BofA and AU question.

[Anonymous]

My sister has great credit. Her BF...not so much.  He burned BofA about 3 years ago and she was thinking of adding him onto her BofA card as an AU.  Is there any repercussions to her by doing so?

I guess the question would be...are there any downsides to adding an AU that had previously had a CO with the card issuing bank? I went to check online and it seems that unlike many other creditors, BofA DOES require, SS# to add an AU. So...they would know who he was, if they checked. Would it secretly keep her from getting better CLI's, etc.?

Just wondering if anyone has added an AU that previously CO the card issuing bank. TIA!

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't -

Either your in good with BofA or your not - Iw ould not rock the boat if I was in good.

The BF stage is NOT when you should be adding AU's to accounts.

[Anonymous]

Well said Timothy!

[Anonymous]

I don't have good enough credit to be on your sis' side of the equation, so I'll answer from the side the BF SHOULD be.

No, no, no, no ... I could not possibly take advantage of your good credit history at this stage of our relationship. I would prefer not to have that kind of temptation.

Me, my parents (and for my DH, his sister, a banker) have PERFECT credit. They rarely, if ever, carry a balance more than $100 and (my parents) have a history of over 40 years, and (my SIL) over 20 years.

While I don't blame others who might ask (or accept the offer) to AU on someone else's accounts, I would NOT be comfy with it. Family and friends are more important than FICOs and credit any day of the week.

I have had problems with credit in the past (and present, LOL, which I'm trying to fix!) and since I DO have that kind of a past, I sure as heck don't want to risk someone else's credit-standing on the off-chance that I might slide. I know that being an AU doesn't automatically mean I COULD harm their credit (since I'd have to have a card first!), but it's a temptation that I would not be able to live with. 'Specially if I was a suitor and not a spouse.

Yikes! Will I get kicked out of the forums for saying that???

[Anonymous]

Thanks everyone. They have been together for 8 years, so it's not early in their relationship, but I was worried about the ramifications that could come from it. I think BofA is a strange bird and after my experiences with them, I was worried she shouldn't rock the boat. I think I'll tell her flat out, it will mess her relationship up with them. So she doesn't do it.

Wonder, thanks for the other side perspective as well. Perhaps in a way it would be taking advantage of her for him to even accept!

Message Edited by UpUpUp on 09-14-2008 09:28 AM

[haulingthescoreup]

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@Anonymous wrote:

....Yikes! Will I get kicked out of the forums for saying that???

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Well, if you were, half the members including all of the mods would have to go with you. We preach a LOT about not mingling credit.

OP's question is interesting, and I don't think that it has ever arisen here. I wouldn't think that there'd be a problem, although I don't think AmEx would allow it (they check out AU's.) But I don't know that it would be worth rocking the boat for your sister.

Does she have a different card that she could AU him on? I do have to speak up for the use of AU among family members, and after 8 years, I suppose he's kind of family-ish. I'm AU on DH's Discover card, for the age. But I don't advocate joint accounts, especially now that the threat of losing AU benefits under FICO 08 has been modified. Frankly, I just don't see anything good about joint accounts other than mortgages, and I see plenty of bad.

[smallfry]

If you don't give the AU the card they can't do any damage. I don't imagine he would try to use the card for online purchases w/o the owner's permission but to be safe as Hauling suggests just put him on another card and avoid any problems.

[Anonymous]

She's mid-twenties and does not have a lot of accounts, a car loan, a few store cards and a newish citi card.  Maybe I'll suggest to her to go with the store cards that report AU's.  Since the store cards have lessor CL's, perhaps that might be a safer way to go and still help him establish a more positive history.

[Anonymous]

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@haulingthescoreup wrote:

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@Anonymous wrote:

....Yikes! Will I get kicked out of the forums for saying that???

---

Well, if you were, half the members including all of the mods would have to go with you. We preach a LOT about not mingling credit.

OP's question is interesting, and I don't think that it has ever arisen here. I wouldn't think that there'd be a problem, although I don't think AmEx would allow it (they check out AU's.) But I don't know that it would be worth rocking the boat for your sister.

Does she have a different card that she could AU him on? I do have to speak up for the use of AU among family members, and after 8 years, I suppose he's kind of family-ish. I'm AU on DH's Discover card, for the age. But I don't advocate joint accounts, especially now that the threat of losing AU benefits under FICO 08 has been modified. Frankly, I just don't see anything good about joint accounts other than mortgages, and I see plenty of bad.

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RE: AMEX
I was able to get back with AMEX via the Optima/Oasis program. When I sent my application paperwork in, I requested an 'additional' card (AMEX's AU). AU has scores in the high 500's low 600's. 615 EQ. They delivered the cards, backdated the member since date, but still waiting on CRA updates.

[haulingthescoreup]

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@Anonymous wrote:

RE: AMEX
I was able to get back with AMEX via the Optima/Oasis program. When I sent my application paperwork in, I requested an 'additional' card (AMEX's AU). AU has scores in the high 500's low 600's. 615 EQ. They delivered the cards, backdated the member since date, but still waiting on CRA updates.

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Did the AU ever burn AmEx, or was it (please pardon me) just you? The reason that I wondered about adding an AU who had a bad history with AmEx is because they check out AU's when you want to sign them up, and I think I read somewhere that they will deny certain people to become AU's.

That's interesting that they would allow you to add AU's just as you were beginning the Oasis program!