Personal Credit Cards Often Overlooked In Asset Protection Planning
If you and your spouse (or you and anyone else) have a joint credit card account, then both of you are fully liable for all the credit card debt. Many couples open a joint account for convenience. But keep in mind that if your spouse or partner runs up a huge credit card bill, you are personally liable for all that debt. I am certainly not suggesting that a joint credit card account is always a bad idea. My wife and I have one. But the joint liability is something to be aware of when you open an account. From an asset protection standpoint, it will generally be best to avoid having two parties liable for any significant debt when you only need to have one responsible party.
Credit cards are not going to be the principal focus of your asset protection plan. But in many instances they should be considered -- and they are often overlooked.
