Need to boost score with authorized user?

[Anonymous]

Need to get a boost on my score for student loan purposes. Right now I'm approved w/ a co-signer but don't have one as my parent's credit is shot. My credit is considered between fair and good. A good friend: if she adds me as an authorized user will it boost my credit score or make it go down? She has opened credit cards (unlike myself...I thought I was smart by paying for things in cash and now have little credit), and has huge limits, low balance. What kinda jump could I see with something like this, and do you think it would show up on transunion in the next few weeks?

[llecs]

If you are added, then you have to be certain that the CC balance is reported to less than 10% and that the account is free and clear of any lates or derog info. You also need to be certain the card's age is greater than your average credit history. If this card reports to all three, it may take up to 4-5 weeks to report.

IMO, this is a bad idea. All it takes is one late payment, a high balance, or a default to really mess things up for you.

I started repair last August with 0 CCs. Like you, I was cash only for years and years. Getting that first CC wasn't easy. BTW, you don't need high CLs for a high FICO score. I saw someone post with over an 800 score with less than $1k in total TLs.

Try for a secured. If your credit is between fair and good, then you should have a great shot at an unsecured card. All you need is that first one to report and the rest is gravy. Starting at 0, I got 7 new CCs within 4 months of that point.