Authorized user..

put him on as authorized user only.

Then dispute his reports. Tell him to get a secured card from cap1 or something. And start reading this board.

To add someone as joint, they must qualify as you did, and quite frankly a 487 isn't going to cut it.

Your rates should not be affected by an authorized, but could be by "joint".

 

It won't affect your credit/interest rate if you get a joint card with him. Authorized users are not technically supposed to have these trades reported on their credit reports, but it happens all the time. To be sure to have it reported make him a joint user. If they won't let him on your card (for whatever reason) get a new card.

 

I beg to differ a little bit. I feel that if he is a joint user on your account it will affect your interest rates (with some banks, Citibank to name one). They did it to me and it was an individual account. I called for a rate reduction and I got it. Then AFTER peeking at my TU report, they raised it BACK UP and stated it was due to the negative information on there. So if they can see an individual account holder's information, I'm sure they can see a joint account holder's information. You're safest bet is to add him on as an authorized user. As far as the trade being reported on an authorized users report...why is it that *technically* it's not supposed to be reported? Is it because they are not legally responsible for the account? Elaborate please...I'm totally curious.

 

you don't need a ssn to post (positive/negative) info

just name and address.

 

MP$40,

You are right in that if you are late on one card, you might get interest rate increases on your other cards. However, in this situation, as long as her credit is fine, that shouldn't happen to her other cards, although, it might change the interest on this card. Her other credit card companies will only be pulling her credit. In my experience, though, I had a family member on a joint credit card (who had lousy credit) and it didn't affect this card or my other ones. Each bank is different, though, the scum bags.

Maybe the best solution is to open another credit card as joint just to get the credit. If she pays off the balance each month (and keeps the balance low enough to be able to do this) the interest rate won't matter.

The other suggestion offered in this thread for hubby to get a secured card is a winner as well as disputing the other trades.

 

As far as the authorized user being reported on the trade - it is not "legal" for the CRAs to do this if you are not responsible for the account. I know that, as has been pointed out here, they will try to do it, and lots of times they succeed. Since you are not responsible for the charges as an authorized user, you can't have this on your credit report. If you are able to prove it to the CRAs, they will remove it. Sometimes getting the proof is the sticky part. I've had lots of readers pull trades off of their credit report because they were only authorized users.

 

If it is not leagal for them to do this, then why do they have a code (either 'A' or 'U'???) for this? And why is an AU trade factored into your FICO then??? Some people argue that it's NOT but I suspect that it is.

 

My guess is that being authorized user does figure into the FICO score. I pulled my Beacon at the end of Sept. and the score was 688, yesterday the score was 670. I am a au on a Discvoer card and the primary user charged up to max limit with a big purhcase. So my debt ratio shot up.

Best regards,
Mirage

 

Well, according to my interpretation of the FCRA:

According to section 603 of the FCRA, the way I interpret it, only information on
credit issued to a consumer is allowed. If you are an authorized user, you do not fall under these categories, you are not responsible for the debt and did not receive credit. An authorized user doesn't have credit on this account and it's only the signor that is responsible. So, in essence, if an account on which you are an authorized user shows up on your report, it would be someone else's credit (the signor on the account). I've had lots of readers successfully challenge this to both the creditors and the bureaus and have accounts in which they were authorized users removed.

Here's the specific text:

An authorized user doesn't need to match any credit criteria, no continue to, so they should not be reported per section 603 . The fact that the credit bureaus have a code for this doesn't mean anything to me, you know how closely they follow the law. LOL!

 

Yes, the credit card companies will try and put you on the credit reports when you are only an authorized user, this is SO common!! It is tough to get a straight answer out of them if you ask them if you are a joint user or an authorized user - if you've ever tried, to do this, you will know what I mean. Sometimes they will even report you as joint when you are only an authorized user. This happens lots, too.

 

Thanks for the clarification Kristy!

I was successful in getting a trade on my report that was a chargeoff removed as well. My ex put me on as AU on his GM Card. When he gave me the card, I cut it up and never activated it. Then it appeard on my reports. I called the number on my report and they said, oh....don't worry about it.....it doesn't affect you. Well if it DOESN'T affect me, then why is it on there? That discussion when on for a long time to no avail. Junum got the account removed.

 

They have to share the same last night, huh? lol ;-)