Household income when spouse does not work

A question about : Household income when spouse does not work

I have decided to pause my super tarting activities for a couple of months until one of my cards 0% deal ends.

However, my wife is considering joining the club by applying herself (gulp!). Trouble is she is a non-earning, hard working housewife/mum.

Are there any companies out there which take into account household income rather than just the income of the individual making the application?

If she applies using my income will that affect my credit rating anyway?

Thanks

Best answers:

• That's a good question, actually.
  When applying as 'self' you will always put down 'own' income first, but may often also have a box to put a higher (or additional) figure for the 'household' in which you are an adult.
  It may be that credit card issuers simply apply a lower 'weight' [eg 50 percent] to any difference between 'own' and 'household' to take account of the fact that is must be split with at a least one other adult. Checks on credit reference files for the applicant will be linked to the other adult(s) at the same address. (YOU)
  So, bearing in mind..
  1) The current state of the 'market' [they virtually 'give' credit cards away...]
  2) Your own personal creditworthiness [all of it on file]
  3) Even allowing the wife to have credit in the first place! [sexist quip]...
  You might consider allowing Mrs 40079 to put in a test application, and see what happens? I suppose that if she is rejected it could be more problematical for you than if she isn't? (since I assume you have had no problems so far, and working out if her rejection is tied to you or simply because she has no income of her own may require you to call up the credit card company for some reasons - which they may or may not give)
  She could therefore
  1) Contact all potential credit card issuers and ask them for their policy (without giving name etc) on such applications.
  2) Decide which cards to apply for according to whatever criteria you may agree are important (e.g. whether to apply to card co.s you have accounts with OR the ones which you don't?)
  When you're happy to proceed do let us know the outcome and/or anything helpful you learn along the way.
• I am a homemaker - yeah right! I have just received my Virgin card - based on household income mainly I think (I do have some savings and investment income tho).
  Anyhoo - shouldn't be a problem.
• Thanks for your replies, very helpful.
  I need to try and continue my tarting in September and have been attempting to ascertain the best way of going about it.
  Simply ringing the companies to ask their policy makes sense, I'm sure Mrs 40079 will oblige- she's certainly got the nous (spelling?!) to do it and it can't do any harm.
  In fact last year she got a Sainsbury's card based on our household income with a decent credit limit but early this year the limit offered by Halifax (who approached her as an existing bank account customer) was paltry so she declined.
  In September I think I'll get Mrs 40079 to ring Egg first. If she gets it that will almost give us year round 0% into 2006 with the anniversary offers (mine from April, hers from September) If not Virgin sounds the way to go.
  I'll report back in a month or so.