I have recently received my credit reports from all three companies. When looking at them, I saw that a couple of accounts have potentially negative items on them. When reviewing them, I got a bit confused on the terms under "Responsibility". Some say individual (I figured that one out!), some say authorized user and some say joint. What is the difference between an authorized user and joint? Am I responsible for those that name me as an authorized user? If not, how do I dispute them to get them off my record? Thank you for any information you can give. I am currently going through a divorce and my soon-to-be ex has really messed up our credit. I need to get mine back on track before I refinance my home.

Hi, and welcome to the forum. If you have a local bank and know someone there, a clerk you frequently go to, or even a credit advisor, have him/her explain this issue to you and then at the same time have the accounts changed if possible. As far as I know, joint means that both of you are aurthorized. Authorized could mean just you or both, so see if you can prove what you purchased to try and get it cleared. Again, good luck.

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