TransUnion settlement: who gets $100 and how to claim more

What the TransUnion settlement is about

The case is Brooks v. Trans Union LLC, No. 2:22-cv-00048-KSM, in federal court in Philadelphia (the Eastern District of Pennsylvania) before Judge Karen Spencer Marston. William Norman Brooks, III sued in January 2022. He says TransUnion broke the Fair Credit Reporting Act by selling credit reports that put a bankruptcy remark on an account even though the same report showed no bankruptcy in its public-record section.

A mark like that can pull a score down or cost someone a loan, which is why the claim form asks about score drops and credit denials. TransUnion denies any wrongdoing, and the court has not ruled against it. The sides reached a deal in principle on March 5, 2026, and the judge granted preliminary approval on July 6, 2026.

The deal creates an $8.31 million fund. It also requires TransUnion to keep procedures in place for five years that stop bankruptcy references from reaching third parties unless a bankruptcy is on the public record or otherwise shown in its files. Final approval is still pending.

Who qualifies for the TransUnion settlement

You're in the class if TransUnion sold a consumer report about you to a third party between January 6, 2020 and January 31, 2023 that carried a bankruptcy remark on an account but no bankruptcy reference in its public-record section, and there is no government-held record of you filing for bankruptcy in the ten years before that report. You need a U.S. or U.S.-territory address.

TransUnion's files identified roughly 57,000 people, and the court sorted them into two groups:

• No Bankruptcy Group (about 21,000): a search matched by Social Security number found no bankruptcy record at all.
• Aged Bankruptcy Group (about 36,000): the only bankruptcy found was filed more than ten years before the report.

Your notice tells you which group you're in and carries your Claim Number and PIN. The court ordered notices out by August 31, 2026, by email or mail. If you think you're covered but never got one, the official site says to call the administrator at (888) 279-4003. Our guide to claim IDs and notice IDs explains what those codes do.

How much you could get from the TransUnion settlement

The headline is $8.31 million, but your share depends on your group. The No Bankruptcy Group gets a flat $100 automatically; about $2,100,000 of the fund is set aside for those payments. Anyone in either group who files a valid claim then shares a separate pool of about $2,882,000.

That pool is split by points. A valid No Bankruptcy Group claim counts for three points and a valid Aged Bankruptcy Group claim counts for one. Your cut of the pool is your points divided by everyone's points, so the more people file, the less each point is worth. The $1,000 and $350 figures are estimates built from typical claim rates, and the notice warns the real amounts may be lower or higher.

The judge also has to rule on class counsel's request for up to $2,770,000 in fees and up to $308,000 in expenses, plus up to $50,000 for the plaintiff. Those come out of the fund too.

How to file a TransUnion settlement claim

Filing directly with the administrator is free. If you're in the No Bankruptcy Group, you don't have to file to receive the $100. You do need a claim for the larger payment, and Aged Bankruptcy Group members must file to be paid at all. You submit the claim yourself on the official site.

1. Find your notice (email or mail). It shows your group, your Claim Number and your PIN.
2. Open the Claim Form page on the official site, BrooksBankruptcyClassAction.com, and enter the Claim Number and PIN exactly as printed.
3. Read the certification before you sign. The paper form has you swear that you did not file for bankruptcy in the ten years before the report request date, and check at least one box: your TransUnion score dropped because of the bankruptcy information, or you were denied credit and that information was one reason.
4. Set up an electronic payment if you want one (otherwise a paper check is mailed) and update your mailing address if it changed.
5. Submit before October 30, 2026. Prefer paper? Print the claim form from the site's Documents page and mail it to Brooks v. Trans Union, LLC, c/o Settlement Administrator, P.O. Box 16, West Point, PA 19486, postmarked by October 30, 2026.

TransUnion settlement key dates

The deadlines that matter all land on the same day: October 30, 2026 for claims, exclusions and objections. Mailed items must be postmarked by then. After that, the judge decides at the final approval hearing whether the deal is fair. You don't have to attend, and nothing is paid until the court signs off and any appeal ends.

Is the TransUnion settlement legit?

Yes. It's a court-supervised class settlement, and the official site is BrooksBankruptcyClassAction.com. The judge's July 6, 2026 order names Continental DataLogix as administrator, approves the notice and sets the dates above. You can match the case number, 2:22-cv-00048-KSM, against the court docket.

The online form opens with your personal Claim Number and PIN, and the paper form asks only for contact details, a sworn statement and a signature. Nobody legitimate asks you to pay a fee, a "tax" or an "unlock charge" to receive settlement money. If a message rushes you or points to a different website, go to the official address yourself. Our guide to class action settlement scams lists the red flags.

One boundary to know: this settlement is only about bankruptcy remarks on credit reports. It doesn't cover other TransUnion cases.

What happens after you file

After October 30 the administrator reviews claims, and the judge holds the December 2 hearing. If the settlement is approved and nobody appeals, payments go out by electronic transfer or check. No date is set, and appeals can take a while; see how long settlement checks usually take.

Cash a check promptly, because uncashed checks become void after 60 days. If money is left over and everyone who cashed a check could get at least $10 more, there is a second round. Anything beyond that goes to two consumer-credit nonprofits, never back to TransUnion.

Opt out, object or do nothing

Doing nothing is a real choice. The No Bankruptcy Group still gets the $100, but everyone who stays in the class gives up the right to sue TransUnion over bankruptcy remarks on tradelines. Opting out by October 30 means no money and keeps that right (here's how to opt out), and you can't both object and opt out. Whether the money is taxable depends on what it replaces; read whether you pay taxes on settlement money.

Owed finds the settlements you may qualify for, explains them in plain English, opens the official claim form, reminds you before deadlines and tracks each claim to payout. You submit the claim yourself. Owed Pro is $2 for the first week, then $49 per year — one flat membership. Owed never takes a percentage of any payout. Take the eligibility quiz or browse other open settlements.

This is general information, not legal advice. Owed isn't a law firm or the settlement administrator, and the court and administrator decide who qualifies and how much they receive. You can also check Owed's TransUnion settlement page for the latest deadline.

Glossary

Bankruptcy remark

A note on a credit account indicating the debt was part of a bankruptcy. The lawsuit says TransUnion sold reports with these notes but no matching public record.

Tradeline

A single account on a credit report, such as a credit card, auto loan or mortgage.

Fair Credit Reporting Act

The federal law that requires credit bureaus to use reasonable procedures to keep reports accurate. The suit says TransUnion fell short.

Pro rata points

The method used to split the claims pool: a valid No Bankruptcy Group claim earns three points, an Aged Bankruptcy Group claim earns one.

Final approval hearing

The court date at which the judge decides whether a settlement is fair, reasonable and adequate. Here it is set for December 2, 2026.

Cy pres

A rule for leftover money: instead of returning it to the company, the court sends it to nonprofits with related missions.

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