What's the downside to adding an authorized user?

[live-n-learn]

Hi everyone,

What things would I need to consider when adding an authorized user to one of my cards.

My fiance is repairing his credit & wants me to add him to my oldest card to help his score. 

What's the negative side to that?  I know I can remove him anytime but can any of his actions with his own credit cards hurt me at all?

Is there anything I need to "be aware" of?

[Anonymous]

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@live-n-learn wrote:

Hi everyone,

What things would I need to consider when adding an authorized user to one of my cards.

My fiance is repairing his credit & wants me to add him to my oldest card to help his score. 

What's the negative side to that?  I know I can remove him anytime but can any of his actions with his own credit cards hurt me at all?

Is there anything I need to "be aware" of?

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I've been looking into this for my own fiance. From what I can find, the simple answer is  your fiance's bad  or lack of credi will not affect you. The only way you can be affected is if  you give him the card and he racks up debt and or if he is responsible for paying the card and neglects to do so on time. I'm sure you already know this, but it's worth stating. You are responsible for any and all debt on that tradeline.

[live-n-learn]

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@Anonymous wrote:

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@live-n-learn wrote:

Hi everyone,

What things would I need to consider when adding an authorized user to one of my cards.

My fiance is repairing his credit & wants me to add him to my oldest card to help his score. 

What's the negative side to that?  I know I can remove him anytime but can any of his actions with his own credit cards hurt me at all?

Is there anything I need to "be aware" of?

---

I've been looking into this for my own fiance. From what I can find, the simple answer is  your fiance's bad  or lack of credi will not affect you. The only way you can be affected is if  you give him the card and he racks up debt and or if he is responsible for paying the card and neglects to do so on time. I'm sure you already know this, but it's worth stating. You are responsible for any and all debt on that tradeline.

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Oh ok.  I don't plan to give him the card to use at all.  He understands that it would be only to show a positive trade line on his credit report. I just want to make sure 

that if he happens to not pay his own cards for some reason,  it wouldn't affect me.

Thanks

[Aarvard]

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@live-n-learn wrote:

Hi everyone,

What things would I need to consider when adding an authorized user to one of my cards.

My fiance is repairing his credit & wants me to add him to my oldest card to help his score. 

What's the negative side to that?  I know I can remove him anytime but can any of his actions with his own credit cards hurt me at all?

Is there anything I need to "be aware" of?

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The answer is no. If I were you, I'd just add him on all of my accounts but not give him the actual cards. That way he can have positive tradelines on his reports and you don;t have to worry about him being irresponsible.

[EAJuggalo]

You also have to keep up your end in having him as an AU.  The account shouldn't be dormant but reporting a small balance at least once every two or three months, and of course all payments must be made on time.  Otherwise it's not worth having him on there because it's not going to help his credit much if at all.