First American Adds Credit Report Unit

First American Financial Corp., the largest U.S. real estate title insurer, bought Tele-Track Inc., a unit of Credit Acceptance Corp., for $20.5 million to expand its credit-information services.

Santa Ana-based First American’s consumer risk management group, which supplies car dealers, landlords, employers and loan and mortgage providers with credit histories, will add Tele-Track’s 19 million records to its database.

Atlanta-based Tele-Track provides information on individuals with poor credit histories, also known as subprime borrowers. First American said the purchase will make it less vulnerable to swings in the real estate market.

“Tele-Track has a very large database and is really not cyclical,” said Donald P. Kennedy, chairman of First American. “We’re trying to be less cyclical because it puts our stock in an unfair light.”

First American Financial has expanded its consumer risk management group over the past year through a series of acquisitions. The company in September bought CIC Inc., which checks credit and employment histories of job applicants. In October, it bought The Registry, which screens prospective tenants for landlords.

Tele-Track President Dana Webster will continue to manage the company.

First American Financial shares closed Tuesday at $17.63, off 6 cents. Credit Acceptance rose 25 cents to $6.25.