Every woman should be establishing her OWN credit from the day she gets married—if not before.  You should have at least two credit cards—an American Express and a bank Visa or Mastercard that are in your name only—no way linked to your husband.  You should also have at least one or two department store credit cards.  Make little purchases every month and pay them off on time to establish credit in your name.  You should have your own checking and savings/money market and a stock account,  also in your name only—not tied to your husband in any way.

If possible you should also have a piece of property in your name only.  At the very least, any piece of property you buy with your husband (house or apartment, for example) should be in both of your names, with “Right of Survivorship.”

Your name should be on some of your household accounts, like the electricity, gas, phone and cable. All these are so important in case a divorce should happen to you.  This will help you establish your own credit (it is very difficult to get credit as a divorced woman), and keep your husband from canceling your credit cards, bank accounts, shutting off the electricity, etc. and leaving you helpless and vulnerable.

You have to think ahead and protect yourself every way you can.  If a divorce doesn’t happen to you, you’ll still be better off having established your own credit. Unfortunately, sometimes life throws you a curve ball, and a divorce happens when you least expect it.