How to Remove a Spouse's Credit Reports

A credit report is a record of how well a person has managed his finances, and it affects everything from interest rates on loans to qualifying for credit at all. For this reason, many married couples choose to keep their credit cards and loans separated under individual accounts. However, sometimes married couples open joint accounts, which are the only accounts that can appear on both spouse's credit reports. Removing joint accounts from a credit report requires the cooperation of both spouses and the lending company.

Instructions

1

Get a copy of each spouse's credit report and review each one together. Only joint accounts should appear on each report. Dispute any inaccuracies with the credit reporting agency (Equifax, TransUnion or Experian) as directed by the instructions on the forms attached to the report.

2

Ask your spouse to contact the lending company and request that your name be removed from joint accounts. Banks and other lenders will transfer the full balance to an account under one person's name if both parties request it. They can also close the account and divide the balance into separate accounts for each person upon request.

3

Wait three months and order a new credit report to verify that the accounts you wished removed no longer appear as your responsibility. If the accounts have been transferred to your spouse only, you can dispute them if they still appear on your report as open accounts. Follow the directions listed on the credit report for how to dispute an item.