Trying to help a borrower get a lower rate, and I've not experienced the following before. The lower income earner had a 740+ score previously that now bounces up and down below the 740 mark.

A. One Spouse has higher income and carries larger credit balances on trade lines in place prior to marriage

B. High income Spouse then adds the other to existing credit card accounts (these are business lines, and lower income spouse is now an employee in the family business)

C. Lower income spouse keeps previous lower limit trade lines open

D. Neither spouse applies for new credit, reflecting the higher household income after nuptials

E. Lower income spouse gets dinged on CR for maintaining too high of credit balance (but business pays all credit balances in full every month)

So...

Does the lower income spouse need to apply for new credit using the now higher household income?

close existing (individual) lines and reopen with new combined income?

take the lower income spouse off the high balance lines?

The lower income spouse was advised to apply for new credit showing higher household income, but had seen a big hit to their credit score due to the amount of credit used and high balances. ( I'm Assuming that would impact the new credit though)

TIA

Hmm...I wouldn't recommend closing the individual established credit lines, that will likely hurt the score more.

Who do you get your credit reports through? CoreLogic?

Factual data

The ping ponging of the score was shown in the MyFICO app correlated to "high balance alerts" and referencing an old CR.

I've held off on CR request to see if there's anything to do first