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The Daily Insight Hub

Can the cosigner credit be affected?

Author

Isabella Turner

Updated on February 14, 2026

Being a co-signer itself does not affect your credit score. Your score may, however, be negatively affected if the main account holder misses payments. You will owe more debt: Your debt could also increase since the consignee’s debt will appear on your credit report.

How is a credit score determined with a cosigner?

When someone cosigns a loan for you, it ties the loan to their credit for its entire term. If you stop making loan payments and your cosigner is unable to take them over, you will both notice a drop in your credit scores. On the other hand, cosigning could help your loved one build their credit score.

How does co signing affect your credit score?

Here are some common ways your credit score could be affected if you are a co-signer: Missed or late payments: Co-signers are required to make payments on the account if the main account holder misses payments. If the consignee makes late payments, or misses them altogether, then your credit score could drop.

What happens if you are late on a co-signer loan?

Late payments on a co-signed loan can have several negative effects on you and your co-signer. Your late payments can show up negatively on your co-signer’s credit report. When someone co-signs a loan for you, he agrees to pay off the loan in the event that you don’t pay.

How does a late payment affect your credit score?

Whether it’s a late car payment, credit card payment, or mortgage payment, a recent late payment can cause as much as a 90-110 point drop in your FICO score. As time goes on, the late payment will hurt your credit score less and less until it drops off.

What are the benefits of cosigning for a loan?

Benefits of Cosigning. In some cases, cosigning for a loan can help you improve your credit. That’s particularly true if you’ve never used credit in the past or you have several negative items in your credit history.