Sometimes, parents have a way of interfering with their children’ s lives — even when their kids are fully functioning, financially independent adults.
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Such was the situation that prompted a 30-year-old woman named Nicole from Sacramento, California, to call into “The Ramsey Show.”
Nicole spoke to co-hosts Ken Coleman and George Kamel and explained that, a while back, her mother handed her a Capital One credit card with no explanation.
Nicole isn’t a credit card user, so she tucked the card away and didn’t think much of it. But when she pulled her credit report recently, she was surprised to find the Capital One account listed on it — and she wasn’t happy, to say the least.
It turns out Nicole had been added as an authorized user on her mother’s credit card. This means while her mother remained the primary cardholder on the account, Nicole could use her own credit card linked to the account to make purchases and would not be responsible for any debt.
This may sound like a generous gift, but being added as an authorized user can hurt you in some situations.
‘I have never applied for any credit whatsoever’
Experian reports that the average consumer credit card balance was $6,730 as of the third quarter of 2024. That’s a 3.5% increase from a year prior.
But some people don’t like to use credit cards, or borrow money in any capacity. Nicole is one of them.
"I have never applied for any credit whatsoever," she told Coleman and Kamel. As such, she was annoyed to see the card account on her credit report.
Nicole did ask to be removed as an authorized user on the credit card prior to calling into “The Ramsey Show” — and she was reassured that, while it could take a bit longer than a few weeks for the account to get removed from her credit report, it should be happening in the near future.
But still, the hosts agreed that the situation was aggravating.
"That’s not cool," Kamel said in response to hearing that Nicole’s mom had added her to the card without asking. "That’s a weird thing to do to your grown adult child."
Coleman praised Nicole for not jumping at the opportunity to spend. "You had the discipline to get rid of it," he said.
Interestingly, Nicole called the show before talking to her mother about the situation.
"That was an immediate headache," said Nicole.
Coleman suggested that Nicole send her mom a quick text explaining that she doesn’t want the card and had asked to be removed. He didn’t want Nicole to have to expend energy explaining to her mom that she’s someone who doesn’t want to rely on or use credit.
Read more: Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan ‘works every single time’ to kill debt, get rich in America — and that ‘anyone’ can do it
How to protect your credit
Getting added to a credit card as an authorized user could have a negative impact on your credit score.
It’s not known what Nicole’s mom’s financial habits are, but a high utilization rate, late payments, or charge-offs she was responsible for could also hurt Nicole’s credit score.
Kamel said one thing Nicole could do in this situation is file a dispute with credit bureaus that have the Capital One card listed on her account — that is, if it doesn’t drop off by itself shortly. But since that should happen, a dispute may not be necessary.
Nicole was also advised to check her credit report regularly to monitor for unwanted activity. It’s possible to get a free copy of your credit report from each bureau every week. There are three — Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion — and there’s no guarantee that all three reports will be the same. So, it’s a good idea to check them all on a regular basis.
That’s sound advice for consumers in general, because keeping tabs on your credit report could also alert you to fraud, or to growing credit card balances that could have a negative impact on your credit score if you don’t take steps to break the cycle.
As frustrating as it was for Nicole to be added to a credit card account when she didn’t ask for it, being added as an authorized user this way is not a crime or unethical. It’s more a question of ignoring boundaries.
But the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) says it received around 449,000 reports in 2024 from people whose information was misused with an existing credit card or when applying for a new one. A credit freeze can prevent you from becoming a victim of fraud. When you freeze your credit, credit card companies and lenders cannot do a hard inquiry on your credit report. This means you can’t have a new account opened in your name.
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This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
