Trying to increase credit score with Authorized user Sears card

[Anonymous]

Im currently trying to increase my average of credit history and my mother has suggested adding me to her Sears charge card as an "Authorizes User" She has ALWAYS paid this credit account on time and thinks it would help me build a better history. The account was opened in 1976 and has a $2352.00 balance of $7,000 credit limit. The card is older than I am!! Will this help my credit score? I currently have about a 14 % utilization on $6,300 of available credit. Ive got a medical collection from 2013 bringing me down. Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated!!

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't do it. Because, keep in mind that her utilization is going to count with yours as well for the overall utilization.  You would want have an overall utlization between both cards as $1,197 which is less then 10%.

[Anonymous]

Not every lender also reports the previous payment history which is the only time that an AU is useful.

[rmduhon]

It can help, assuming that it is reported. In this case, 40 years of on time payments (which is either 30 or 35% of your score) plus age of accounts (15%) would outweigh the increased UTI. The only time you would need to worry about having 1 card reporting a balance of less than 9% of that card's limit is when you're ready to apply for new credit.

[RobertEG]

Plus, addition of an AU can have negative consequences in the future, even if it results in a numerical score increase.

Whenever you have an reported AU, that automatically means that your score no longer represents an evaluation of your personal history.

Propspective creditors will become aware, if they do a manual review, that your score is not based only on your own history, and have no way to "back out" the effect of the AU account(s).  Thus, they might question the value of your score in their decision making.

AUs are good when rebuilding, as many creditors dont do manual reviews when assessing lower amounts of new credit.

However, as you move up the ladder, manual reviews become more likely, and presence of an AU can bring into question the value of your score.

Some mortgage lendors will even request removal of any AU accounts as part of their underwriting process.

Whenever in doubt, I would recommend against adding an AU.

[Anonymous]

Everyone that posted above me has made some good points. I would personally give it a go. If for some reason it drops your score or if you are worried about a manual review, you can always request to be removed as an AU.

[Anonymous]

You don't say how young your profile is, or if there is some strong pressing objective, other than emotion to take such action.

Off the bat, I don't see a value proposition
You have established TL's on your own ( as mentioned AUs are great for jump starting a dead or non existent profile but once you're up n running, the value prop is less relevant)
Plus your utilization is less than half Mom's right now, she's over 30% and you're under 15%

Just so we're clear...IF the OP were starting out w/o accounts and wanted to just generate 'a' profile to just qualify for a quickie decision CC or something to establish an account or two
The age of Momma's​ account would offer a cushion a safety net against being denied

Same if the objective were to add CL cushion to help out in pinch towards an arbitrary score bump, which the OP doesn't need and can't really benefit from because at 14% the debt load is fine


But let's say a lot of debt was being carried and AU a clean TL with a huge almost unused CL could bring down the overall debt ratio, then it could make sense
Again, for a temporary moment to say qual for a better car loan or whatever...

These things are more so situational not Long Term fixes based upon what it sounds like the OP is looking for again I don't see how it'd be of material gain.

Your accounts just have to age, as they age..Earn your own wrinkles 😊 and the collection's​ negative value ages the reverse,the older it gets the less value