Does marriage effectively tie your credit with your spouse’s?
Gretchen K asked:
Let’s say two people are getting married. They both have good credit, hurray! The wife keeps her maiden name. They have separate checking accounts, credit cards, and have utilities, etc. in separate names. They currently do not own a home together.
Let’s say two people are getting married. They both have good credit, hurray! The wife keeps her maiden name. They have separate checking accounts, credit cards, and have utilities, etc. in separate names. They currently do not own a home together.
From here on out, are their credit histories totally tied? If someone runs a credit check on her, does it also bring up his credit report? Or are the two credit reports meshed into one?
And what happens if one of them starts to run up credit card debt? If the husband does this in his name with his own card, will his debt also affect the wife’s personal credit rating?
ASHLEY
September 11th, 2009 at 2:23 am
BOBBY
NO. Your credit stay separate. Your credit is your credit and his credit is his credit.
September 12th, 2009 at 9:52 pm
RAFAEL
Once they run credit together (one time) it will reference spouse SS# on their report after that. It doesn’t necessarily tie it together as in what’s on his will be on hers but their spouse ss# & name will be referenced on their credit file.
September 16th, 2009 at 7:44 am
MICHEL
Generally no. Although each credit report will reference the spouse’s SSN to allow a creditor or potential creditor the opportunity to look into the spouse’s credit history, the only time it matters is if the husband and wife are applying for joint credit.
September 16th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
GRANT
His debt will also be your debt after the day you get married.
My husband could buy a lexus and not pay it, and they will come after me.
September 18th, 2009 at 10:41 am
MAJOR
no, your credit is not tied. you would only be tied together on accounts that you hold jointly (ie joint credit cards, mortgages, car loans, etc). don’t listen to people that tell you that if your husband doesn’t pay on his own account that they can come after you. it’s absolutely not true. a lot of creditors will try to scare you with this logic, but know your rights and stand your ground.
this is why even when you get married, keep as many accounts singly held as possible. this way, much less hassle if you do split up. not saying that this will happen…but better to be safe than sorry.
September 18th, 2009 at 8:45 pm
LAZARO
Your credit technically is separate.
But in case of one person running up a mess, one would have a hard time declaring bankruptcy separately. The total household is taken in to account for income purposes, etc.