ANCHOR LEAD IN:
IT'S NO SECRET THAT HOW WE USE OUR PERSONAL CREDIT CARDS AFFECTS OUR CREDIT RATING. BUT WHAT ABOUT IF YOU USE A CORPORATE CREDIT CARD?
DOES IT COUNT, TOO? IN TODAY'S HEADS UP _____ EXPLAINS WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW IN ORDER TO KEEP
YOUR CREDIT CLEAN.

TRACK ONE Length: 05
WHEN ACCOUNTANT TROY MERKEL TRAVELS FOR BUSINESS, HE'S SURE TO PACK HIS COPORATE CREDIT CARD.

SOT
KEY @ : 07 Troy Merkel, Has Corporate Credit Card
"It's easier to track, it's all on one bill, and the company sees what expenses are related to our travel."

TRACK TWO Length: 10
HE PAYS THE BILL AND GETS REIMBURSED BY HIS COMPANY. HE KEEPS A CLOSE EYE ON THE DUE DATE. WHY? HE ALMOST GOT BURNED AT AN OLD JOB WHEN THE BILL WENT UNPAID AND THE LENDER CAME AFTER HIM.

SOT
KEY @ : 21 Troy Merkel, Has Corporate Credit Card
"And they informed me that this is linked to your credit, so it's important that you get the card reimbursed and the payment made."

TRACK THREE Length: 11
CORPORATE CARDS CAN WORK A COUPLE WAYS… SOMETIMES YOU PAY THE BILL, LIKE TROY. OTHER TIMES, THE COMPANY SETTLES THE DEBT DIRECTLY.EITHER WAY, IF YOUR NAME'S ON THE CARD, YOUR CREDIT IS LIKELY ATTACHED.

SOT
KEY @ : 39 Lucy Duni, TransUnion
"If it's paid on time, it can positively impact your credit. But if it's paid late, it can have a negative impact on your credit score."

TRACK FOUR Length: 12
LUCY DUNI (DOO-KNEE) IS WITH THE CREDIT BUREAU TRANSUNION. SHE SAYS MANY EMPLOYEES DON'T REALIZE WHEN THE CORPORATE CARD IS OVERDUE THEIR PERSONAL CREDIT SCORE MAY TAKE A NOSE DIVE. THAT CAN HAVE LOTS OF CONSEQUENCES.

SOT
KEY @: 1:00 Lucy Duni, TransUnion
"Credit is used to make all types of decisions about you from buying a home, buying a car, obtaining insurance."

TRACK FIVE Length: 09
AND IT'S NOT JUST YOUR CREDIT YOU HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT… LATE PAYMENTS CAN MEAN COSTLY LATE FEES THAT YOU MIGHT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR. AND, YOUR PERSONAL CARDS CAN BE AFFECTED.

SOT
NO KEY
"If you miss a payment, the impact could be a bump in the interest rate."

TRACK SIX Length: 06
TROY SAYS HIS SITUATION WAS RESOLVED WITHOUT ANY BLACK MARKS ON HIS CREDIT…AND NOW, HE WATCHES THE CALENDAR CAREFULLY.

SOT
NO KEY
"I try to make sure to file my expense report as timely as possible right when I get back from the trip, and I check my credit about 3 times a year. And I make sure that my corporate card's in line.

ANCHOR TAG:
DUNI SAYS IF YOUR COMPANY IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PAYING DIRECTLY, IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO CHECK WITH THE THREE CREDIT REPORTING AGENCIES. THAT WAY YOU CAN FLAG ANY PROBLEMS WITH LATE PAYMENTS. SHE ADDS NOT ONLY SHOULD YOU TALK TO YOUR EMPLOYER ABOUT HOW THE CORPORATE CARD WORKS, YOU SHOULD ALSO READ THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS THAT COME WITH THE CARD … IT SHOULD SPELL OUT WHO IS LIABLE FOR THE PAYMENTS AND IF YOUR CREDIT WILL BE IMPACTED.

SOURCE INFORMATION
FOR CLIENT-STATION USE ONLY
The information provided below is for client-station use only. It is provided to help you obtain answers to any additional questions you may have and to help you localize a story. This private contact information, including phone numbers, addresses and email addresses, cannot be given to viewers nor posted on your Website. It is for internal station use only. Any exceptions to this will be clearly noted. Thank you.

Lucy Duni
TransUnion, Truecredit.com
PR Contact:
Steven Katz
312-985-2373

Duni is the Director of Consumer Education at TransUnion's
Truecredit.com. She has been with the credit bureau for eight years. She says most consumer don't realize that their corporate cards can be tied to their personal credit rating. Duni stresses that upon receiving a corporate card employees need to ask employers who is responsible for paying the card off each month.