which is safer?

[anti-something]

i need credit, so that leaves me needing to apply.

which method would any of y'all consider safer for applications

online

in store

by mail

[DocDon]

Any time personal information can be accessed by an individual, you've thrown out any security.

[anti-something]

you are, of course, 100% correct there Doc.

DH really wants me to establish my own credit (i piggy-back off his accounts) coz he is worried if he died i would be stuck not being able to get anything coz all the piggy-backed accounts would close.

but what would i need to buy on credit?? i spent 30 years of my life paying in cash, never even had a checking account, it worked for me, but it was a different country.

which once again brings me back to; do i really need credit.. is it worth the risk?

[DocDon]

I'm not a big fan of Ms. Orman when it comes to credit repair, but I agree with a point she made about women establishing their own credit and not depending on others / spouses.

The common thinking is "I don't need it", "husband takes care of everything", "he has an insurance policy".

Don't count on insurance (especially in the event the method of death nullifies the policy).

As an AU on your spouse's account, the OC may not let you simply take over the account. This means all that history is lost forever.

If you aren't privy to all financial info / transactions of your spouse, warning flags should pop up. Trust is essential in a relationship - instances of mysterious transactions are not so much an issue of infidelity as they are usually warnings of pending financial mayhem.

I look at it this way. I would want my family to go on with the same financial security and stability - my passing should disrupt the family emotionally, not financially. The last thing I would want is to have them be forced to sell the home, cars, investments, etc. because my spouse isn't capable of picking up where I left off.