credit history

[san diego 407]

This doesn't make sense. Your wife piggybacking on your credit cards and adding her to your bank account are the two fastest ways for anyone to get credit. What type of credit card did she apply for? Have you done your own credit check to see what her score is? She is allowed one free credit check per year by law.

Here's a link where you can get a free credit report: Free Credit Report

Here's a link where you can read up on how to build credit: Experian

Thank you. Actually, she we have joint bank account and I put her as authorized user on all my credit cards. I tried only once to apply for her for Spirit credit card on the plane. I stopped doing this because I heard that every rejection in fat decreases your credit score. Now I am trying to figure out the most likely way.

[caly 48]

ya, authorized user is not same as joint owner, on a credit card account.

Also, 'what you need' varies by what the credit card company themselves 'call it'

but it essence - ADD her to YOUR account as a joint owner.

How to tell it worked? The monthly statement has both yer names on it.

Having her as an authorized user is not going to help her build her credit history/score. You need to have her on the card as a joint owner for this to work. My husband added me as an authorized user on his credit cards for about a year before I arrived. When I got here, I had no credit history whatsoever.

[missicy 87]

Capital One offers a card for 'newcomers' (you can see the details in this link here: http://www.capitalone.com/credit-cards/cash-rewards-for-newcomers/ ), the limit is low but it is unsecured; this is what my wife has. We had to jump through some hoops before they approved it but now my wife gets offers for other cards now (such offers go straight into the shredder).

I second this. I applied for the CC Ryan mentions and got approved without a problem for a $500 credit limit. I had zero credit history when I applied. After a few months Capital One raised my credit limit to $750.

[TimeTravel 78]

I added my USC wife as addon card holder in my Amex charge card, that really helped her credit score. In March 2012, she had credit score under 400, and now she has over 620+ ( In Just 6 months ). I believe, adding your spouse in your card account really helps your spouse's credit score. As it will reflect in your spouse's credit history.

[Martyshk 137]

Actually, it's the fact that she doesn't have income right now that will be the biggest hurdle.

While CC companies will issue cards (very low limit/very high APR) to people with no credit history, they will not issue them to people with no income. CC applications are judged on a personal, not family income.

Also, what I've done over the years is: Opened Macy's card and added my wife as a co-owner of the account, not just an authorized user. Then, I added her on all my CC as authorized user. After about 2 years she started working, so I was able to add her on one of my oldest credit card (13 years of credit) as a co-owner of the account as well. One by one I did that with all of my accounts. That propelled my wife's credit to the same level as my credit now.

It's a long process (and I'm a credit score nut, when it comes to it) to get credit, but it's doable.

[Martyshk 137]

I added my USC wife as addon card holder in my Amex charge card, that really helped her credit score. In March 2012, she had credit score under 400, and now she has over 620+ ( In Just 6 months ). I believe, adding your spouse in your card account really helps your spouse's credit score. As it will reflect in your spouse's credit history.

Exactly.

Just make sure your credit (your debt) does not drag your spouse down with you.

For example, I make 6x a month what my wife makes, so (for example) if I carry a balance of $1000 on my card - it's not a huge deal (monthly payment $25), but for my wife it chips away at her income and were she to apply for credit on her own, I'd have to clean up all my monthly balances so it wouldn't reflect badly on her application.

So far my wife's score is about 650, that's with less than 2 years of credit history.

Once we buy our next car I'll put her as a joint applicant and it'll bump her into 700's easily.

[Teddy B 17,252]

Thank you. Actually, she we have joint bank account and I put her as authorized user on all my credit cards. I tried only once to apply for her for Spirit credit card on the plane. I stopped doing this because I heard that every rejection in fat decreases your credit score. Now I am trying to figure out the most likely way.

You're welcome. I would say that your next step would be to try to add her on just one of your cards as a "joint applicant", it's the next step up from being an authorized user. A joint applicant is also responsible for the payments. This was the way I did it for my wife, but she did have a job at the time of her applying for "joint applicant" on our Bank Of America card. As has been pointed out already, the fact that she has no income might affect her chances.

I spent a lot of time researching this before my wife moved here because I wanted her to build her credit as fast as possible. Within a year her credit score was in the high 700's. She now receives 2 or 3 offers every week for low or no interest credit cards.

For the other folks who say being an authorized user doesn't help a persons credit, please read here: My link

Edited December 20, 2012 by Teddy B

[caly 48]

For the other folks who say being an authorized user doesn't help a persons credit, please read here: My link

Ah, thanks for the link! My name was all that was needed to be added as an authorized user on his cards (no SSN required or anything). When I got here, it seemed like no one had any records of my name ever being in the system. When I opened my bank account here, I had to jump through a few hoops to prove who I was.

[GodsGift225 54]

I personally would start her off either with getting a cell phone under her name, to start building her credit as of there, then work my way into a smaller card like Capital One for the new comers, or even like an oldnavy, gap cards, something small where her chance of getting declined are very small as suppose to going to a bigger store like Macy's/ .

[hellINTIM 9]

ya, authorized user is not same as joint owner, on a credit card account.

Also, 'what you need' varies by what the credit card company themselves 'call it'

but it essence - ADD her to YOUR account as a joint owner.

How to tell it worked? The monthly statement has both yer names on it.

it wont work ,, we tried that already before. my credit scored is very high .. since i had a job i have own bank account, then i applied for credit card. now my credit score is getting better...

[Teddy B 17,252]

Ah, thanks for the link! My name was all that was needed to be added as an authorized user on his cards (no SSN required or anything). When I got here, it seemed like no one had any records of my name ever being in the system. When I opened my bank account here, I had to jump through a few hoops to prove who I was.

Same thing for my wife, I added her to most of my cards before she moved here, no ssn or any other US id, but it still helped her build credit.

[hellINTIM 9]

Same thing for my wife, I added her to most of my cards before she moved here, no ssn or any other US id, but it still helped her build credit.

it will helped a little but not a lot.

[EmigratingSwede 16]

We added me to three different cards as an authorized user. We later added my SSN to the accounts when I got an SSN. Six months after moving only one card showed up on my credit record, but it was enough to give me a 730-750 credit score. High enough to get a mortgage. The problem with getting a loan was the fact that I did not have two years of w2's (tax records). It does look like we can get a mortgage through a local credit union though.

[hellINTIM 9]

We added me to three different cards as an authorized user. We later added my SSN to the accounts when I got an SSN. Six months after moving only one card showed up on my credit record, but it was enough to give me a 730-750 credit score. High enough to get a mortgage. The problem with getting a loan was the fact that I did not have two years of w2's (tax records). It does look like we can get a mortgage through a local credit union though.

thats too high to get a mortgage or loan a car... u wont like the interest ..

[EmigratingSwede 16]

Higher is better. If I had had 2 years of w2 I would have gotten 3.3 to 3.5% on my mortgage.