 TITLE: How Does Marriage Affect Your Student Loans? CONTENT: Additional Ways Marriage Can Affect Your Credit\n-----------------------------------------------\nYour spouse's student loans will not affect your credit as long as the debt is in their name only. And your credit file doesn't change simply because you got married, since you and your spouse continue to have individual credit files. None of the accounts either of you opened prior to getting married will affect one another's scores for better or worse.\nHowever, marriage can affect your credit in other ways:\n*   **Cosigning loans**: As noted above, you're responsible for any loans you cosign with your spouse. If you're sharing loan payments, you'll want to be certain that you can each afford the monthly installments to avoid falling short or being late, either of which can negatively impact your credit.\n*   **Sharing a credit card**: Because joint credit cards are rarely offered today, many couples share a card by having one spouse apply and then adding the other as an authorized user on the account. The account will show up on both of your credit reports, but only the primary account holder is ultimately responsible for making payments. Using a card together can be a great way to practice money management and to accrue rewards such as travel points for a future vacation. But it can also hurt your credit score if your spouse charges large purchases that you can't afford to pay off as a couple, or if the primary account holder misses a payment. Learn more about how to manage credit cards as a couple.\n*   **Budget management**: Maintaining a balanced budget as a couple is key if you want to avoid taking on more debt than you can handle. If your partner is good with money and accustomed to a budget, you can reinforce each other's financial discipline and plan for your expenses together. If your partner tends to overspend, however, you may find yourselves relying on credit cards or loans to cover your costs. Without a plan for paying those off, you might run up high balances or start missing payments, which are two major factors in your credit score.\nWhether you're concerned about your individual student debts or your ability to qualify for a mortgage or other financing in the future, it's a good idea to talk about money with your partner before you get married. Understanding how much debt you each carry, and your expectations about whether you'll pay it together or individually, can help you create a solid strategy for managing bills and working toward shared goals.\nIf you both create an Experian Boost™† account, you can add utility bills and streaming subscriptions to your credit files, allowing your on-time payments to be counted toward your credit scores powered by Experian. You'll both also have access to free credit monitoring and alert features so you can track your progress and share your results with each other.\nThe important thing is that you communicate with one another and that you are on the same page about all aspects of your financial lives, ‘til debt do you part. END