In many divorces, assets are split down the middle. After that, each person moves on and begins anew. Unfortunately, some couples are brought back together by unforeseen circumstances. Rather than a chance encounter at the grocery store, sometimes all it takes is a bold move by a credit card company to get people talking again.
A recent article on The Consumerist details the story of one divorced couple reunited by a credit card company. When it was time for one reader to pay her credit card bill, she simply paid the $500+ bill and went on about her business. It wasn’t until she received an angry call from her ex that she found out Chase had taken the money from his checking account instead of hers. The couple had never shared an account before, but they did use the same credit union and still share a last name. Upon logging into the Chase website, the reader discovered her ex-husband’s account number as the default payment option. She has since repaid her ex for the bill and vowed to monitor her Chase account and checking account more frequently. As the reader points out, the situation could have easily been reversed, with her checking account being debited for someone else’s credit card payment.
This story did not have any far-reaching consequences, but what if that extra $500+ dollars had caused the reader’s ex-husband to miss a credit card payment of his own? His credit scores would have taken a serious hit. And what if he had been trying to get a loan for a house or a car? He could have been denied because of a black mark on his credit reports.
Whatever your marital status, you can avoid the “what-ifs” by signing up for the Power of 3 from FreeScore. You’ll receive access to your three credit scores and reports, as well as 24/7 credit monitoring and automatic alerts. Plus, if someone tries to steal your identity, FreeScore will put you in touch with licensed investigators to resolve the situation. Arm yourself with knowledge by keeping tabs on your finances and credit information and avoid being caught off-guard by unexpected charges.
Whew! We’ve made it through May, one of the busiest months of the year for weddings. Now that the newlyweds are starting to settle into matrimonial bliss, and the soon-to-be-wed are getting their finances in order, it may be a good time to talk about credit scores.
Many couples decide to open up joint accounts and combine finances after tying the knot and having children. While this may be convenient, it’s still important for each individual to continue to build his or her 
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