Joint Account, Auth account, primary account. Does it matter?

[joeh05]

Do any of these things matter when it comes to fico scoring. For instance does it effect me any more or less that i am only a auth user on my wifes credit card instead of it being a joint account? Also she is an auth user on my credit card and its shows the account on her trans report but not the other. Why is this and can we get i fixed to where it is reporting on all? That is if it even helps to do so depending on the answer to the first question......

[guiness56]

Good questions.

As an AU you inherit everything about the account except you are not responsible for payment.  If the primary holder is late, it will show on your CR and drop your score.  If they are COd, again, it will drop your score.  If this would happen, you would have yourself removed as an AU.

Not all creditors report to all CRAs and there is nothing you can do about that.

To sum it up:  As long as the AU account is older than your oldest account, has very low utilization, and is in exceptional standing, it will definitely help your score.

[Anonymous]

Let me get this right, my future wife opening a Cap one card with a 3k limit, i did not provide my SSN nor did i give my info when she was approved, but because she added me as an authorized user, this will show on my CR?

[joeh05]

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@guiness56 wrote:

Good questions.

. 

Not all creditors report to all CRAs and there is nothing you can do about that.

What is weird about the situation is that the creditor is reporting on all three of my CR as i am the account holder, but only reporting on Tu for my wife as the auth user.  It is bank of america which reports to all three credit ag.

[guiness56]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Let me get this right, my future wife opening a Cap one card with a 3k limit, i did not provide my SSN nor did i give my info when she was approved, but because she added me as an authorized user, this will show on my CR?

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Yes, if they report AU accounts, it will be on your CR as an AU.

[guiness56]

I would have your wife contact BoA CCC and tell them they are reporting incorrectly. 

Your TL needs to say AU and hers as the account holder.