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Credit card question

Atty

Atty

Golden Member
I'll keep this short. My mother is horrible with credit. She's been in credit card debt more often than she has been free of it in her life.

I guess her 7 years are up again and she got a new Discover card. Great. She put me on as a card holder, so I have a card in my name incase I need it (she's disabled so she sometimes needs me to get her things, etc). I didn't ask her for this and I don't want it but turning it down will cause a shit storm.

My worry - the account is not in my name but since she put me as a card holder, will her actions affect me? I've worked incredibly hard to build up perfect credit through my life, I don't need her ruining it.
 
nope. you just have authority to use her credit card.

Though, if she did put your SSN when adding your card.....I dunno.
 
Most likely.

Sometimes cards you are an authorized user on won't show up on your credit report but most of the time they do. If it does appear on your report it will affect your credit rating, either good or bad. You can call the issuer to have them remove you as an authorized user if you are concerned about the effect on your credit.
 
When I've added people, my account has always shown up on their credit report.

Check your credit report thru annualcreditreport.com, 1 from each of the 3 major agencies per year.
 
Lasr year I added my wife's name to a CC. We've been married 3 years. I pulled her credit report recently. It has my full history for that CC going back many more years than we've been married all in her credit report. Luckily for her my credit is stellar.

Unluckilly for you, your Mom's record isn't stellar.
 
If she used your SSN in the app, the card will probably affect your score. If you are just an authorized user and she didn't give your SSN, you are probably safe.
 
smack your mom for even getting a card. Didn't she learn her lesson?

Oh, and if you feel guilt in just getting your name off the card, imagine what it's going to feel like when she can't pay her bill and comes crying to you "but, son, I put your name on the card so you can use it. You owe me."
 
CPA said:
smack your mom for even getting a card. Didn't she learn her lesson?

Oh, and if you feel guilt in just getting your name off the card, imagine what it's going to feel like when she can't pay her bill and comes crying to you "but, son, I put your name on the card so you can use it. You owe me."
Click to expand...

From the OP. You can't make that conclusion. Her credit is now good, maybe she will be responsible for it now. People can change.
 
Kelvrick said:
From the OP. You can't make that conclusion. Her credit is now good, maybe she will be responsible for it now. People can change.
Click to expand...

They usually don't though.

Be smart. Play the odds. Remove temptation and ability to screw up with credit cards.
 
Dirigible said:
They usually don't though.

Be smart. Play the odds. Remove temptation and ability to screw up with credit cards.
Click to expand...

Agreed. That response was completely separate from the part where she added him and directly purely towards the mom apparently not being fit for a credit card. I would want my name off of someone else's card as well.

As an alternative, maybe setup one of those refillable visa/mc/amex cards in case you need to buy something for her.
 
Atty said:
I have my own card...and loans, bills, etc. I'm financially independent of her.
Click to expand...


Good so your name has no business being on her card.

When she screws this one up, YOUR credit MIGHT be on the line as well. Heck you might even be responsible to pay HER debts.
 
My (now) ex-wife put me as an authorized user on a discover card she opened without my knowledge. Never gave my SSN or anything of the sort. After we were divorced I saw the account show up on my credit report, but only after it went past due. I immediately calle Discover and got my name off the card, but only 2/3 of the credit bureaus would take the account off my record, the other determined that I was legitimately on the account at the time. I was not pleased. Moral of the story, an authorized user can and probably will be reported, especially if the account is past due. The credit bureaus will likely remove the account once you have removed your name from the card, but you cant be sure it will be easy.
 
I was added to an ex-girlfriend's card as an authorized cardholder. Several years after we broke up, she apparently had a string of missed payments on the card. They showed up on my credit report, despite us having no connection to each other at the time (I don't remember even getting signed up as an authorized cardholder on her account, so I was quite surprised to say the least).

So, yeah, it can affect you.
 
Atty said:
I'll keep this short. My mother is horrible with credit. She's been in credit card debt more often than she has been free of it in her life.

I guess her 7 years are up again and she got a new Discover card. Great. She put me on as a card holder, so I have a card in my name incase I need it (she's disabled so she sometimes needs me to get her things, etc). I didn't ask her for this and I don't want it but turning it down will cause a shit storm.

My worry - the account is not in my name but since she put me as a card holder, will her actions affect me? I've worked incredibly hard to build up perfect credit through my life, I don't need her ruining it.
Click to expand...

You're a cardholder, you're responsible. It will affect your credit.
 
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