What's a TransUnion Sweep?

A TransUnion sweep is a formal pull of your credit file that creates an entry - called sweep results - on your report; depending on who initiates it, the sweep can be soft (no score impact) or hard (temporary score dip).

For example, a mortgage lender's hard sweep adds a hard inquiry, often nudging your score down 5‑10 points for a month and giving the lender detailed risk data. A utility company's soft sweep records a soft inquiry, leaves your score untouched, and simply confirms you meet basic payment criteria. A landlord's soft sweep adds a semantic inquiry that landlords review to decide lease eligibility, again without affecting your score. Each sweep result stays on your file for the standard reporting period and can shape the terms or approval decisions you receive.

TransUnion runs a sweep by pulling the latest data from its network of lenders, collection agencies, and public‑record sources, then updating each consumer's credit file and producing sweep results.

1. Data providers send daily feeds containing new accounts, payments, balances, and public‑record events.
2. TransUnion matches each feed record to a credit file using SSN, name, DOB, and address.
3. The system adds fresh tradelines, revises existing ones, and removes closed or obsolete entries.
4. A rules engine evaluates every change - identifying new credit, delinquencies, address updates, or fraud alerts.
5. Sweep results are written to the credit file and become available to lenders, landlords, and other authorized users.

For more detail, see the TransUnion sweep overview.

• TransUnion sweep pulls your full personal identification data - name, Social Security number, date of birth, and current and past addresses.
• It extracts every tradeline in your credit file, including credit cards, mortgages, auto loans, the date each opened, current balance, credit limit, and payment history.
• It captures all public‑record entries such as bankruptcies, tax liens, civil judgments, and repossessions.
• It records each inquiry listed on your file, both hard pulls from lenders and soft pulls from promotional checks.
• It adds any proprietary risk scores or flags that TransUnion generates from the above information for the sweep results.

TransUnion sweeps your credit file each time an authorized lender, landlord, or data furnisher initiates a pull, so the process runs continuously and can occur multiple times in a single day rather than on a set weekly or monthly schedule (as noted in the 'how TransUnion runs a sweep on your file' section); every request creates fresh sweep results that remain on your file until the next request updates them, a pattern explained in the CFPB overview of TransUnion sweeps.

Companies sweep your credit file to confirm who you are, protect against fraud, and meet legal obligations. The resulting sweep results shape the decisions of lenders, landlords, and other partners.

• A TransUnion sweep validates identity when you open a new account, preventing imposters from slipping through.
• A TransUnion sweep flags suspicious activity, allowing fraud teams to intervene before damage spreads.
• A TransUnion sweep supplies risk models with up‑to‑date data, enabling lenders to price credit accurately.
• A TransUnion sweep satisfies regulations such as Know‑Your‑Customer and the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
• A TransUnion sweep lets companies monitor portfolio health, spotting trends that could affect future underwriting.

Detecting a TransUnion sweep means comparing the latest version of your credit file with the previous one and spotting the changes that sweep results create.

1. Pull your current TransUnion report from TransUnion's official portal and keep a copy of last month's report. Side‑by‑side comparison reveals every alteration.
2. Scan the 'Accounts' section for status updates after the sweep date - e.g., 'Closed by creditor,' a zero balance on a revolving line, or a shift from 'Past due' to 'Current.' These are typical sweep outcomes.
3. Compare balance figures. A sudden drop to $0 or a reduction that matches the amount the sweep was meant to clear signals that the sweep was applied.
4. Review the 'Inquiries' list. New hard inquiries from lenders that you did not initiate may indicate a lender accessed your file after receiving sweep results, not a sweep entry itself.
5. Check the 'Public Records' and 'Collections' sections for any entries that disappeared or were marked 'Paid' after the sweep date. Removal of a collection is a common sweep effect.
6. Note the 'Date reported' stamps on each account. If the date lines up with the period when TransUnion runs its regular sweeps (see the 'how often TransUnion sweeps your file' section), the change likely stems from that sweep.
7. Look for a 'Remarks' or 'Comments' line attached to an account. TransUnion sometimes adds a note such as 'Updated per sweep' - this is the only explicit label you'll see.

Identifying these changes confirms a TransUnion sweep on your credit file and prepares you for the next step of understanding how the sweep can change your credit score.

TransUnion sweep changes your credit file only when it deletes or corrects an inaccurate negative entry. Removing a false delinquency, charge‑off, or collection can cause your score to rise after the next reporting cycle; if the sweep finds nothing to fix, your score stays unchanged because the sweep never adds new balances, delinquencies, or hard inquiries.

The size of the swing depends on what is removed. Deleting a charged‑off may lift a score by 30‑50 points, while correcting a single late payment might add 5‑10 points. These adjustments appear the next time a scoring model reads the updated sweep results, so the effect is not instantaneous. For a deeper look at how eliminating negative items moves scores, see how negative items affect credit scores. This sets the stage for the next section on how lenders and landlords interpret those results.

Lenders and landlords read your TransUnion sweep results to gauge recent credit activity and assess risk before extending credit or tenancy.

• Approve or deny a loan, mortgage, or rental application based on the sweep's presence and timing.
• Set interest rates, loan amounts, or credit limits; recent sweeps often signal higher risk, leading to higher rates or lower limits.
• Require a larger security deposit, co‑signer, or guarantor for a lease when sweep results suggest instability.
• Adjust lease length or rent amount; a recent sweep may trigger shorter leases or increased rent.
• Initiate deeper underwriting or additional background checks if sweep results raise red flags.

These actions directly follow the '5 reasons companies sweep your file' section and influence the steps you'll take in 'what to do immediately after a sweep.'

Check your TransUnion credit file for any new or altered entries right after a sweep.

1. Review the sweep results and compare each entry to your own records.
2. Identify items that you don't recognize or that appear inaccurate.
3. Gather supporting documents such as statements, letters, or payment confirmations for every disputed item.
4. Log in to TransUnion's online portal, flag the questionable entries, and upload your evidence.
5. Record the dispute reference number and schedule a follow‑up reminder for the 30‑day investigation deadline.

After filing, monitor your credit score and new inquiries; if the score drops unexpectedly, contact the creditor immediately to clarify the impact of the recent TransUnion sweep.

You dispute a TransUnion sweep error by filing a focused, documented challenge directly with TransUnion.

• Pull the latest credit report that lists the sweep results.
• Pinpoint the exact entry that is inaccurate.
• Collect supporting documents  -  payment confirmations, account statements, or letters from the creditor.
• Submit the dispute through the TransUnion dispute portal or by certified mail.
• Write a brief letter naming the sweep result, explaining why it's wrong, and attach copies of your proof.
• Keep the original documents, note the tracking number, and ask for a 30‑day investigation.
• When TransUnion responds, review the updated credit file; if the error remains, request a reconsideration or file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

After a successful dispute, monitor future sweeps to ensure the correction sticks.

Watch for a few uncommon glitches that can keep old negatives on your credit file despite a TransUnion sweep.

Typical red flags include:

• a charge‑off that still appears after the seven‑year reporting limit,
• a duplicate collection entry that resurfaces after the sweep,
• an account that a creditor marks as 'reopened' even though you paid it off and closed it,
• a late‑payment tag that was entered with the wrong date, resetting the aging clock,
• a merged file that pulls a previously removed record back onto your credit file.

If any of these show up in your sweep results, request a free copy of your credit report, verify the dates, and dispute the inaccurate entry through TransUnion's online portal how to dispute a credit report error.