Authorized user

[pisspoorcredit]

Me and my DH are collectively building our credit. I have more baddies on my credit, while he has more positive ones. I have just been added to his credit card, and in a couple of weeks I am opening a secured card(one with no hard credit pull), then adding him as an AU. You just have to be an AU with someone you trust. If you're using the card, make sure you send direct payment to CC...that way you know their getting the money you use. But if you cant trust that the balance is going down or card holder isn't making pymts then you may need to remove yourself from that situation.

[CreditDunce]

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@Anonymous wrote:
I am an authorized user on someone else's acct. they pay on time but I don't use the card. Is the balance on this acct. hurting my score?  Can/should I have myself removed as an AU?

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It depends.  The first step is the CCC must report AU users to CRAs.  If the CCC reports the AU, then the CRA must match the AU account to your CR.   For AU accounts that don't require a SSN, this can be hit or miss.  Plus, the CRA may decide the AU isn't valid and not add it onto your CR even if they match it.

For FICO 04 and earlier the AU account was treated as it was yours. You get all of the history good and bad. For FICO 08, valid AU accounts are weighted less than your own accounts.   But they still count.   Note, the AU may be ignored for FICO 08 even if it is on your CR (at least I believe that is the case).   FICO 08 is more likely to use an AU if the last name and/or address matches the primary account holder.  But I don't know how they determine if to use it.

I believe I have read that TU (could have been EQ) will not count an AU if it hurts your score.   As I recall, most of the CRA's will allow you to dispute the AU account to have it permanently removed from your CR.  

If you want the benefits of the AU account without it negatively affecting your util, you should have them remove you as an AU when the account has a zero statement balance.  It will stay on your CR for 7-10 years before being removed.

Lastly, note that some CCCs will completely disregard AU accounts.  For example, Chase completely ignore AU's in their internal scoring.

[Anonymous]

I plan to become Au on another's card just bc I need the head start (hard to find an apartment, lower insurance premiums, need a car soon) but I will still be putting in the work with my own cards so a day will come when I can safely remove myself from their account and I'll still be in the good. Maybe some call it cheating but my needs come first and if this is the way to meet them, I'm going for it. But if someone planned to just build solely off others credit, I would advise against it. What are you learning about financial responsibility or credit in general if you're not putting in work? Nothin

[Anonymous]

I added DH as a temporary measure to help him get cards on his own.   I figure a few months of mine reporting might get him a couple more cards in his name - then I can take him off.    I think they just need to see other lines reporting before they are going to give him another card.   He has one CapOne card -but was declined for the second - and since we are rebuilding and cleaning up other messes - I didn't want to lock up the few hundred it would take to get a secured card.   This was the best temporary route for us.   He isn't even going to use the cards - so he benefits from me letting one report a small balance - and the other just being there...... I Figure in 30-60 days we can reapply for stuff in just his name.  

[Anonymous]

I thought they stop reporting AU to the credit