 TITLE: What Happens to Your Credit When You Get Married? CONTENT: Does Marrying Someone With Bad Credit Affect Your Score?\n--------------------------------------------------------\nWhile marriage in and of itself has no impact on credit scores, common practices of married couples—seeking joint car loans or mortgages, opening joint credit card accounts, or adding a spouse as a cardholder on individual accounts—can affect both spouses' future credit. Each borrower on any joint loan or account is equally responsible for repaying associated debts, so usage and payment activity on those accounts is reflected in both spouses' credit reports and scores (for better or for worse).\nEach spouse's individual credit history also can affect the cost of joint loans and credit cards. Borrowing jointly allows lenders to consider both spouses' income when determining the amount they're willing to lend, but if one spouse's credit is significantly worse than the other's, lenders may charge more in interest and fees than the spouse with good credit could otherwise get on their own. Of course, applying for a loan with a single income might only qualify a borrower for a lower loan amount than the couple could get jointly, as well.\nEven worse, if one spouse's credit is extremely poor, as might be the case following a bankruptcy filing or mortgage foreclosure, the couple might not qualify for a joint loan at all, even if the other spouse has very good credit. END