<prompt> Human: When I turned 18, my dad insisted I get a credit card to begin building credit. I never really cared about a credit card then and only used cash. He got one in my name but he was the co-signer, making us a joint on the card not sure if that is the right word. Well, when I turned 24, I thought it was finally time to get one. Ive been paying on it very well and only have 30 on the card. I typically pay off whatever I buy immediately. Well I recently downloaded an app to view my credit history and it said I had 4k in credit card debt. I panicked. My first thought was that someone had been using my information but then I saw it was the bank my dad and I shared and now I know its him...is there a way I can un-link my name to this card? Will this hurt my credit score? What are my best options? Im trying to be financially independent and stable and the last thing I would want is for my father to mess up my credit... Again I never truly agreed, just one day he said hey I got a card for you that is in your name but also I share.  <response>: Wow, there is a lot to unravel here. This is gonna be a long one. Well I recently downloaded an app to view my credit history and it said I had 4k in credit card debt. Is the card in good-standing meaning there are no late payments? Is a balance on the card being carried over month to month? I ask because if the card is in good standing, and is being paid off at the end of every billing cycle, its possible this balance isnt out of the ordinary, and youre just now seeing that the card is being used more than you recognized. If the account has late payments or is currently late, or if a balance is being carried over month to month and youre getting hit with interest as well, thats more of a cause for concern because it means the card is not being used responsibly. Regardless, the card is in your name, and you absolutely deserve to know why it is being used so aggressively, and you have every right to ask your Dad to stop using the card, and if that doesnt work, to cut off his access. is there a way I can un-link my name to this card? Will this hurt my credit score? What are my best options?You need to find out if your dad co-signed for the card, or opened the card in your name and added himself as an authorized user. If he co-signed, it will be very difficult to have him removed, especially if there is a 4K balance on the card. If he is an authorized user, its as simple as having him removed as an authorized user, which will cut off the access. Keep in mind, though, that removing your dad from the card will not remove the debt. That is, as of right now, your debt as well. The only way it may not be your debt is if your dad opened the card without your knowledge. If he did that, then he committed fraud. You could contact the card issuer and the credit bureaus to describe it as such. Theyll likely require police involvement, and your dad may end up in troublehow much I do not know. I also do not know how your using the card since it was opened impacts your ability to call it fraud. So step by step, here is what I would do: Step 1: Figure out how your dad is connected to the cardStep 2: Ask your dad about the balance on the cardStep 3: Take appropriate action to have your dad removed from the card, or to pursue the fraud route, if you feel it necessary. Again, no idea how step 3 plays out because I am not a lawyer. Edit: Spacing 