I just got married and i have perfect credit. Will it ruin my credit if my husband has bad credit?
470511
and two became one, yep.  you inherit the wealth, unfortunately, except you will still have 2 individual credit scores.  i was in the same situation, it was hard getting our house cause he made more money but had the credit problem, but as long as everything is paid to date, and the credit bureaus have been updated most places will look at that and take it into to consideration, you should be ok.  if he still has bad credit and outstanding bills, try to pay them off and close them yourself, it looks alot better than if they close them for you.  and even if you couldnt pay them off, sometimes calling them, they will make a settlement amount and you could be better off then if they take it to a collection agency, ive been through this, im soooooo glad thats over.  i bet you werent to happy with him about this, just try not to yell at him about it, he probably already feels bad enough, just work with him, and you be in charge of the finances.  good luck.
86675
SSA will not change your number without good reason.  Hiding a bad credit record wouldn't be one of them.  If you are abused by your spouse, however, SSA will in some cases grant relief.
71040
Once you're married you will share your credit rating as a couple so my best thought is for you to handle the finance/payments - and keep doing whatever you've been doing to maintain a good rating for the two of you.
1003685
There is no way  around the bad credit.   Sounds like you will have to establish  the credit again.   Good luck though.
1058288
Man do I disagree with most of this advice!\n\nFor starters, any debts that occured before you got married are not suddenly "shared" with you.  They are his debts.  The way it's going to effect you is if they (for example) try to repo the home or car.  If you are living there, you lose the home.  But what else did you expect?   It's his home, bought under his credit.  \n\nNow, if you come into this marriage with your home/car they can NOT touch it.  His name is not on the contracts, and in most states they can not place a lien on it unless his name is jointly on it.\n\nYour credit does remain uneffected.  Any property you own (unless in a community property state) is still yours and can't be touched by his creditors.  \n\nWhen I got married, my wife came with a lot of "debt baggage", and creditors were hounding her something terrible.  But I know the law!  I put an end to that harrassment, and they couldn't touch ANY of my property or hurt my credit at all.\n\nI spent the next 2 years rebuilding her credit by co-signing on credit cards and a car loan. Now her credit is better then mine!  \n\nI will suggest that he get the bankruptcy before you get married so you can get a fresh start as soon as possible.
458443
If you check your own credit it has absolutely no affect on your credit score at all. If you apply for a loan or new credit card once in awhile (say once every 6 months or so) that shouldn't affect your score either. Its when you apply for too much at one time that it hurts your FICO score. It makes you look like a risk. (That you might take out too much in credit cards or other unsecured debt)
294300
Kat,\n\nYou leave out some important details.  \n\nI'm going to assume from your comment that you don't have credit right now because you purchase everything in cash, right?  I did that when I was young.  Paid cash for my car and did't have a card.  Had $20,000 in the bank to put down for a mortgage.  They wanted to refuse my loan because I didn't have a credit history!  Lucky for me, they had a loan manager who had sense enough to look beyond a credit report.\n\nWhat about your husband?  Does he have a credit history?  Good or bad credit?  Remember that they will be looking at his score also if you both plan to be on the loan.  If he has good credit you may not even have a problem.\n\nAs the others mentioned, you need to build a credit history.   How long from the time you buy this car on credit, until you start looking for a home?  Credit Guru is correct, it won't help you much to pay it off immediately.\n\nHaving a big down payment for the home may impress the mortgage company into giving you the loan without an impressive credit score.  Worked for me.\n\nIf you really need the car right now, consider paying it off in cash when you buy it. Many car dealers will cut you a very good price if you are paying up front.\n\nBefore you go any futher, go to the link I supplied below. You are trying toimprove your credit score, so you need to understand exactly how they calculate it.  MYFICO is the folks to developed the scoring system, and their site has lots of information on establishing and improving your score.\n\nAfter your have educated yourself you can make better decisions on how you can proceed.\n\nI sure wish I had your problems. Wanna trade?
654811
Depends on your definition of less than perfect credit. If you have judgments or charge offs, you need to address them. Most lenders will require that you address those concerns. Once you have paid them, you need to secure a letter from the creditors stating that those accounts are paid. You will need this if they fail to update your account in a timely manner. You going to want to research FHA and state bond programs. Normally, those will be more forgiving on credit issues as long as you have paid the debt and re-established your credit. Going that route is a little more work for you, however you will get a better interest rate with a lower score than a sub prime lender. Hope this helps...
475506
YES!!! \nDont do it.  My wife and I did it and when we went to buy a new car it showed up on our credit report.  It wasnt as bad as a bankrupcy but it did put a negative hash on it.  We were still able to get the new car loan but it really mad me mad at myself for not looking into that first.  Should have just paid them off by myself.
314370
Then you need to call the Mortgage Servicing department for your Mortgage Lender.  You DON'T want that to negatively affect your credit!!!!!!!
232812
Yes, it might interfere, but not necessarily. You will most likely get a chance to explain a bad credit history.
1076187
no. there is absolutely no way that can damage your credit. In fact, I think you just discovered the one thing that CAN'T damage your credit. what you do is just normal consumer actions. everyone does it and other than making sure you're credited back your purchase amount, there's no way it can do any damage.
785892
It will not hurt your credit if you pay off their bill.  If you do not, then it will.  After all you did promise to pay if they do not.
1133903
I would not worry about it.  All a credit score does is say how in debt you are.  People with good credit scores are just as bad off as people with bad scores.  My goal is to have no record on file, this will mean that I wont owe anyone.
615662
If you have poor credit, you have no business looking for a loan for a wedding.  Have a wedding but do it within your means.  Or postpone your wedding until you can afford it.\n\nYou have got to learn you cannot have immediate gratification and you need to be able to pay for things in advance.\n\nStarting out a marriage in debt is asking for trouble.
792752
The tickets can affect your credit rating too!!\n\nI had $500 in parking tickets in NY (under my fathers car) and he was denied a home loan until it was taken care of -- and he had 100% perfect credit!!
328769
It really depends. Your husband won't take on your poor credit per say, however, it may affect your borrowing capabilities. For instance, when you go to buy a house or a car, and if BOTH of you plan to purchase these items together, it may have an adverse affect on the credit scores used, and whether or not you ultimately get the financing you're seeking. I might also suggest you have him manage the finances in the family? Also, when a home, or a car IS financed by BOTH of you, as long as payments are made on time, it can help with boosting your own credit history.