Spouse as Auth. User and total available credit

[JustinTI]

I've been lurking here for a while, but this is my first post.

I'm married, so I almost always apply for credit cards for both myself and my wife during churns.  I also usually add myself as and AU on her account and her as and AU on my account.  I always just figured why not, and it could make it easier to meet spend requirements if we're coming down to the wire.

But after reading through the thread (http://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=11216.0) where people have had all their Chase accounts axed because of too much total available credit, it has me nervous that we each have too much available credit...I'm considering going back and canceling all authorized users and not adding any in the future.

Would this reduce each of our total available credit, or would it have no affect since we both live in the same household and are married?  Is the Chase axe very rare and something I really shouldn't even be concerning myself with?  Each of our total available credit is about 120% of our annual household income, but we never carry a balance.

Any thoughts?  I tried searching and did not find much on this particular topic, though this thread had some similar discussion:

http://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=13049.0

[netzih]

I've been lurking here for a while, but this is my first post.

I'm married, so I almost always apply for credit cards for both myself and my wife during churns.  I also usually add myself as and AU on her account and her as and AU on my account.  I always just figured why not, and it could make it easier to meet spend requirements if we're coming down to the wire.

But after reading through the thread (http://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=11216.0) where people have had all their Chase accounts axed because of too much total available credit, it has me nervous that we each have too much available credit...I'm considering going back and canceling all authorized users and not adding any in the future.

Would this reduce each of our total available credit, or would it have no affect since we both live in the same household and are married?  Is the Chase axe very rare and something I really shouldn't even be concerning myself with?  Each of our total available credit is about 120% of our annual household income, but we never carry a balance.

Any thoughts?  I tried searching and did not find much on this particular topic, though this thread had some similar discussion:

http://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=13049.0

wow asher0 will love this:))

[AsherO]

wow asher0 will love this:))

Who is Asher0? A search shows a bunch posts mentioning this guy...

[AJK]

I'm considering going back and canceling all authorized users and not adding any in the future.

Would this reduce each of our total available credit . . .

This is something I have wondered as well - if one is an AU, is that person's credit util % affected?

[AsherO]

This is something I have wondered as well - if one is an AU, is that person's credit util % affected?

I don't think that is the case, but I don't have any experience with that.

[AJK]

I don't think that is the case, but I don't have any experience with that.

It seems from Credit Karma (however reliable that is) that my being an AU on my wife's account affects my credit util %...

[netzih]

Who is Asher0? A search shows a bunch posts mentioning this guy...

sorry it was a mistake it was supposed to be AsherO (you got me there)

[robi]

It seems from Credit Karma (however reliable that is) that my being an AU on my wife's account affects my credit util %...

-1. my wife is AU on her dads card, doesn't affect util %   according to credit karma

[tuvz]

-1. my wife is AU on her dads card, doesn't affect util %   according to credit karma

Im an AU on my brother in laws card and it does affect my utl according to credit karma

[AJK]

-1. my wife is AU on her dads card, doesn't affect util %   according to credit karma

I'm not sure what you -1'ing. Are you telling me that CK does not include my wife's credit util? Really?

Im an AU on my brother in laws card and it does affect my utl according to credit karma

Uh oh. Be careful or robi may tell you what your account says, too.

[meshugener]

It seems from Credit Karma (however reliable that is) that my being an AU on my wife's account affects my credit util %...

what Credit Karma says is not what CC issuers calculate. E.g. They use wife's age of credit history to calculate your average age of history. While, at least Chase, (in my experience), don't count on it.

[robi]

I'm not sure what you -1'ing. Are you telling me that CK does not include my wife's credit util? Really?

Uh oh. Be careful or robi may tell you what your account says, too.

I'm not sure what you -1'ing. Are you telling me that CK does not include my wife's credit util? Really?

Uh oh. Be careful or robi may tell you what your account says, too.

Not telling YOU anything cv's cv's. Just saying that on MY wife's account, it shows my fil debt, which is more than her entire credit line, and by utilization it shows 8%

[netzih]

Not telling YOU anything cv's cv's. Just saying that on MY wife's account, it shows my fil debt, which is more than her entire credit line, and by utilization it shows 8%

that's probably because it is 8% including your limit on that card (don't attack me I'm just guessing that that's the case I might be wrong)

[JustinTI]

I just did the math on my AMEX Credit Secure credit report, and I confirmed that my total available credit (at least according to AMEX credit secure) includes not only my accounts but also all accounts on which I am a AU, which just about doubles my total available credit.

I think I am going to cancel all authorized user cards that we don't actually use.

[AJK]

Not telling YOU anything cv's cv's. Just saying that on MY wife's account, it shows my fil debt, which is more than her entire credit line, and by utilization it shows 8%

That seems to reinforce my point rather than weaken it...

Say your wife's CL is $100, and your FIL's CL is $10,000.

Assume further that your FIL's current debt right now is $808.

1) His debt is more than your wife entire CL, and 2) if her utilization INCLUDES her FIL's CL, then it is 8% (808/10100).

Follow?