Investments in Affiliated Companies

Investments in affiliated companies represent our investment in non-consolidated domestic and foreign entities. These entities are in businesses similar to ours, such as credit reporting, credit scoring and credit monitoring services. These investments are included in other assets on the balance sheet.

We use the equity method to account for investments in affiliates where we have at least a 20% ownership interest or where we are able to exercise significant influence. For these investments, we adjust the carrying value for our proportionate share of the affiliates’ earnings, losses and distributions, as well as for purchases and sales of our ownership interest.

We use the cost method to account for all other nonmarketable investments. For these investments, we adjust the carrying value for purchases and sales of our ownership interests.

For all investments, we adjust the carrying value if we determine that an other-than-temporary impairment in value has occurred. There were no impairments of investments in affiliated companies taken in the three months ended March 31, 2014 or 2013.

Investments in affiliated companies consisted of the following:



(in millions)	March 31, 2014		December 31, 2013
Total equity method investments	$	124.8	$	84.5
Total cost method investments	7.9		7.9
Total investments in affiliated companies	$	132.7	$	92.4

Our equity method investments increased during the first quarter of 2014 primarily as a result of our increased ownership interest in CIBIL as discussed in Note 5.

Earnings from equity method investments, which are included in other income, and dividends received from equity method investments consisted of the following:



(in millions)	Three Months Ended March 31, 2014		Three Months Ended March 31, 2013
Earnings from equity method investments	$	3.6	$	3.2
Dividends received from equity method investments	$	0.3	$	0.1

Under SEC Regulation S-X, Rule 4-08(g), our investments in TransUnion de Mexico, S.A. and CIBIL are considered significant equity method investments. The summarized financial information for the significant equity method investments required by SEC Regulation S-X, Rule 1-02(bb)(2) consisted of the following:



(in millions)	Three Months Ended March 31, 2014		Three Months Ended March 31, 2013
Revenue	$	23.6	$	21.2
Operating Income	$	12.1	$	9.8
Net income	$	9.2	$	8.6