I just noticed a collection from 2004 reported in Dec. 07.I called ca,apparently it is my wife's.It is small amount.My wife has no recollection and I certainly dont.Of course I disputed.Can a spouse's debt,assuming it's valid be put on my credit?Did I mess up by calling them?I offered to PIF,over the phone,despite not accepting responsibility and they said "they didn't do that".Any advice,how much will this hurt my FICO,btw its only on EQ,which went from 622 to 597.I know some of this drop is because my utilization went from 3% to 19%(Christmas) and will be lower by Feb.Should I pay?I know it wont help score.Sorry for rambling,it's just frustrating as hard as Ive worked and then get hit with this.
