Credit reporting company TransUnion announced plans to acquire Neustar, a Virginia-based company that offers real-time business information and analysis tools that help businesses find new customers and determine which ads should serve them.

Why should we care?
Analysts say the acquisition will allow TransUnion to move into digital marketing and enhance its fraud prevention capabilities through Neustar’s cybersecurity services. TransUnion, like other credit bureaus, sells credit reports to lenders to help them underwrite customers. But the company, aligned with moves of other credit-reporting firms, is on a mission to broaden the use cases for the data it processes, and has been making other (smaller) acquisitions to help it achieve this goal. “The credit information and analytics that TransUnion provides make trust possible between consumers and businesses. As digital commerce continues to grow globally, TransUnion’s powerful digital identity assets, enhanced by Neustar’s distinctive data and digital resolution capabilities, will enable safer and more personalized online experiences for consumers and businesses,” said Chris Cartwright, President and CEO of TransUnion, in a statement. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2021.