 TITLE: What to Know Before Cosigning a Mortgage CONTENT: How Cosigning Can Affect Your Credit\n------------------------------------\nBecause you're taking on financial responsibility for the loan, cosigning a mortgage can impact your credit as if you were taking out a mortgage for yourself.\n*   The initial credit checks and hard inquiries may hurt your scores a little\n*   A new, large outstanding balance can also lead to an initial dip\n*   On-time mortgage payments can help your credit\n*   Late payments or a foreclosure can hurt your credit\n*   The mortgage can impact your credit for the lifetime of the loan and up to 10 years after it's paid off or refinanced\nYour credit scores aside, other creditors may include the mortgage payments in your DTI, even if you aren't making the payments yourself. A high DTI doesn't impact your credit scores, but it can make qualifying for a new loan or line of credit more difficult. END