 TITLE: Marriage Name Change Checklist CONTENT: Will My Credit Score Change After Changing My Name?\n---------------------------------------------------\nChanging your name has no impact on your credit report or score. Any accounts you held in your name only prior to your wedding will remain separate (married couples do not have joint credit reports). However, if you choose to open joint accounts or cosign accounts with your spouse, those accounts will show up on both your credit report and your spouse's and will, in turn, affect both of your individual credit scores. The upside is that you can boost your scores if you both manage these accounts responsibly.\nWhile your credit file will remain separate from your spouse's, both will come into play when applying for a joint account. Whether it's a credit card, auto loan or mortgage, you may be charged higher interest rates—or be declined altogether—if you are applying jointly and one spouse has poor credit. It's also worth noting that what's considered joint debt after you're married varies from state to state. No one likes to think about divorce, but should it happen, the state you live in may treat all assets and debts accumulated during the marriage as an equal responsibility—regardless of whose name was on the accounts.\nOne bright spot is that there's no need to notify the major credit bureaus of your new name—it will automatically be reported by your lenders once you update any open accounts in your name. Your previous name will likely still be noted on your credit report as well. END