“Dear Steve,
I have paid off $10,000 worth of credit cards for my husband in 2010 and then he has decided he wanted different credit cards and has added me as authorized user. I want to take my name off of these credit cards (received within the last year).
He has a credit score of 712 at this time. He has applied for more credit cards and has received 2 denials because of how many credit cards he has. I want to buy another home (need to be closer to my mother) and sell the one we are living in now. We live in Illinois.
How much will my credit score be hurt if I remove my name from the new credit cards? Am I responsible for the balance on these cards if something would happen to my husband?
Sandy”
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The Answer
Dear Sandy,
You are not responsible for the debt as an authorized user. But as an authorized user they will be listed on your credit report. Too many cards doesn’t help. More than three open cards listed and it begins to hurt your credit score.
Just contact the card companies via their customer service number on the back of the cards and asked to be removed as an authorized user. If they won’t talk to you directly then stand there as your husband does it.
I’m concerned that you’ve bailed him out of his old debt and he rushing to get more cards. Why is he doing that? Why does he need more access to credit when it seems he can’t manage the credit he has now?
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