 TITLE: Can I Buy a House If My Spouse Has Bad Credit? CONTENT: Consider Improving Your Spouse's Poor Credit Before Applying\n------------------------------------------------------------\nIf you and your spouse are dead-set on applying for a mortgage together, you have another option if you're not in a rush: Spend some time working to improve your spouse's credit first. Here's how.\n*   **Review their credit report.** Start by getting a free credit report and making sure there aren't any errors that could be bringing down your spouse's credit scores. If there are any mistakes on the report, dispute the errors to get them removed.\n*   **Pay all bills on time.** Payment history is the most important factor in calculating credit scores, so make sure all of your bills are always paid on time. Even one missed payment can cause your scores to drop significantly.\n*   **Lower their credit utilization ratio.** Your credit utilization ratio shows lenders what percentage of your available credit you're using. If you have a ratio higher than 30%, your credit scores could drop. Keep your utilization below 30% or, ideally, below 10%.\n*   **Add them as an authorized user.** Another strategy for improving your spouse's credit is to add them as an authorized user to one or more of your credit cards. While not every credit card issuer reports authorized-user activity to the three main credit bureaus (Experian, TransUnion and Equifax), and not every score factors in authorized-user activity, some do. And if they do, when the primary account holder manages the account responsibly, the authorized user's credit can benefit from it.\nIf you want to pursue this option, first ask your credit card issuer if they report authorized-user activity to the credit bureaus to ensure your spouse's report would benefit from it. If so, and assuming you both make smart decisions with your card, your spouse's scores should begin to rise over time.\nIf your spouse's credit isn't so hot, applying for a mortgage jointly could make it harder for you to qualify. But if you need your spouse on the application to meet income requirements, there are mortgage options for bad credit—or you can spend some time working on improving their credit before you apply. END