Detecting Hidden Credit Card Debt: What You Need to Know

You could be responsible for your husband's hidden credit card debt.

If your spouse is demonstrating signs that the two of you are in financial trouble, such as emptying out a joint checking account or liquidating assets, you may have good reason to suspect that he has credit card debt you aren't aware of. According to USA Today, if you live in a community property state, you may be legally responsible for repaying your spouse's debts whether you were aware of them or not. If you suspect your husband has credit cards you don't know about, make an immediate effort to find out.

Step 1

Poke around in his car, wallet and laundry for credit card receipts. Look at the payment method on any receipts you find. Although credit card receipts don't list the full account number, they do list the last four digits. Compare those digits on the credit card receipts to your current accounts.

Step 2

Look in your husband's wallet for credit cards you don't recognize.

Step 3

Ask your husband if he has secret credit cards. Your husband may come clean about his hidden credit card accounts if you ask. It's also possible that your husband isn't trying to deceive you, but merely failed to mention an additional account.

Step 4

Suggest to your spouse that both of you review your credit reports for errors. Credit card accounts are reported to the credit bureaus and will appear on your husband's credit report. Alternatively, download his credit report yourself (see "Annual Credit Report" link in the Resource section).

Step 5

Review your spouse's recent online purchases. Most online merchants send invoices via email that contain the payment method the individual used to make the purchase. Check any online invoices you find to determine if your husband is shopping online with a secret credit card.

Step 6

Start checking the mail (including email) before your husband. If your husband has credit cards you don't know about, the bills have to arrive sooner or later. By being the first to the mailbox, you can check for billing statements from credit card companies you don't recognize. If your husband checks the mail himself as soon as it arrives, however, this may be a sign that he is hiding credit card accounts.

Step 7

Look up the history log on your husband's computer, and look for frequent visits to the website of an email provider that you don't use. Your husband may be using a secret email account to access his credit card bills and statements online. This ensures that the statements don't arrive in the mail and alert you to the hidden debt.

Step 8

Review your joint bank account statements for payments you don't recognize. Bank statements detail all of the payments and deposits account holders make. If your husband is writing checks to credit card companies you don't know about, you can feel fairly certain he has secret credit cards.

Tip

Your spouse may have his credit card bills sent to a P.O. box to prevent you from finding out about his accounts. Thus, a lack of credit card statements coming in the mail doesn’t prove that your husband is innocent.