 TITLE: What Is a Credit Card Cosigner and Should You Use One? CONTENT: Pros and Cons of Credit Card Cosigning\n--------------------------------------\nThe benefit of using a cosigner if you have less-than-stellar credit is that it could help you qualify for an unsecured card that doesn't require an upfront deposit. Plus, managing credit under the watchful eye of a cosigner could help you establish responsible credit habits.\nFor cosigners, an advantage of cosigning is that you could put your good credit to use by helping a family member, significant other or friend qualify for a card they may not be able to get on their own. But before cosigning, it's important to consider all the responsibilities involved.\nBills that the credit card owner doesn't pay are redirected to the cosigner, who is contractually obligated to pay the bills. At that point, late payments could cause the cosigner's credit score to drop, and disagreements over unpaid bills could cause the relationship to sour.\nIf you decide to cosign on a credit card, your main responsibility will be keeping an eye on the primary cardholder's spending and whether they are making timely payments since their inability to pay will have financial ramifications for you.\nIf you're the credit card applicant partnering with a cosigner, your main responsibility is to make at least minimum payments (though it's best to pay off the balance each month) and to not charge more to the card than you can manage. END