Free Credit Monitoring Service

If you received a car loan, opened a department store credit card or took out a student loan in the past 21 years, you may qualify for free credit monitoring services from TransUnion.

The free service is part of a settlement, TransUnion reached on a class-action lawsuit.

Under terms of the settlement, you may be eligible for the free service if you had an open line of credit from January 1987 until May 2008. The free credit monitoring service will give you unlimited access to your credit report.

Officials say there are two kinds of service. Under basic service, you will get six months of credit monitoring service and you will also be able to apply for a cash payment from the settlement fund. Under enhanced service, you will get nine months of credit monitoring services, plus a mortgage simulator service. If you select this option, you will not be eligible for a cash payment.

The deal ends a class-action lawsuit that was filed after TransUnion sold customer information in the form of marketing lists to other businesses. The company says it discontinued that practice in 2001. TransUnion denied any wrongdoing.

For more information go to www.listclassaction.com. You can also call the TransUnion settlement number at (866) 416-3470.