Credit Education
- Glossary of Credit Terms
- FAQs
- Preapproved Credit Offers
  
  What’s in a credit report, how can you check it and how often should you review it? Make sure your credit information is accurate and check your Experian, Equifax and TransUnion reports side-by-side with Experian’s 3 Bureau Online Credit Report.
  - Mailing Lists and
    Preapproved Offers
  - Opt Out
- Credit Advice
  
  Ask Experian
  
  Get credit information on the hottest topics from Experian’s team.
- Life Events and Credit
  
  Find out how life events affect your credit and how to build good credit for the major purchases in your life.
- Preventing Fraud
  
  Learn the warning signs of credit fraud, and get the credit information you need to protect yourself. Are you already a victim? Experian can help.
- Credit Scores
  
  What are credit scores, and how are they calculated? Get the answers to your credit score questions.
- Credit Reporting
  
  Improve your credit by understanding basic consumer credit information: what’s in a credit report, how to check it and how often you should review it.
Products
Disputes

Recovering from joint credit card debt with ex-boyfriend

Do you have a question about consumer credit? You may find an immediate answer by using the search engine. If you can't find what you're looking for, please fill out the form, being as specific as possible.

Please note: The Ask Experian team cannot respond to each question individually. However, if your question is of interest to a wide audience of consumers, the Experian team will include it in a future column.

Subscribe to RSS feed

Credit Advice

Topics addressed on October 1, 2008:

Recovering from joint credit card debt with ex-boyfriend

Dear Max,

I just found out today that the credit card that was in both my name and my ex-boyfriend’s name was never cancelled, although he claimed he would cancel it. In fact, it is now four months over due and is far over the credit limit because of late and over the limit fees. Now that I know, what is the best way to take care of this? If I bring it current, is there a way for my credit rating to be repaired quickly, or will this tarnish my credit for years to come?

- NNA

Dear NNA,

Your situation is an example of why I strongly discourage anyone from entering into a joint credit arrangement with a boyfriend or girlfriend. At the time, it may seem that you are going to have a long and loving future, but the relationship can crumble quickly.

Unlike a marriage, where you may have some legal recourse, when you break up with your boyfriend or girlfriend, you are on your own, but you both may be stuck with debt neither of you want and that hurts you both for months or years.

Because it is a joint account, you both share full responsibility for the debt. Even if he is the one who made the charges, you are contractually responsible to pay them.

Definitely call the credit card company, let them know what happened and ask if they have any advice.

At this point, most likely the best thing you can do is pay off the balance if possible and then ask the credit card company to close the account. If you cannot pay the entire balance, pay as much as you can and ask the lender to close the account to further charges.

Doing so will prevent the balance from increasing, and you can begin to make payments to reduce the debt. The missed payments will definitely hurt your credit, but the sooner the debt is repaid, the sooner your credit history will begin to recover.

Thanks for asking.

Credit Reporting

Improve your credit by understanding basic consumer credit information: what’s in a credit report, how to check it and how often you should review it.
Credit Scores

What are credit scores, and how are they calculated? Get the answers to your credit score questions.
Preventing Fraud

Learn the warning signs of credit fraud, and get the credit information you need to protect yourself. Are you already a victim? Experian can help.
Life Events and Credit

Find out how life events affect your credit and how to build good credit for the major purchases in your life.
Credit Advice

Ask Experian

Get credit information on the hottest topics from Experian’s team.
Preapproved Credit Offers

What’s in a credit report, how can you check it and how often should you review it? Make sure your credit information is accurate and check your Experian, Equifax and TransUnion reports side-by-side with Experian’s 3 Bureau Online Credit Report.
- Mailing Lists and
  Preapproved Offers
- Opt Out
FAQs
Glossary of Credit Terms

Credit 101

Personal Services