How do I get my name off my wife's CC accounts?

[Anonymous]

My wife (bless her) put my names on some of her credit cards, thinking it would be nice, not understanding that the balances that she carries will affect my credit score. I don't use these cards at all, and I don't think I ever had to sign anything to get my name on the account. (Could that be true - is it all that easy?)

Anyway, how do I get my name off of the account so that my credit score can rise? There is no sense in it hurting both of our scores, right? Does the company have to get her permission? Can I just call them?

Thanks!

[cobaltnv]

Based on how you were added I assume you are an AU and not joint. Removing an AU is usually very easy. For some companies you could call and ask to be removed, for others the primary account holder must be the one to call. If after a couple of months the accounts still show up on your credit report you may dispute as not yours.

If you are joint then everything changes. It is very hard, and sometimes not possible, to remove a joint holder without closing the account. However, to be a joint user you should have had to sign something.

Good Luck. 

[Anonymous]

Thankfully I am an AU, not joint. So if they agree, will all of the card's history, etc... be expunged, or how do you think it will show? Thanks!

[cobaltnv]

When you are removed from a card as an AU the entire tradeline disappears. At least it is supposed to, there have been some reports of AU accounts staying on for months/years. If the accounts continue to report you can dispute as not mine and they will be removed. 

[PayingTheBills]

Once you are removed as an AU, the accounts will disappear entirely, as thought they were never there.  You will get rid of any negative history, but also lose any postive history from these accounts.

[haulingthescoreup]

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cobaltnv wrote:
When you are removed from a card as an AU the entire tradeline disappears. At least it is supposed to, there have been some reports of AU accounts staying on for months/years. If the accounts continue to report you can dispute as not mine and they will be removed. 

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American Express is the bank that keeps hanging on to my family members' reports. They want me to pull (and pay for!) an EX report for both of them, so that AmEx can stop updating.

Excuse me??

[Anonymous]

I was listed as AU on ex's Barclay card. I asked for my name to be removed over a year ago and it never was. I didn't actively persue it until recently when I got all my own cc's and a loan paid off---can't hurt me util wise now. When I called Barclay last week I found out my name isn't on his card anymore, it just hasn't been removed from the CBs. Over a year---thankfully his account is in good standing. I consider myself fortunate especially considering the current economic status.

I assumed, as I'm sure a lot of others have, that once removed from the card itself it would come off the reports. I've already started the dispute process to have them removed.

I guess I won't be able to know if experian removes or not--or do they have to acknowledge the change to me?

[cobaltnv]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I was listed as AU on ex's Barclay card. I asked for my name to be removed over a year ago and it never was. I didn't actively persue it until recently when I got all my own cc's and a loan paid off---can't hurt me util wise now. When I called Barclay last week I found out my name isn't on his card anymore, it just hasn't been removed from the CBs. Over a year---thankfully his account is in good standing. I consider myself fortunate especially considering the current economic status.

I assumed, as I'm sure a lot of others have, that once removed from the card itself it would come off the reports. I've already started the dispute process to have them removed.

I guess I won't be able to know if experian removes or not--or do they have to acknowledge the change to me?

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You will (should) receive a notification of the resolution of the dispute.  

Even if they do not send any notification you will be able to see if EX removes the account--they have stopped letting us see our Fico Score, but they have not stopped our ability to see our actual report. 

[Anonymous]

gotcha & thanks for clearing that up for me