An authorized user account will help only if the account you are adding the authorized user to is managed properly and the balance isn’t too high. It’s also questionable as to whether or not the account will show up on the authorized user’s credit report(s).
In July 2008, FICO announced that they reversed their decision and would
continue to count authorized user accounts from their new FICO 08 scoring
formula. (In September 2007, Fair Isaac Corporation had announced that they would
no longer factor authorized user accounts into their credit scoring formulas.)
So, long story short: Authorized user accounts are counted in current FICO credit scores,
although the company has added additional features to block the impact of
piggybacking services.
Remember: If the information isn’t showing up on an authorized user's credit reports, it can’t help (or hurt) his/her credit scores. If your not sure an account is being reported properly, you can always check your credit reports online to find out.
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