Amex AU

[josie]

My aunt has an Amex from in the 70's. She is adding me as an AU. She has excellent credit, my question is she hardly uses it once a year when she travels will this hurt me or help me?

[dpechal]

From my understanding as long as the card stays in good standing you will be good to go!

[Crashem]

A established Amex helps less than an established visa if added as au. But getting in with Amex helps later. This is mostly around the fact on how Amex reports. Added as au on Amex will report a card on au credit report of this year assuming they never had Amex before. Visa would gain entire credit historyincluding original member date. Careful new xx08 fico scores discount au piggybacking. If you dont live together, there is a chance that fico xx08 will consider it piggybacking and ignore au trade line.

[josie]

Just pulled my reports for tu and eq. My aunts amex is an open card ( no credit limit) reports a balance of 713.00 also shows open may 2012. Is this hurting me?

[Anonymous]

---

@josie wrote:
Just pulled my reports for tu and eq. My aunts amex is an open card ( no credit limit) reports a balance of 713.00 also shows open may 2012. Is this hurting me?

---

Was the card opened in the '70s, or is it actually a new account?  Having a balance reporting with no other cards being reported on your reports could be hurting your scores. 

[josie]

M aunt card says member from 1978. She just added me as an AU in may 2012. I have other cards tu and eq has my utility at 44%.

[Crashem]

Sorry, what AMEX is this?  Also, if it is charge card (no limit showing), please see what the reported high limit is.

[Tonya-E]

@ Josie, how long did it take to show up on your credit report? I don't mean to hijack thread, I just added my hubby to my Amex and I wanted to know when it may appear up there. Thanks in advance!

[Anonymous]

---

@josie wrote:
M aunt card says member from 1978. She just added me as an AU in may 2012. I have other cards tu and eq has my utility at 44%.

---

Well it really isn't doing any good having the card since it's not reporting 1978.  Maybe the next step is to work on getting your reports to say 1978, too.  But you may want to wait a few months and send them an email requesting to backdate your member since date to 1978.   I added AUs to my AMEX card and they all have my member since date reporting on their credit reports.

[pizzadude]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

---

@josie wrote:
M aunt card says member from 1978. She just added me as an AU in may 2012. I have other cards tu and eq has my utility at 44%.

---

Well it really isn't doing any good having the card since it's not reporting 1978.  Maybe the next step is to work on getting your reports to say 1978, too.  But you may want to wait a few months and send them an email requesting to backdate your member since date to 1978. 

---

This is a YMMV situation, sometimes AMEX will not back an additional cardmember to the original cardmember's member since date.    You received your own member since date when you were added in May 2012 so that it what is being reported..