My husband and I don’t have combined finances as my credit is far better than his (lots of financial mistakes when he was younger). I was working full time until June of 2025, but due to the nature of my shift work job and being pregnant, I had to step down to part time then I started FMLA in September 2025. Since then, I’ve maintained a part time position. Until this month, I’ve only been working my required 3 shifts a month totaling to about $700 a month due to scheduling conflicts with my husband’s job and childcare. He recently has more “off days” so I’m able to work more. We’d like to purchase a new (to us) car with a loan using my credit (732-740 depending on the bureau), but he’ll be paying the car note. I understand lenders will want to see proof of income from me. How do I navigate this as my recent paystubs don’t reflect “sufficient” income now?
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Hi K! Many couples find themselves in a similar situation, where one spouse has a higher credit score than the other. Generally speaking, most lenders pull scores from all three credit bureaus and use the middle score. If there are multiple applicants, then the lowest middle score is used to determine the rate.
All is not lost; you have options. You can apply with a local credit union to see if you can get more favorable financing, since they’re more flexible than traditional lenders. You would both apply, and both would be on the loan.
Are you working additional shifts now? Can you wait a few weeks to have thirty days of pay stubs showing a higher income? Will the car title be in both of your names?
I don’t have enough information to give you actionable advice; however, from what you outlined, there are a couple of options worth considering:
Can you continue driving your current car until you’re back working full-time?
While you’re driving your current car, it may make more sense for you and your husband to work together to clean up his credit, pay off consumer debt, and build an emergency fund before jumping into a new car payment. The average car payment is roughly $700 a month.