Your credit report shows every account in your name, including joint accounts you may have forgotten, and in a divorce it matters because your credit decides whether you can refinance, buy out your spouse or buy your next home. Pull your reports from all three credit bureaus early, before anything about the house gets decided."I didn't know some of my spouse's things show up on my credit report!" I hear that a lot, and the next question is usually which things, exactly, an ex can affect. Surprises like that are much easier to handle before a settlement is signed than after.
How do you get your credit reports?
You can get free reports from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion every week at AnnualCreditReport.com, and the Federal Trade Commission confirmed in 2023 that weekly access is permanent. Pull all three, because each bureau can show slightly different information, and save copies for your attorney.
What can your ex affect on your credit report?
Your ex shows up on your report only through accounts that are tied to you, and these are the ones to look for:
- Joint accounts, meaning any credit card, loan, line of credit or mortgage with both of your names on it. Every payment, late or on time, and every dollar of the balance shows up on both of your reports.
- Loans you co-signed for your spouse, like a car loan in their name. Co-signing makes you responsible for the debt, so a missed payment can land on your credit record too.
- Cards where you're an authorized user on your spouse's account. That card can appear on your report, so a high balance or a late payment can follow you until you're taken off.
- Inquiries from joint applications, which show up when the two of you apply for credit together.
- Accounts you don't recognize, which can point to something opened in both of your names, a mistake or fraud.
The good news is that your spouse's own accounts, the ones in their name only, don't appear on your report, because getting married never combined your credit histories. That's why the joint accounts are the ones that matter most.
What do you do if something looks wrong?
If you find a mistake, you can dispute it with the credit bureau that shows it. If you find an account you didn't know about, don't close or change anything on your own. Bring it to your attorney first, because joint debts are part of what gets divided in your settlement, and my article on protecting your credit during a divorce explains what to do next with joint accounts.
How does your credit affect the house?
A lender looks at your credit when you apply to refinance the mortgage on your own, buy out your spouse or buy a new home. A late payment on a joint loan can lower your score even after you've moved out, because the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the federal agency that looks out for borrowers, explains that a divorce decree doesn't take your name off a joint debt. If you're hoping to keep the house, ask a lender, ideally a Certified Divorce Lending Professional (CDLP®), to review your credit before the settlement is final, so the plan is built on numbers that will actually work.
Your credit is one piece of the bigger question of what to do with the house, and my overview of whether you have to sell the house in an Illinois divorce lays out every option. I'm Megan Sullivan, a real estate broker and REALTOR® with Compass and a Certified Divorce Real Estate Expert (CDRE®) in Chicago. My Divorce and the House FAQs answer the questions I hear most, and when you're ready to talk about your home, schedule a conversation with me.
Megan Sullivan is a Chicago real estate broker with Compass, a Certified Divorce Real Estate Expert (CDRE®), and founder of The Divorce Collab. She helps divorcing homeowners understand their property options and coordinate with their professional team. A North Side resident for more than 25 years, she also works with local buyers and sellers.
This article is general education, not legal, credit or financial advice.
