Something popped up in my Instagram feed that led to a chain reaction this morning. I saw this post on @female.in.finance and took a screen-shot right away.
It seemed like a great idea, but I needed to analyze whether there were potential negative consequences and if it was worthwhile to add my children at their current ages (13, 10, 5, and 3). I’m willing to “play the credit score game” to help my children build credit by the time they enter adulthood but not at the expense of my own credit. So, the research began.
After posting this idea to two personal-finance Facebook groups, there were more questions than answers, but there were also several young adults who said that their parents utilized this strategy when they were teenagers, resulting in a credit score of 800+ for most of them by the time they were 18.
I then called the customer service numbers on both of the credit cards I carry. One is a Southwest Airlines card through Chase Bank, and the other is a Hilton Honors card through American Express. I notified the representative that I’m considering adding my children as authorized users on the card and had a few questions. The table below shows the questions I asked, as well as the answers from each bank.
Questions to Ask Before Adding an Authorized User
| Question | Chase Answer | AMEX Answer |
| How many authorized users can I add? | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| What is the age minimum? | None | 13 |
| Can I set a credit limit or spending limit? | Same credit limit as primary owner | Can set spending limit (min $200) – some charges do not apply to spending limit, such as gas station charges |
| Is a credit inquiry required for responsible party or user to add them? | No, SS # not even required | No, but SS# required for reporting purposes |
| What information is reported to credit bureaus? | Payment history is reported ONLY for responsible party, not authorized user (Child will just be listed as “authorized user” on account) | All payments history will be reported to credit bureaus on both responsible party and authorized users. Authorized users are considered “active”. |
| Will there be an additional annual fee? | No | No |
| Are there additional benefits for adding an authorized user? | Not at this time | For some cards, there is a promo offered to accrue additional bonus points after reaching sending amount on additional card. But it’s not currently available on this account. |
Here is some additional information for Discover card users as well:
Conclusion
Adding a child can be beneficial to his or her credit IF:
- The primary responsible party (parent) is fiscally responsible with his/her credit card account by making payments on time, limiting debt accrual, and using credit cards responsibly (only paying for items for which you have the cash to back them up).
- The primary responsible party has a credit limit of a few thousand dollars or more.
- The credit card company actually reports payments made under the authorized user’s name/social security number.
- The child learns key aspects of financial literacy and understands the pro’s and con’s of credit card use before having access to the actual card.
- The account is monitored regularly, checking for fraudulent charges and ensuring that all payments are made on time. (Don’t just open an account, leave the card in a drawer, and never check the statements.)
Potential Problems:
- If the account is not monitored or paid on time, this could hinder the child’s credit score, rather than help it.
- Having excellent credit at a young age could allow for someone to qualify for credit or a loan that he/she is not personally or financially ready for. A child needs to be taught the fundamentals before applying for any loans, credit cards, or housing on his/her own.
- If a child has access to the credit card or its number, he/she may rack up charges not approved by the parents, and the primary responsible party is liable for those charges.
What I Decided to Do
I added my 13 year old to my American Express card as an active authorized user. I set the spending limit to $200, and I denied access to cash from the card. I confirmed that it would not have an effect on my credit by going through the process of adding her as a user, as there would be no credit inquiries or credit checks to make this addition. She will not have access to the physical card until she has a job of her own and has been taught responsible use of the card.
If you’re looking for the right card for yourself and/or your family members, check out this post on Choosing the Right Card.
I would love to hear your stories related to this decision as well. Did it help or hinder you when your parents used this tactic? Have you done it for your own children? Why or why not?
I found that opening up this conversation in Facebook groups this morning led to multiple opinions and mostly positive reports of how parents helped their children in this way. I’m hopeful it’ll lead to positive results for our family as well.
Frugal with Four 