Yes. A cosigner is legally responsible for the debt, so the lender can report the account, including late payments and defaults, on the cosigner's credit report as well as the borrower's. The reporting still has to be accurate.
Cosigning means agreeing to repay someone else’s loan if they do not. Because you are liable, the account is your debt too, and lenders can report it on your credit report.
What appears on a cosigner’s report
- The account and its balance, as a joint or cosigned obligation
- Every late payment, charge-off, or collection, the same as on the borrower’s report
- Collection activity after a default, since the creditor can generally pursue the cosigner
The FTC warns cosigners that the debt can appear on their credit records and that late payments by the borrower can affect them. Under the FTC’s Credit Practices Rule, many lenders must give a cosigner a written notice explaining these risks before the cosigner becomes obligated.
Authorized users are different
An authorized user on a credit card is not the same as a cosigner. Authorized-user status is one of the liability issues a furnisher must investigate when you dispute directly under Regulation V. If you are listed as liable on an account where you were only an authorized user, or never agreed to be a cosigner, you can dispute that.
Accuracy still applies
The lender must report the cosigned account accurately for you as well as the borrower:
- Late payments must reflect what actually happened.
- If the loan was paid off, refinanced, or you were released from it, the reporting should reflect that.
- If your signature was forged or you never agreed to cosign, that is a liability dispute, and the account should not be reported as yours.
What to do
- Ask the lender for online access or copies of statements so you can monitor payments.
- If late payments appear, check whether they are accurate. If they are, discuss options with the borrower and lender.
- Dispute inaccurate information with the lender and with each credit bureau.
If a lender reports a loan you never cosigned, or keeps reporting inaccurate payment history after you dispute, a free case review can help, with no fee unless we win.
Related
- Sallie Mae lawsuit guide
- Capital One lawsuit guide
- How to Remove a Late Payment From Your Credit Report, and When You Can't
Sources
- FTC: Cosigning a Loan FAQs
- 16 CFR § 444.3 (eCFR): FTC Credit Practices Rule, cosigner notice
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681s-2 (Cornell LII)
- 12 CFR § 1022.43 (eCFR): direct disputes
Updated November 2026. This page is general information, not legal advice.