Wife has a bankruptcy on her credit history (prior to marriage). If we open a...

[Tim W]

...shared acct will I have it too? My wife declared bankruptcy a few years ago. Since then we have met, got married. I have been very careful so far not to use both of our social security numbers in the same place, we do not have a shared bank account or anything of that sort - but I need to build my credit!

I've been there before when she has gotten refused for things due to bankruptcy and obviously I think mixing our credit might not be that bad of a thing to do - it doubles the credit we are successfully paying each month - but I don't want it to say on MY credit that I have ever files for bankruptcy when I haven't.

If we become shared users, what will be transferred to each others credit report?? Thanks!

[Rebecca]

Adding her to your credit cards etc will NOT help her credit rating, they changed that a couple of years ago. So leave your good credit alone if you ever want a house at a reasonable interest rate.

IF she is getting refused she needs to STOP applying for credit for at least a year or so. Each inquiry for credit just lowers her scores. She does not need credit until the lessons of BK set in and she is now learning what that means. Give it a rest for a year at least.

[Sgt Big Red]

Her bankruptcy will not show on your credit report, what is hers is hers and what is yours is yours. UNLESS you open a joint account, then the creditor will see both reports and the bankruptcy could affect their decision.

If you had joint accounts and both filed for BK, then yes it would show on both reports.

Hope this answers your question.