The credit bureaus continue to deny that they have done anything wrong under the law. Because of this disagreement, both sides reached a settlement which is fair and reasonable. Continued litigation would increase the legal costs for all parties, and there is no guarantee that the plaintiffs would be successful. The settlement represents a major achievement not only for class members but for consumers in general and for anyone who might have been harmed by the credit reporting practice in the future. Given these risks and costs of additional litigation and the benefits of the settlement, the parties have entered into an agreement.