When a couple gets married, what happens to their credit?

Not much. Huge amounts of credit card debt from funding your wedding and your honeymoon may harm your credit scores, but the act of getting married will not. Nothing automatically changes on your credit reports when you get married, so nothing should impact your credit scores. If you change your name after you are married and report this change to your creditors, you will see some updates to your existing credit reports. Along with your old name, your new name will be listed as an alias. You will not have to start from scratch with a new credit history. Your spouse’s past credit history has no impact on your credit profile. Only when you open a joint account will any information be shared on both of your credit reports. However, when you want to buy a home together, your spouse’s negative credit history could impact your mortgage rates. You should work together to improve your sweetheart’s credit if you are planning for a major purchase. Marriage doesn’t automatically make you an authorized user or co-signer on your spouse’s accounts.

Hey @ItalianPrincess1217 nice to see you again ;)

I don’t think it will affect the other person. My credit report is different than my husband’s credit report. But, make no mistake that if you buy things together, or have credit cards together once you get married, you are both equally responsible. So if your (I’ll use you, but I don’t mean you personally, I don’t even know if you are asking the question for yourself) spouse charges up $5,000 on credit cards that you both have together that debt is just as much yours as his; 100% of it.

@FutureMemory :) Glad to be back.

@Storms That info was very helpful. Luckily we already purchased our first home. And my fiancé has very good credit. I was worried that I might negetively impact his credit once we’re married. My score isn’t horrible, but not great either.

”If one person has bad credit, will it effect their spouse’s credit?”

Yes, especially if he has the bad credit and she takes his last name.

If you keep your accounts entirely separate, and there will be no co-mingling of funds….then NO. In the strictest sense, that means no card extensions for either one, no joint bank accounts, no co-signing of loans, no co-borrowing for mortgage.

njynjynjjobs is correct, butterman is not.

@Storms
I’m just a soul whose intentions are good. Oh Lord, please don’t let me be misunderstood.

@davidbetterman Yessir.