Removing Authorized User from CC

**kita** · 11-21-2010, 10:30 PM

Niece is going through a separation. She was an authorized user on hubby's CC. CC has $11,000 on it. Good payment history. Informal agreement is that he takes CC debt and his car payment etc and will never have to pay alimony. So he said he has removed her as authorized user on card. Currently the CC is showing up on her credit report but she doesn't know if it is just that there is the delay in reporting.
Her credit history is blank except for the CC. Once the removal as authorized user goes through will the record on her history "disappear"? Will it remain and look odd and negative because he took her off as user while there is balance? Or is there a chance that if he screws up the payments that it will negatively affect her history? Can she remove herself as authorized user if he hasn't done so?
She isn't looking to get anymore CC but thinking about apartment/house rental and maybe buying a house in five years or so.

**Nishu** · 11-21-2010, 10:49 PM

Credit card companies typically report once a month, so it may take that long to get it off.

If I had to guess, I'd say that they're not going to remove the history of the card that's already been put on her report and there's going to be either "closed" and/or "unkown" put as it's status. An unkown status doesn't help or hurt. I have a few of them myself, they only mean that the credit reporting agency isn't exactly sure what happened to the account.

Are you sure that she didn't sign anything to be an authorized user? If she did, she's technically liable for the debt.

**Contrary Housewife** · 11-21-2010, 10:49 PM

I don't believe the cc record will go away just because her name is removed from the card. She did have credit and did use the card for a period.

The separation may be amiable now, but she needs that agreement in writing. It very well may come back to haunt her.

She should be able to call the CC and confirm whether or not her name is still on the account.

**Palooka** · 11-22-2010, 12:35 AM

Rather she can use the card or not, her name will always be attached to that debt. The CC peeps won't remove anyone's name from a debt because if they was failed to be payed, they have two to go after instead of one person.

When I went through a divorce, my ex agreed to pay the small balance on a CC with both are names on it. I checked every month to make sure he had payed and was prepared to pay if he didn't. Needed my good credit. After it was payed for, we closed the account so we had nothing in our names together that either of us could use again.

Her SSN is still attached so I don't think it will disappear anytime soon from her credit history . I think??

**Greebo** · 11-22-2010, 06:57 AM

The history won't change, nor should it, unless it's actually wrong.

She is an authorized user. That's correct.
When her name is removed, it'll show that she *was* an authorized user. That will also be correct.

**mslolsalot** · 11-22-2010, 04:35 PM

From my experience, the CC company will continue to report on her credit rating for a while- even if she is unable to use the account. The old records will stay intact- which is ok if the account is in good standing. If it goes awry, she will have to challenge the report with documentation stating that she is no longer linked to that account. It's really important for her to check her report regularly (I did mine quarterly during divorce) and be sure it's being reported correctly.