How Does Marriage Affect Your Credit Score?
While credit reports aren’t merged for married couples, individual records can affect joint loans. Learn the rules to ensure good credit goes along with a good marriage.
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- Newsletter sign up Newsletter

Beverly Harzog is a credit card expert and consumer finance analyst for U.S. News & World Report.
Getting married is a big decision, not just emotionally but financially. What do people get wrong about how marriage affects their credit? One common misconception is that you have a joint credit report. You each still have your own credit report, and the same goes for your credit scores. Another misconception is that you have to apply for credit together. You can apply for things like a mortgage or a credit card together, but each partner should have their own credit established. If you need to establish your own credit because, say, your spouse dies or you get a divorce, a difficult situation could become even more difficult.
Are there instances in which it’s a bad idea for a couple to apply for credit together? Let’s go back to the mortgage example. If both spouses have a relatively high credit score, you’re more likely to get approved at the best rates because lenders don’t see you as a risk. However, let’s say one spouse has a credit score that’s 100 points higher than the other spouse’s score. In a situation like that, the spouse with the best credit score should apply for the mortgage—assuming they have sufficient income to apply on their own. Otherwise, you may not get the best interest rate on the loan, or you might not get approved at all.

Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
People wrongly assume that lenders will just look at the top score. They will consider both of your scores. If one spouse has a low score, a lender will consider you a higher risk because of the possibility that that spouse will end up being responsible for the payments. The same goes for applying for a joint credit card.
But what if one spouse is trying to reestablish or improve his or her credit standing? First, you need to understand why that spouse doesn’t have a good credit score. Is it because they’ve just never tried to build credit? Or is their score low because they missed payments on their bills? From there, you can decide whether you want to help that spouse improve their credit by adding them as an authorized user on one of your accounts. If you add your spouse as an authorized user, make sure the credit card issuer will report your spouse’s use of the card linked to your account to the credit bureaus. Not all of them do. Next, you need to understand that you’re on the hook if your spouse runs up a balance and fails to pay it off.
How can a couple—whether married or not—maintain good credit habits and avoid conflicts over credit? Credit is a team effort. Couples should discuss how much debt each has, including student loans, how they can work together to improve their credit, and what they need to do to accomplish that goal.
You should each review your credit reports regularly. You can still get them weekly for free from the credit bureaus until April, but even after that you’re entitled to a free credit report from each major bureau once every 12 months. So every four months, both of you should pull a credit report from one of the bureaus and review it for accuracy and signs of fraud. And if you notice something isn’t right, make sure you each file a dispute with the credit bureaus.
Rivan joined Kiplinger on Leap Day 2016 as a reporter for Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine. She's now a staff writer for the magazine and helps produce content for Kiplinger.com. A Michigan native, she graduated from the University of Michigan in 2014 and from there freelanced as a local copy editor and proofreader, and served as a research assistant to a local Detroit journalist. Her work has been featured in the Ann Arbor Observer and Sage Business Researcher.
-
-
Stock Market Today: Stocks End the Week on a High Note
Intel stock plunged after a big earnings miss, but encouraging inflation and consumer sentiment data created tailwinds for the broad market.
By Karee Venema • Published
-
Marijuana Legalization Efforts Gain Traction: This Week in Cannabis Investing
Marijuana Legalization Efforts Gain Traction: This Week in Cannabis Investing
By Morgan Paxhia • Published
-
Best Cash Back Credit Cards of January 2023
Smart Buying Looking for the credit card that pays the most cash back? These lenders may pay hundreds of dollars, with minimum hassle.
By Lisa Gerstner • Last updated
-
I-Bond Rate Is 6.89% for Next Six Months
Investing for Income If you missed out on the opportunity to buy I-bonds at their recent high, don’t despair. The new rate is still good, and even has a little sweetener built in.
By David Muhlbaum • Last updated
-
What Are I-Bonds?
savings bonds Inflation has made Series I savings bonds enormously popular with risk-averse investors. How do they work?
By Lisa Gerstner • Last updated
-
CVS Will Pay “Pink Tax” and Drop Prices on Period Products
CVS is taking a stand against the pink tax, tampon tax, and period poverty in twelve states where tampons and other menstrual products are more expensive.
By Kelley R. Taylor • Last updated
-
Your Guide to Open Enrollment 2023
Employee Benefits Health care costs continue to climb, but subsidies will make some plans more affordable.
By Rivan V. Stinson • Published
-
Watch Out for Flood-Damaged Cars from Hurricane Ian
Buying & Leasing a Car In the wake of Hurricane Ian, more flood-damaged cars may hit the market. Car prices may rise further because of increased demand as well.
By Bob Niedt • Last updated
-
What You Need to Know About Life Insurance Settlements
life insurance If your life insurance payments don’t seem worth it anymore, consider these options for keeping the value.
By David Rodeck • Published
-
Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards of January 2023
credit cards Business road warriors and leisure travelers alike can use a travel reward card to turn miles logged into other things – including more travel.
By Lisa Gerstner • Last updated