How to Improve Your Spouse's Credit by Adding Them to Your Credit Accounts

Does your spouse have a low credit score, or one that could use some improvement? If you have a line of credit in your name, your spouse can improve his credit by doing what is called "piggybacking" in the credit industry. Piggybacking is when you use your own good credit history to help another individual. All your spouse has to do is jump on your back and enjoy the ride to a higher credit score.

Instructions

1

Enter your spouse's name, Social Security number and contact information on your credit application as an authorized user or joint user. By entering your spouse as an authorized user, it means he is authorized to use your credit line but is not responsible for payments. If you add your spouse as a joint user, then both of you will be equally responsible for ensuring the bill gets paid on time. If you have already established a line of credit, contact your creditor and ask that your spouse be added to the account.

2

Refrain from giving your spouse access to your credit card if he is known to have poor spending habits. Although she is not using the credit card, her credit score will still benefit from your credit account.

3

Make purchases, as normal, with your credit accounts.

4

Submit your monthly payment on time in order to avoid late fees and negative items on your credit report. As you make your payments on time and handle your credit responsibly, your spouse's credit score will begin to increase, just as if the line of credit was solely his. This occurs because when your crediting company makes their report to the credit bureaus, your name and information along with your spouse's name and information are reported.

5

Avoid being careless with your credit line. If you are careless with your credit, it will negatively affect your spouse's credit since she is listed as a user on the account.