What happens to my credit when I get married if....

Does anybody know what will happen to my credit once I marry to my fiance, who has pretty bad credit? Will that affect my credit status? Thanks for any help at all.
Stacie

[vrzirn]

That is serious baggage he is dragging. DO NOT marry him.

The fact of bad credit is most certainly a cause for alarm and grave concern in choosing a potential mate. What is/was the cause of the problem? Was it the fact of a previous marriage that went bad? Is/was abuse of alcohol or drugs a causative factor? Possible job instability? You do need to find out what the causes are before you finally commit to a marriage that could turn out to be disasterous. It should be a warning that bad times might be ahead and that you should be much more cautious than you might otherwise have cause to be.

[I AM ALWAYS LIABLE]

My response:

While our two above contributors have given solid, practical advice, in 22 years of practicing law, I have never, never, heard of a woman ask a man about his credit background, and then refuse to marry him - - no matter what the answer might be.

This is the real world, and marriage refusals don't happen based upon credit scores. When you're dealing with something as ephemoral as "Love", credit is the last item to stop a marriage. However, money issues are usually in the top-ten when it comes to ending a marriage.

I just thought the "Don't Marry Him" advice was kinda funny.

IAAL

[HomeGuru]

In addition to a blood test, a credit report, financial statement and background check should be done.

Hey, Liable.
You know, when I first read that "don't marry him" advice my first reaction wasn't even as amicable as yours and I was gonna take a vicious swipe at it. Well, figuratively speaking anyway. Then I got to thinking about it a bit more.

Bad credit isn't a reason not to accept someone as a mate and it's almost never considered in chooseing one. It would almost be considered cartoon material for a young girl to come home from her first date with her nose all up in the air over a date because he had bad credit. But on the other hand, if you look at the seamier side of life where the horror meets the road, bad credit used as an early warning indicator by more potential brides might very well have saved many a woman's life and might have deprived DHS and our courts of a lot of abused children cases, and since you say you have 22 years as an attorney then you ain't just a spring chicken either so you know full well what I'm saying. So while I scoffed and hooted at the first poster's answer at first glance, a bit more thought produced what I did post.

As an attorney with 22 years that means you have to be at least 50 years old from simple math or at least right near it. You probably haven't actually seen anywhere near the things I've seen but you have probably heard a lot more of the horror stories then I have. I'm a lot older than you are and I've spent a lot of years working down in the trenches where life really gets rough and I've seen it all over the world.

And although it's never used as a barometer of how a marriage might work out, maybe it ought to be at least a warning sign for older people looking for new mates. So that's why I toned down my rhetoric and gave the answer I did.

Have a nice one.

[email]ceo@creditwrench.com[/email] [url]http://www.creditwrench.com[/url]

[I AM ALWAYS LIABLE]

Dear bbauer:

On this account, I could not agree with you more. Your words ring true and practical - - no woman, that I've ever encountered in my professional life, has ever said; "I won't marry him because his Equifax sucks." However, if more men and women looked closer at the reasons for the previous marriage having failed, or the reasons why their potential spouse's credit is so bad, a lot of divorce lawyers would be out of business - - including myself.

But, you and I both know that it doesn't happen, and won't happen. Love is a strong drug, that causes severe blindness.

Thanks for writing bbauer.

IAAL

[vrzirn]

No matter, love, lust, loneliness, the self-confidence that you can "fix it", or his promise to change, problems about finances can be devastating to a marriage. When they arise well into a relationship is bad enough but to go into a marriage with the crevass right ahead is suicide.My reply may have been terse but a great deal of thought and experience is behind it.

[JETX]

Originally posted by butterflygirlie
Does anybody know what will happen to my credit once I marry to my fiance, who has pretty bad credit? Will that affect my credit status? Thanks for any help at all.
Stacie

Interesting responses by all....

Butterflygirlie:
Though his bad credit will not directly affect yours, it will have an impact and will cost you more money (in higher rates).

Here is what will happen.....
Anytime that you jointly apply for credit (car, house, credit card, etc.), both of your credit histories will be reviewed. You may have a good rating, which would normally get you a 'preferred' (low) interest rate. However, his history will be an anchor to yours and bring BOTH of you into the subprime (higher rate) interest.

And if you are not VERY careful, then you will start to make application for credit in your name only, making you the ONLY liable party. What will you do when you are the ONLY liable party on a debt and you realize that there is a reason for his bad credit history?? This forum is FULL of questions from people who extended credit to others (friends, spouses, etc.) only to get stuck with the entire bill.

Oh please don't tell me that you think that one should:
<center>http://www.creditwrench.com/eyeball.gifhttp://www.creditwrench.com/eyeball.gif<br><br><br>for fear of getting a <br><br><br>http://www.creditwrench.com/skunk3s.gif<br><br><br>[size="6"](LOL)[/size]</center>

[sunfall]

Originally posted by bbauer
What is/was the cause of the problem? Was it the fact of a previous marriage that went bad? Is/was abuse of alcohol or drugs a causative factor? Possible job instability? You do need to find out what the causes are before you finally commit to a marriage that could turn out to be disasterous. It should be a warning that bad times might be ahead and that you should be much more cautious than you might otherwise have cause to be.

For more information about possible disasters, check out evanwilson's post. I am the sister she mentions. My ex blamed his ex for his bad credit, saying she ran up bills before she left him. That may be, but the fact is, he has not held a job for a straight year out of the last 10, and is a compulsive spender. I think in the two years he was divorced before we met, he could have gotten much of what was owed paid, had he only worked steadily. The failure to work and spending habits were a disastrous combination. I am a year out from my divorce, had just about gotten my feet under me, and now they have been knocked out again. My decision to marry took place nearly nine years ago. Talk about far reaching implications. That bad decision will now be riding me for another 10 years.

Well, Not much one can commment on there. Think it's about all been said. Can't make a marriage work with a heavy job instability pattern present.

The bills have to be paid somehow.

[email]bbauer1@netzero.net[/email]