I am a retired doctor, married, with net worth over $1.75 million and an annual income of about $150,000. To support women's equality over the years, my wife and I put many of our credit cards, utilities, and accounts in my wife's name. Almost all our credit cards have her as the primary account holder and me as an "add-on," all with very high limits that we built up over the years. Her credit report looks excellent.
I ended up with just one small credit card ($4,000 limit) in my own name. I find it annoying to have to use my wife's credit cards for larger purchases. Before applying for cards with higher limits, I requested a free annual credit report. Unlike my wife, I was asked for data about monthly payment amounts and loan holders for a mortgage and vehicle loan paid off nine years ago. I was asked to apply by mail, sending copies of my driver's license, utility bills, etc. It's as if I have no credit record. This is insulting and could be problematic should my wife be incapacitated. What should we do to merge the credit rating data? How else can I build an equally strong rating as my wife without starting over?
