Card Briefs: Equifax Buys the Rest Of Chile Credit Data Firm

Equifax Inc. said it increased its ownership of Dicom SA in Chile from 50% to 100%.

Dicom, like Equifax in the United States, provides credit information to card issuers in Chile, Peru, Columbia, and El Salvador.

Separately, Equifax said it acquired Foothill Collections Services Inc. of Sacramento, Calif. Foothill's employees will join Equifax Risk Management Services.

Also, the company said it has completed its acquisition of the HLS Financial Group Inc. of Houston from HHL Financial Services Inc. in New York.

HLS provides office management services to hospitals and other health- care providers. The company's 200 employees in Houston have become part of Equifax Risk Management Services.

Finally, Equifax said J.C. Penney Co. has extended a contract with Equifax for on-line access to credit data as well as customized credit scoring.

The new agreement extends and enhances a three-year deal that recently expired. Terms of the new deal were not disclosed.

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