Final answer:
A lender cannot require the spouse of a creditworthy applicant to cosign on a loan due to the Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1974, which prohibits discrimination based on sex, marital status, and other factors in the credit application process.
Step-by-step explanation:
This practice was commonplace in the past, where often a married woman needed her husband's approval to receive a loan, and lenders did not consider her income. However, after a significant push from feminists and consumer activists regarding gender discrimination in lending practices, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act was passed in 1974. This act made it illegal for creditors to discriminate against credit applicants on the basis of sex, marital status, and other specified criteria, thus prohibiting the requirement of a cosigner based solely on one's marriage to the applicant.