This is an excellent question. Let's talk about the what can happen with your credit if you have to go through a divorce. Divorce in an uncomfortable subject but nonetheless, people go through separation and divorce every day. This is very common in our society. There are many things in displacement because of the situation, and one of them is certainly your credit.
You should know that even the most amicable divorce can leave you in financial ruin. During your marriage, you probably, merged all of your finances, from your bank accounts, credit accounts, to ownership of your home. Its most likely that one of the partners took most of the responsibility when it came to paying bills, which left the other person in the dark about what was paid and how much. When you are married and committed, this arrangement is common but when the marriage goes to divorce, these common place arrangements contribute to and become credit problems.
If you are headed for divorce, worrying about your credit score may be the last thing on your mind. However, even during the most difficult times of our lives, the world keeps spinning, life goes on and the fact is, divorce can greatly impact your finances and credit history. If you are seeking or have finalized a divorce, it is time to assess what needs to be done to preserve or restore your financial reputation.
Here is some advice you may consider before and after your separation.
When you get a divorce, it is your marriage that is ending and not your shared financial responsibilities. Even if your spouse is responsible for some or most of the debt without your knowledge during the marriage, you may be held responsible for it after the divorce.
This can be avoided if you take the proper actions and sever all financial ties with your ex spouse. This is the norm and in most situations the ex spouse will be more than happy to cooperate due to the fact that each wants to get on with their lives. This is true of the ex spouse, but not the creditors. That is why it absolutely necessary to cut financial ties sooner rather than later.
Remember credit accounts are reported for each individual associated with that account, so if you are listed as a joint owner, cosigner, or authorized user, you must deal with that account before the divorce. That means closing the account completely by paying it off or ensuring that one name is totally removed from the account.
Many divorcing couples are confused by the role of the divorce decree. A divorce decree may specify who is responsible for accounts opened during the marriage, but it doesn’t break the contracts with the lenders. There is still responsibility as long as your name is on the account.
If the spouse responsible under the divorce decree is unable or unwilling to pay and the contract has not been changed by the lender, the late payments still will appear on both credit reports and will have a negative impact on credit scores for both individuals.
The missed payments can occur years after the divorce and still will be reported for all individuals associated with the account. That certainly can be an unpleasant surprise.
In some cases, vindictive behavior during the divorce by one or both spouses can have a very direct, very negative impact.
Sadly, an angry spouse may try to hurt their soon-to-be former wife or husband by making large credit purchases on joint accounts with the intent of punishing the other person with huge debts or wrecking their credit history. What they usually do not understand is that by doing so they also likely will destroy their own credit history at the same time.
There are many situations that can affect one's credit report. Best advise would be to keep a constant vigil on your credit. There are many ways and many programs that are available to monitor your credit. Especially under a separation situation, it is best to be in full control of your credit. Problems may still arise but the element of surprise will not be a factor.
"Credit is like a looking-glass, which when once sullied by a breath, may be wiped clear again; but if once cracked can never be repaired." - Sir Walter Scott
You should know that even the most amicable divorce can leave you in financial ruin. During your marriage, you probably, merged all of your finances, from your bank accounts, credit accounts, to ownership of your home. Its most likely that one of the partners took most of the responsibility when it came to paying bills, which left the other person in the dark about what was paid and how much. When you are married and committed, this arrangement is common but when the marriage goes to divorce, these common place arrangements contribute to and become credit problems.
If you are headed for divorce, worrying about your credit score may be the last thing on your mind. However, even during the most difficult times of our lives, the world keeps spinning, life goes on and the fact is, divorce can greatly impact your finances and credit history. If you are seeking or have finalized a divorce, it is time to assess what needs to be done to preserve or restore your financial reputation.
Here is some advice you may consider before and after your separation.
When you get a divorce, it is your marriage that is ending and not your shared financial responsibilities. Even if your spouse is responsible for some or most of the debt without your knowledge during the marriage, you may be held responsible for it after the divorce.
This can be avoided if you take the proper actions and sever all financial ties with your ex spouse. This is the norm and in most situations the ex spouse will be more than happy to cooperate due to the fact that each wants to get on with their lives. This is true of the ex spouse, but not the creditors. That is why it absolutely necessary to cut financial ties sooner rather than later.
Remember credit accounts are reported for each individual associated with that account, so if you are listed as a joint owner, cosigner, or authorized user, you must deal with that account before the divorce. That means closing the account completely by paying it off or ensuring that one name is totally removed from the account.
Many divorcing couples are confused by the role of the divorce decree. A divorce decree may specify who is responsible for accounts opened during the marriage, but it doesn’t break the contracts with the lenders. There is still responsibility as long as your name is on the account.
If the spouse responsible under the divorce decree is unable or unwilling to pay and the contract has not been changed by the lender, the late payments still will appear on both credit reports and will have a negative impact on credit scores for both individuals.
The missed payments can occur years after the divorce and still will be reported for all individuals associated with the account. That certainly can be an unpleasant surprise.
In some cases, vindictive behavior during the divorce by one or both spouses can have a very direct, very negative impact.
Sadly, an angry spouse may try to hurt their soon-to-be former wife or husband by making large credit purchases on joint accounts with the intent of punishing the other person with huge debts or wrecking their credit history. What they usually do not understand is that by doing so they also likely will destroy their own credit history at the same time.
There are many situations that can affect one's credit report. Best advise would be to keep a constant vigil on your credit. There are many ways and many programs that are available to monitor your credit. Especially under a separation situation, it is best to be in full control of your credit. Problems may still arise but the element of surprise will not be a factor.
"Credit is like a looking-glass, which when once sullied by a breath, may be wiped clear again; but if once cracked can never be repaired." - Sir Walter Scott
Marilu Nieto, The Home Biz Diva, is an experienced Real Estate Broker having helped countless families in the span of 24 years of service. If you would like more information regarding debt relief and debt relief services, visit my informative site at Consumer Debt Relief Info
I WAS SEARCHING FOR FINANCIAL FREEDOM AND I FOUND IT AT BestMoneyMakingOnlineSite
I WAS SEARCHING FOR FINANCIAL FREEDOM AND I FOUND IT AT BestMoneyMakingOnlineSite
No comments:
Post a Comment