My husband doesn't care about credit

[Anonymous]

My husband has several

collection accounts & late payments because he doesn't keep track of bills and when they are due. He recently got dinged a late payment for a past due bill of a wopping $8.50! I just don't understand how to get through to him. His response: Credit is a scam and if you have money, you don't need credit. 

Unfortunately, he won't give me control of his finances or at least let me pay the bills so he doesn't get any new negative marks.

...so I've been secretly adding him as an authorized user on all my CCs & not forking over the cards, hoping that his score will get some type of boost so we can buy a house. Is it worth it or is his credit a lost cause? 

[tacpoly]

If he wants to buy a house as well and doesn't have the entire cost saved up, then he'll soon realize that whatever he thinks about credit, he will have no choice but to participate.  Sometimes you just have to let people learn a lesson when they're good and ready. 

Personally, I wouldn't attach my credit to anyone who shows that much disregard for theirs. 

[devineer1]

Be carefule because I am dealing with the same issue.. if he doesn't care enought to make a simple 8.50 payment then a lot of your efforts will be in vain!

[silkysean]

At some point you have to grow up and assume responsibility if your husband doesn't care enough to be responsible and realize it affects you both then at some point it affects you and family.My first wife was horrible with money and hide a lot of cards,debt,etc, and even used my good credit to get joint cards and I never knew all a spouse needs is birth date and social # and how much money is made and no matter what you are now both responsible.You have to make a very hard choice if talks won't help or he's not willing to change.Good luck 

[Anonymous]

Well, if he doesn't care about credit, then why does he even use it?  He can only abuse something so much before creditors cut him off completely.  Then, when he most needs it, it won't be there and frankly, that's the only time he'll actually learn, the hard way.  Let him.

Personally, I would just mitigate whatever effects his negligence has on you by removing yourself from joint accounts that hey "pays." 

[Anonymous]

It sounds like he may not realize other ways his poor credit choices may be impacting his life. For example he will pay more for insurance, get passed over for competitive jobs, and be required to put deposits down when setting things up like utilities, not to mention pay more in interest. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Ignoring your credit is like ignoring a twenty dollar bill on the ground. He might be fiscally fine not picking up the money, but to not do so is just lazy and dumb. 

I would make the argument that having good credit is worth far more than finding a 20$ bill on the ground every single month for the rest of your life, and I back this argument up by the fact that people pay more than that just to monitor their reports.

[Anonymous]

I think this is a relationship/compatibility issue and his lack of interest and understanding the importance of good credit masks bigger problems.

IF you jointly could qualify for a home, that may be an accident waiting to happen. IMO. 

[Kutuzov]

There are lots of people that don't care about credit until they need it. They do not have the concept that is build over time and can be ruined in a heartbeat. For example I had good credit now and a friend of mine does not. We work as contractors in the truck driving industry, we do mostly long hauls of 1500-2500 miles, pulling a refer big rig. We have to pay for fuel the company does provide a card call Comdata but you can only use it at a big chain truck stop. Thier price per gallon is now around 2.399, you can find cheaper fuel at $1.859 a gallon on average in non chain truck stops. When you pour 100-150 gallons a day, that's 45-70 dollars saving multiply it by 20 pumps a month is a lot of money. I add him as an AU on my fuel cc, and now he's interested in how credit works ... I still get a cut for him saving money from the rewards!!

[Anonymous]

Making him a AU on your cards won't help you buy a home. Late payments and collections will destroy his score. 100 good accounts won't make up for a couple of collections. You need to decide how you want to proceed, but a house purchased with a loan is unlikely.  

[Anonymous]

He said credit is a scam and why need credit if u have money?? So ask him does he have money to buy a house or car in cash