Getting a credit card in retirement

tcm2007

Hi,

We have a number of credit cards, but all are in my name with my wife as an additional cardholder. If I predecease her, she will be left with no access to a credit card.

Any advice on how to get a card in her name? She has decades of history as an additional card holder. Her current pension income is only £5k as we are not drawing down her orivate pension yet.

oldernonethewiser

Has she tried the tool on this very site?

https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/eligibility/credit-cards/

Woodstok2000

Have you tried the MSE tool - that'll give you a reasonable idea of what might be possible for you.

flaneurs_lobster

Unfortunately the 'decades of history as an additional cardholder' will not be relevant when the CC issuers look at an application.

eskbanker

Any advice on how to get a card in her name? She has decades of history as an additional card holder. Her current pension income is only £5k as we are not drawing down her orivate pension yet.

Unfortunately an additional cardholder doesn't build any history in credit management terms, but how long will it be until she starts to have more significant income in her own name?

redux

Try a search or application anyway. Even a few hundred quid limit is a start, and higher might not be needed for a while

daveyjp

Start with an application to the bank she has her main current account with.

lr1277

Many cards have a minimum income requirement. You can find this out by typing into Google:

[card name/card product] minimum income

For example the Nationwide credit card has a minimum income of £5k.

Nasqueron

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82128739#Comment_82128739

Though keep in mind not all are published by the issuer and may not be reliable.

Further, as a general rule, do not use the info to inflate earnings

Nebulous2

Any credit agreements in her name? Mobile, broadband, utilities etc?

It is worth having something in her name so she has some credit history.

horsewithnoname

I’d certainly get my own credit card if I were your wife, even something like Aqua or any other credit builder card. Then use it each month and set up a DD to pay it all off, and build some credit history. I’ve seen the mess that ensues when on spouse - generally the husband- does all the financial stuff and then dies and leaves extra fuss and mess for their widow.