Establishing Credit

[Piefre 15]

Getting credit for me was a waiting game. My husband has excellent credit. He had me as a joint cardholder on a couple of his cards since I moved down, but I still needed to establish my own credit. I think being a joint cardholder does carry some weight here in the US because when I moved down I had zero credit and no score. After a year of being on two cards with my husband, I checked my score and it was reported as good and actually only a few points below his (this was before I even got my own card). I think the key is be a joint cardholder and not just an authorized user.

Anyway, when I got a job and after 10 months of working, I got a credit card offer in the mail. It came just in time too because I was just about to apply for a secured card through my bank. A few months after that, I got approved for a car loan on my own and now I get credit card offers every other week and my credit score has stayed in the good range.

[Teddy B 17,252]

Getting credit for me was a waiting game. My husband has excellent credit. He had me as a joint cardholder on a couple of his cards since I moved down, but I still needed to establish my own credit. I think being a joint cardholder does carry some weight here in the US because when I moved down I had zero credit and no score. After a year of being on two cards with my husband, I checked my score and it was reported as good and actually only a few points below his (this was before I even got my own card). I think the key is be a joint cardholder and not just an authorized user.

Anyway, when I got a job and after 10 months of working, I got a credit card offer in the mail. It came just in time too because I was just about to apply for a secured card through my bank. A few months after that, I got approved for a car loan on my own and now I get credit card offers every other week and my credit score has stayed in the good range.

You were more than likely an authorized user when you first moved down to the states, not a joint cardholder. To be a joint cardholder means you are also responsible for paying the bill and requires a credit rating. Your husband probably did the same thing I did for my wife in making you an authorized user, it works really well in establishing credit for someone who has none.

[NikLR 13,232]

My RBC bank won't let my husband (the USC) become a joint cardholder so only I get the benefits of the credit card.

[canada_socks 97]

I had no luck with credit, until I got a JCP card. I have tried applying for a Visa, but keep getting denied. I am added to my husbands card, but don't think that is helping at all. I got my JCP card a few months back, and now that I am working steady full time, I am gonna apply again for another Visa and see what happens.