Adults enter a marriage with their own credit history. If you apply for a loan together, the lender will consider the credit history and score of both parties. Only in the community property states of Arizona, California, Idaho, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin do lenders look at the credit reports of both parties when one person applies for credit. But, in all states, debt brought into the marriage belongs to the individual. A spouse cannot be held responsible for debt incurred by his or her partner prior to the marriage. A partner with a poor credit score will not bring his or her spouse’s score down. But a partner with a high score can help the spouse raise his or her score over time. Marriage has no effect on your credit reports or credit scores because the national credit bureaus do not include marital status in their records. There is no such thing as a couple's credit report or score. Couples need to understand, though, that their individual credit behavior can affect both partners.