Comments on: Can Your Spouse Hurt Your Credit Score? The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

By: kcook

kcook — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 19:21:56 +0000

If my name is on a loan i signed for my husband when we were married and now we are divorce and he has let the loan go over 60 days late on several occasions, how do i let the credit bureau know that this is his truck and his responsibility?

By: Jessica

Jessica — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 16:45:32 +0000

Tina, did you ever get anything straight with your situation? I am kind of in the same. My ex-husband also applied for a credit card app in my name while we were separated and now my wages are being garnished for this debt that he made. I was also told by a sheriff that there probably wasn’t anything I could do since we were still married at the time.

By: Tina

Tina — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 16:01:29 +0000

While going through my divorce I found out that my husband at the time had opened up a credit card under my SSN. I tried to go to the police about it and they told me that it was legal because we were mairried at the time that he opened up the card. He also told that because we were married that my husband could sign my name and it me legal too. That just doesn’t sound right to me. I am wonder 1) is it true and 2) were do I find that information out?

Thank you,

Tina Johnson

By: Ray

Ray — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 03:44:48 +0000

I have a credit card that has gone to collection. When I was married, my wife insisted she be added to the card. I acquiesced and had her added to the account. We are now divorced, and of course, the collection agency has been hounding her as well. Is it possible to make a formal request to have my ex-wife removed from the collection activity and the negative information removed from her credit so that I am only responsible for arrangement and payment? If so, what’s the verbiage I should use to communicate this to the collection agency? Thanks in advance for your assistance!

By: Fina

Fina — Thu, 14 May 2009 03:10:10 +0000

My finacee and I plan on getting married soon but I’m a little hesitate because I have bad credit and he has excellent credit. Is there a way to guard his credit so that when we do tie the knot it doesn’t effect his score?? Can you point me in the right direction

By: JWC

JWC — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 16:32:56 +0000

I owe a substantial amount on credit cards and am trying to pay it down. My wife has no idea that the balance is so high as the cards are in my name only and I make the payments. I am 69 years old and am concerned about passing this debt to my wife in case of death before I am able to pay it off. Would she be responsible even though she did not co sign for the cards? Practically all of our assets are in her name. Assuming that she would be liable, what do you think about a term life policy to cover the debt? I am in pretty good health and should have no trouble qualifying for at least a standard rate.

By: Marcia

Marcia — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:20:24 +0000

My question is: if my husband open a credit card and got me a credit card and that account how would that affect my credit score if I want to take my name off the account. I dont want the credit card.

By: Dan Ray

Dan Ray — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 15:06:25 +0000

Excellent piece. The governing law is the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, a law passed in 1974. It intent was noble — to help married women (particularly, those who are stay-at-home housewives) establish credit in their own names.

It requires creditors that provides information to credit bureaus to report payment activity for both spouses on joint credit accounts and on accounts where a spouse is an authorized user.

As you point out, the knife cuts on both sides. In a divorce, bad behavior by either party damages the other’s credit score.