Why Did My TransUnion Credit Score Drop?

When your TransUnion credit score drops, the quickest way to diagnose the dip is to audit your TransUnion file for any recent changes.

1. Pull the latest TransUnion credit report (free yearly or via a paid service). Confirm that name, address, and Social Security number are correct; errors here may skew the score.
2. Scan the Payment History section for any new 30‑day‑late or worse marks within the last 6‑12 months. If you spot a late payment, see the next section 'find recent late payments on your TransUnion report.'
3. Review balances and credit limits. A sudden jump in your balance‑to‑limit ratio could have cut points; the following section 'check if a balance‑to‑limit spike cut your score' explains why.
4. Open the Inquiries tab. New hard inquiries you didn't authorize may have lowered the score; we discuss hard inquiries in the later section.
5. Look at the Collections/Charge‑off area. Any newly reported collection or sold debt could be responsible; see the dedicated section on collections.
6. Note any accounts shown as Closed or Paid‑off. Removing an old account can shorten average credit age, which we cover in 'paid‑off or closed accounts shortened your credit age.'
7. Verify that no public records (bankruptcy, lien, tax levy) appear unexpectedly. If one shows up, the section 'a new public record hit your file' will help you understand the impact.
8. Check for authorized‑user tradelines. Losing a tradeline may have dropped the score; the next part 'you lost an authorized‑user tradeline and score fell' expands on this.
9. Ensure the file contains only your own credit activity. Mixed‑file errors are examined in 'someone else's accounts mixed into your TransUnion file.'
10. If everything looks clean, remember that TransUnion can update its scoring model, which may shift your number; the final section 'TransUnion scoring model or update changed your number' covers that scenario.

Your TransUnion credit report lists every payment status, so you can spot any late marks that might have nudged your score down.

• Log into your TransUnion account or use the free annual TransUnion credit report portal; the dashboard shows the most recent report at a glance.
• Click the 'Payment History' section; rows are organized by account and date, making late entries easy to spot.
• Filter the view to the last 6‑12 months; recent late payments typically appear as '30‑day,' '60‑day,' or '90‑day' notations beside the creditor name.
• Note the exact date and amount owed when the payment missed its due date; this detail helps you assess the impact on your TransUnion credit score.
• Verify whether the late mark matches your records; occasional reporting errors can happen, especially if you paid on time but the creditor delayed reporting.
• If a discrepancy exists, use the 'Dispute' button on the line item to submit proof (bank statement, payment confirmation) directly to TransUnion.
• After the dispute resolves, re‑check the 'Score Summary' section to see if the correction lifted your TransUnion credit score.

compare the utilization shown on your TransUnion credit report with the figures from your last statement to see if the spike aligns with the drop.

• Log into your TransUnion portal and download the latest credit report.
• Find every revolving account; write down the current balance and the credit limit.
• Compute utilization for each line (balance ÷ limit × 100) and the overall total.
• Spot any account where utilization leapt above about 30 % since the prior month.
• Review recent large purchases, cash advances, or balance transfers that could have caused the jump, as explained in how credit utilization affects scores.
• If a spike appears, pay down the balance or ask for a limit increase; the TransUnion credit score typically rebounds after the next reporting cycle.

Hard inquiries from new credit could have lowered your TransUnion credit score, but the hit is usually modest - often five points or fewer, fades after twelve months, and disappears by twenty‑four months. If you opened a credit card or loan recently, the inquiry recorded on your TransUnion credit report may line up with the dip you're seeing.

Multiple inquiries for the same loan type within a short window count as one, so a single shopping spree rarely drags your score down dramatically. To confirm the timing, pull your TransUnion file and note the inquiry dates; if the drop coincides, the impact is likely from the hard pull.

If the dates don't line up, the next section on collections or sold debt may explain the change. For a deeper dive, see how hard inquiries affect credit scores.

A collection or sold debt that just appeared on your TransUnion file can knock points off your TransUnion credit score.

• The entry lists the collection agency, the original creditor (often removed after a sale), the balance, and the date it was reported.
• TransUnion's scoring models treat recent collections as high‑risk; a single 30‑day‑late collection can drop a score by 30 - 100 points, depending on overall profile.
• The account stays on your TransUnion credit report for up to seven years from the first delinquency date, even after you pay it.
• First, verify that the debt is yours; request the original creditor's proof of ownership. If the information is inaccurate, file a dispute through the consumer‑finance bureau's dispute portal.
• If the debt is valid, consider paying it off or negotiating a 'pay for delete' agreement; a paid‑off collection will still appear but its impact lessens over time.
• When a creditor sells the debt, the new owner reports it as a collection; the original creditor's name may disappear, but the negative effect on your score remains unchanged.

If you later settle the collection, the next section explains how paid‑off or closed accounts can shorten your credit age and affect your TransUnion credit score.

Paid‑off or closed accounts can shorten the average age of credit on your TransUnion credit report, which may cause your TransUnion credit score to dip.

When a long‑standing credit card or loan is paid in full and the lender closes the account, the months‑old line disappears from the age‑weighted calculation. The newer mix of younger accounts pulls the overall average down, and the scoring model often interprets a younger credit history as higher risk.

Review the 'average age of accounts' section of your TransUnion credit report to see if recent closures align with the score drop, and then move on to the next possible factor: a new public record such as bankruptcy or lien.

A new public record, such as a bankruptcy filing or a court‑issued lien, can appear on your TransUnion credit report and immediately pull your TransUnion credit score lower.

Bankruptcy typically stays on the TransUnion file for seven years; a Chapter 13 may reduce the score by 50‑100 points, while a Chapter 7 can cause a similar or larger drop. A tax lien or judgment also remains for seven years and can shave 30‑80 points depending on the amount owed. If the record was filed within the last 6‑12 months, the impact is strongest, then gradually softens over time. This mirrors the way collections (section 5) hurt your score, but public records usually carry more weight.

Conversely, losing an authorized‑user tradeline (section 8) often produces a smaller decline. For a deeper look at how public records affect credit, see Consumer Financial Protection Bureau guide on public records and credit scores.

Losing an authorized‑user tradeline can cause your TransUnion credit score to drop because the positive payment history, credit limit and age that the account added to your TransUnion file disappear. If the primary holder maintained on‑time payments and a high limit, your utilization ratio may rise and the average age of accounts may shrink, both of which can lower the score.

The decline may be amplified by other changes that occurred around the same time, such as a hard inquiry or a closed account discussed in the previous sections. Review your TransUnion credit report for the exact removal date, then consider adding the authorized user back or opening a new account to replace the lost credit history; both steps can help rebuild the score over the next few months. For more detail on why authorized users affect credit, see how authorized users boost credit.

Unfamiliar accounts on your TransUnion file could be someone else's information that was mistakenly merged with yours, and that mix‑up may lower your TransUnion credit score.

Common ways this happens are:

• data‑entry typo that links two consumers with similar names or Social Security numbers,
• shared residence that causes the credit bureau to attribute a roommate's revolving debt to you,
• reporting error where a creditor sends the same account to multiple bureaus but only TransUnion files it under the wrong consumer.

To clean it up, request a free copy of your TransUnion credit report, flag each erroneous line, and dispute it online or by certified mail; adding a fraud alert can also prevent further mix‑ups while the investigation proceeds.

Next, consider whether a recent change to the TransUnion scoring model could have altered the weight of the accounts that remain on your file.

A change in the TransUnion scoring model or a routine algorithm update can cause your TransUnion credit score to shift even when your TransUnion credit report shows no new activity, because the weight assigned to each factor may have been revised, a new version such as VantageScore 4.0 may have replaced an older one, or the lender‑specific scoring formula was tweaked; this could have lowered your number without any late payment, balance spike, or inquiry,

and you'll often see a different 'score version' label appear on the latest pull, so compare the current score to the one you saw a few months ago, note the version change, and remember that future updates may swing the score again as the model continues to evolve (TransUnion scoring model overview).