Should I be an AU?

[MakingProgress]

My wife has an Elan Signature Visa with a 12K limit and the balance is PIF every month, usually before the statement cuts.  Should I become an AU on this account?

I am ready to start gardening waiting for the last of my baddies to drop off in Aug of 19.

I current have a Cap One Secured Card $500 CL, Reports $14.95 most months and always below 10%. /  Cap One QS $300 CL just opened and has not reported yet.  It will start reporting the 14.95 my secued card has been and the secured should report as zero going forward.

I am also an AU on a Lowes card with a $8400 limit. reports as zero almost all the time.

I have a car loan that is two years old with zero lates.

Will being added as an AU on my wifes card help / hurt / or have little effect on my scores?   Will it look good in the furture givng me a history of handling High CLs?

[Anonymous]

1) IMO you don't need another AU account
You have a healthy $8400 TL that generally stays at 0%
Along with the 2 Cap-1's that's the ideal 3 revolving TLs reporting + the car loan covers the 1 installer
You're fine.

2) A few points
a) No, you wouldn't or won't look GOOD regarding a history of handling a high CL ( 1st as an AU, you didn't "handle" anything, by definition an AU you were the responsible party, can't have it both ways 😎)
b) I won't belabor the mirror match idea of lender match CL it's an over sold idea

I will just say this...it doesn't matter if a young, unproven profile dumps 5k in a secured CC or gets added as an AU on a more established account
The criteria and UW for most institutions will only extend the CL they feel comfortable with based upon the total profile, they won't be 'fooled' into giving out big CLs and great terms just because

Yes, for lower level UW stuff like the 60 second approval CC's yeah the bar is low so an AU account helps get the 20 y.o. a nice starter card because the score comes back high
But let that kid try to get a car with his 705 credit

The more UW the deeper the look and that's where the low age of accounts stand out and AU accounts get ignored altogether because UWers can not give the AU juice for 'managing' an account that they are legally responsible for.

I hope that clears it up
Use the AU as a jump off but for one to build a thicker strong file you gotta be primary or joint for it to count.

[MakingProgress]

Thanks for the replay.  If it has no real positive effect then I don't see the point in becomming an AU.   I would have gone as an AU  on this card instead of Lowe's, but at the time we were looking at it there was about 60% usage and I didn't want the UTL.   It would me more convient to be on a general use card, but if we have some emergencey that we don't have the cash for then the UTL would go up and hurt my score.  Wiith the Lowes card it is very unlikely I would need to carry a balance.  I guess it is time to start gardening. 

[mitchblue]

There's another reason why it might make sense to become an AU.. In my own exampe, I live with my mom and she does most of the shopping so it made sense to get her as a AU on my BCP card.