 TITLE: Removing Yourself as an Authorized User Could Help Your Credit CONTENT: If you have no credit history, becoming an authorized user on another person's credit card account lets you build credit without having to apply for an account in your own name. You won't be responsible for making payments, but you'll benefit from the account holder's good financial habits.\nIn the best-case scenario, the account holder will make all payments on time. Because payment history accounts for 35% of your FICO® Score☉ —the largest single factor—this is important to boosting your credit. They'll also ideally have a low credit utilization rate, or the amount of debt on the card compared with its credit limit. That makes up another 30% of your FICO® Score. If the account meets these requirements, your affiliation with it is likely to help your credit, and you can safely remain as an authorized user.\nBut if the person whose account you've chosen to join isn't keeping their end of the bargain, their missed payments could negatively affect your credit—at least temporarily. For this to happen, the credit card company must first report authorized-user activity to the credit bureaus. Next, the credit bureaus must include the negative information, like late payments, on your credit report.\nThe good news? Not all credit reporting agencies do so. Experian, for instance, will automatically remove delinquent accounts an authorized user isn't responsible for paying from his or her credit report. But since other agencies may still incorporate the account's late payments into your credit history, consider removing yourself as an authorized user and looking into other ways to build credit. END