Contingencies |
3 Months Ended |
|---|---|
Mar. 31, 2026 | |
| Contingencies [Abstract] | |
| Contingencies Disclosure | Contingencies Legal and Regulatory Matters We are routinely named as defendants in, or parties to, various legal actions and proceedings relating to our current or past business operations. These actions generally assert claims for violations of federal or state credit reporting, consumer protection or privacy laws, or common law claims related to the unfair treatment of consumers, and may include claims for substantial or indeterminate compensatory or punitive damages, or injunctive relief, and may seek business practice changes. We believe that most of these claims are either without merit or we have valid defenses to the claims, and we vigorously defend these matters or seek non-monetary or small monetary settlements, if possible. However, due to the uncertainties inherent in litigation, we cannot predict the outcome of each claim in each instance. In the ordinary course of business, we also are subject to governmental and regulatory examinations, information-gathering requests, investigations and proceedings (both formal and informal), certain of which may result in adverse judgments, settlements, fines, penalties, injunctions or other relief. In connection with formal and informal investigations and inquiries by regulators, we sometimes receive civil investigative demands, requests, subpoenas and orders seeking documents, testimony, and other information in connection with various aspects of our activities. In view of the inherent unpredictability of legal and regulatory matters, particularly where the damages sought are substantial or indeterminate or when the proceedings or investigations are in the early stages, we cannot determine with any degree of certainty the timing or ultimate resolution of legal and regulatory matters or the eventual loss, fines or penalties, if any, that may result from such matters. We establish reserves for legal and regulatory matters when those matters present loss contingencies that are both probable and can be reasonably estimated. However, for certain of the matters, we are not able to reasonably estimate our exposure because damages or penalties have not been specified and (i) the proceedings are in early stages, (ii) there is uncertainty as to the likelihood of a class being certified or the ultimate size of the class, (iii) there is uncertainty as to the outcome of similar matters pending against our competitors, (iv) there are significant factual issues to be resolved, and/or (v) there are legal issues of a first impression being presented. The actual costs of resolving legal and regulatory matters, however, may be substantially higher than the amounts reserved for those matters, and an adverse outcome in certain of these matters could have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial statements in particular quarterly or annual periods. We accrue amounts for certain legal and regulatory matters for which losses were considered to be probable of occurring based on our best estimate of the most likely outcome. It is reasonably possible actual losses could be significantly different from our current estimates. In addition, there are some matters for which it is reasonably possible that a loss will occur, however, we cannot estimate a range of the potential losses for these matters. To reduce our exposure to an unexpected significant monetary award resulting from an adverse judicial decision, we maintain insurance that we believe is appropriate and adequate based on our historical experience. We regularly advise our insurance carriers of the claims, threatened or pending, against us in legal and regulatory matters and generally receive a reservation of rights letter from the carriers when such claims exceed applicable deductibles. We are not aware of any significant monetary claim that has been asserted against us, except for the pending matter with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (the “CFPB”) referenced below, that would not have some level of coverage by insurance after the relevant deductible, if any, is met. As of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, we have accrued $71.8 million and $62.2 million, respectively, for legal and regulatory matters. These amounts were recorded in other accrued liabilities in the Consolidated Balance Sheets and the associated expenses are recorded in selling, general and administrative expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Legal fees incurred in connection with ongoing litigation are considered period costs and are expensed as incurred. CFPB Matters In June 2021, we received a Notice and Opportunity to Respond and Advise (“NORA”) letter from the CFPB alleging that we failed to comply with and timely implement a consent order issued by the CFPB in January 2017 (the “2017 Consent Order”), and further alleging additional violations related to Consumer Interactive’s marketing practices. On April 12, 2022, the agency filed a lawsuit against us, Trans Union LLC, TransUnion Interactive, Inc. (collectively, the “TU Entities”) and the former President of Consumer Interactive, John Danaher, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. On February 28, 2025, the CFPB, the TU Entities and Mr. Danaher filed with the Court a joint stipulation to voluntarily dismiss the lawsuit with prejudice, and the Court dismissed the lawsuit on March 21, 2025. During the three months ended March 31, 2025, we adjusted the amount previously accrued for this matter of $56.0 million to zero, as the dismissal has rendered a loss no longer probable. In March 2024, we received a NORA letter from the CFPB, informing us that the CFPB’s Enforcement Division was considering whether to recommend that the CFPB take legal action against us related to our dispute handling practices and procedures. The NORA letter alleged that Trans Union LLC violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act’s requirements to conduct a reasonable reinvestigation of disputed information and follow reasonable procedures to assure maximum possible accuracy of the information in consumer reports, and the Consumer Financial Protection Act’s prohibition of unfair, deceptive, and abusive acts or practices. On July 12, 2024, the CFPB Enforcement Division advised us that it had obtained authority to pursue an enforcement action against us seeking specific injunctive relief provisions and civil money penalties. We were previously engaged in active discussions with the CFPB regarding this matter, including that our ability to make proposed changes to certain dispute handling processes is dependent on the participation of other consumer reporting agencies, data furnishers and industry participants. Given the recent changes in CFPB leadership, our engagement with the agency on this matter has paused. We cannot provide an estimate of when, or if, such engagement will resume. We further cannot provide assurance that the CFPB will not ultimately commence a lawsuit against us in this matter, nor are we able to predict the likely outcome of this matter.
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