 TITLE: Can My Spouse Ruin My Credit? CONTENT: What to Do if Your Spouse Has a Poor Credit Score\n-------------------------------------------------\nThe good news is that credit scores aren't set in stone. They change along with the information that appears on your credit reports. If your spouse's numbers are low today, there are plenty of ways to increase them by taking action. As a couple, make a vow to:\n*   **Pay bills by the due date.** While late payments will remain on a credit report for seven years, you can lower their negative scoring impact by adding plenty of timely payments.\n*   **Reduce credit card balances.** Review the amount your spouse owes in credit card debt and compare it with the credit limits. If the balances are greater than 30% of the credit limit, this elevated credit utilization can start to hurt scores. Concentrate on repaying these debts; you might consider either the debt avalanche or debt snowball methods.\n*   **Open new accounts prudently.** Applying for credit products adds hard inquiries to your report, which can lower scores slightly. Hard inquiries on your credit scores aren't likely to make a difference on their own, but many new accounts and credit applications can cause your scores to drop and future applications to be denied.\n*   **Maintain older accounts.** Closing unused accounts can make credit balances a greater percentage of available limits. Consider keeping your accounts active as this can help you maintain a lengthy credit history and help keep down your credit utilization.\n*   **Check credit reports and scores regularly.** By knowing what is listed, you can spot and dispute fraudulent activity, which can harm credit reports and scores. Additionally, you can monitor your scoring progress, which can keep you both on the right track.\nAnother method to add credit scoring points is by enrolling in Experian Boost™† . This free program enables you and your spouse to add positive payment history from utility, cellphone and streaming bills to your credit reports. It's a simple and effective way to bump up FICO® scores, especially when they're on the low end of the spectrum. By working as a team, you and your spouse can drive up credit scores and create a future full of open opportunities for the both of you. END