 TITLE: How to Build and Maintain Good Credit at Every Stage of Life CONTENT: Does Marriage Have an Impact on Your Credit?\n--------------------------------------------\nGetting married doesn't mean automatically sharing credit reports. Your past credit history will remain separate from your spouse's, and you'll maintain your own credit score. But any accounts that you decide to open jointly will appear on both credit reports.\nIf you cosign a student loan for your spouse, for example, you will be responsible for that debt if your spouse is unable to make the payments. The debt itself could also increase your personal DTI. A spouse's bad credit won't affect yours directly, meaning your score won't decrease merely by marrying them. But if you want to get a mortgage together, one partner's poor score could make it more difficult to qualify for a loan or get the lowest interest rates.\nChanging your name after marriage won't result in a new credit report or score. But once you update your last name with the Social Security Administration, your banks and the lenders you have accounts with, the name change will be reflected on your credit reports too. Your given name will still appear on your reports, listed as a former name. END