Can I Get a Credit Card in My Name if My Husband Is the Sole Source of Income?
- You can get a credit card in your name if your husband is your sole source of income. Any lender will allow your husband to cosign on an account. Alternatively, if your husband has a credit card, he can ask the lender to add you as an authorized user. Authorized users build credit and have complete use of the account, but do not have to pay the bill.
- Because lenders make their own credit decisions, nobody can say with absolute certainty that you can obtain a credit card without an income. For example, your husband might not earn enough money for any credit limit or he may have bad credit that causes the creditor to reject your application.
- Credit card applications used to let you list all sources of household income, so homemakers were able to apply for an account on your own. 2009 credit card reform requires creditors to consider only individual income. Lenders can estimate income from data on a credit report, too. However, most credit card companies offer a secured card for people trying to rebuild their credit or establish credit. Secured cards require an application like a regular credit card, but approval depends mostly on your ability to put down a security deposit.
- If possible, avoid opening a joint account with your husband, because joint accounts can lead to liability disputes should you divorce, and bad credit due to missed payments. Thus, married couples should have one spouse own the account and list the other spouse as an authorized user. You could open a joint account and then remove your name from it when you earn enough income to obtain a card on your own, according to Martha White of Wallet Pop.