set the delivery frequency you like, and act quickly on each alert to verify its accuracy or dispute it if needed.

Make sure the spelling on your Equifax credit report matches the exact accented characters, hyphens, and transliteration shown on your government ID.

Definition

Accents are diacritical marks (é, ñ, ü) that change a letter's pronunciation. Hyphens connect two name parts (Jean‑Luc, Mary‑Anne). Transliteration is the conversion of a non‑Latin script into the Latin alphabet (李 Wei becomes Li Wei). Equifax requires the name on your file to mirror what appears on the documents you submit in a dispute.

Examples

• Your passport lists 'José Martínez‑García.' If the report shows 'Jose Martinez Garcia,' file a dispute and attach the passport that displays the accent on the 'é,' the hyphen, and the second surname.
• Your driver's license shows 'Ana‑Maria López.' The report omits the hyphen and accent ('Ana Maria Lopez'). Include the license to correct both.
• Your naturalization certificate transliterates '김민수' as 'Kim Min‑Su.' If the report records 'Kim Minsoo,' attach the certificate to add the hyphen and correct spacing.

After you supply the appropriate ID, the next section explains when a court order or name‑change certificate may be required to complete the correction.

The below content will be converted to HTML following it's exact instructions:

• Data‑breach alerts that add a TransUnion event before any fraudulent account opens.
• Duplicate loan entries that inflate your debt count on the TransUnion report.
• Mis‑tagged public records, such as a nonexistent tax lien, that stay up to seven years.
• Settlement amounts reported higher than the negotiated payoff, skewing utilization.
• Reopened accounts listed as new TransUnion events, resetting the account age.
• Medical collections marked as pending even after they are removed, lingering on the report.
• Unknown‑account entries from identity theft that persist until you file a fraud alert.