How to Get a Husband's Bad Debt Off the Wife's Credit Report

The number one cause of marital strife in the United States is financial difficulty, according to experts at Divorce.com. Not communicating with your spouse regarding money, debt and spending can cause big problems in a marriage. It is important to be up front about finances and expectations regarding spending, credit and finances before getting married. When a couple marries, they do not take on each other's existing bad debt. Each person retains a separate credit rating. However, when jointly financing a home, car or applying for credit, both scores come into play. While it's impossible to simply remove a bad credit score from your credit report, it is possible to improve your situation. Getting bad debt off a joint credit report requires planning and the commitment of both spouses to improve credit scores.

Instructions

1

Obtain a current credit report for both spouses. Most creditors use a combination of three reports: TransUnion, Equifax and Experien. Several sites offer a free report from one or all of these credit bureaus. Apply for a report either via mail, phone or online.

2

Sit down together and go over the credit reports. Check to see if there are any inaccurate charges on the report. Make a notation beside any reports that you believe to be incorrect.

3

Locate contacts for any companies that have listed incorrect or inaccurate charges on your credit report. Contact each company by phone and ask what their procedure is for disputing a charge on the credit report. Most companies have a form you must fill out, or will ask you to write a detailed letter explaining the problem. Fill out forms and write letters as indicated. Note that it can take months for these companies to respond.

4

Contact the local credit bureau upon receipt of a favorable dispute letter and notify them of the decision. You will probably have to provide the letter from the company in question, stating that they have removed the bad debt from the credit report. You may have to check back several times to ensure the debt is off the credit report.

5

Start working on the bad debt in the meantime. Contact creditors and attempt to make payment arrangements. Note that bad debt paid off over time improves a credit report faster than making one large pay-off payment.

6

Pay off the bad debt on time as arranged with each creditor. While this is a long process, paying on time, over time is the best way to remove the bad debt from the credit rating.

7

Contact the creditor as each bad debt is paid off and ask for a letter stating the debt has been satisfactorily paid. Ask the company to remove the bad debt from your credit report. Ask how long this process usually takes, as it varies from company to company. Repeat Step 4, checking with the credit bureau to ensure the bad debt has been removed from the report.

8

Organize each creditor in file folders as you work through the process. Staying organized as you work to improve credit will save you time and help you find necessary documents at a moment's notice.