Financial Expert Dave Ramsey Tells Woman She Made ‘Really Dumb’ Move With Her Debt Before Getting Married

Financial expert Dave Ramsey recently explained how certain joint financial moves with a significant other should be made after marriage.

On the Thursday, September 3, episode of The Ramsey Show, the radio personality, 66, got a call from a 22-year-old woman named Holly from Austin, Texas, who asked: “How can I better encourage my fiancé to try to continue to better our income without him feeling like I’m telling him he’s not making enough money?”

Holly then shared, “About a year ago, we started getting really serious about paying off our debt,” because they wanted to save for a house.

“Well, you don’t buy a house or pay off each other’s debt until you’re married,” Ramsey stated.

Meanwhile, Holly — who said she and her fiancé will tie the knot next year — dropped a bombshell, revealing their debt has been combined for about a year and a half.

“That’s really dumb. You’re going to have a nightmare on your hands. No, no, no, no. Please do not do that with somebody you’re not married to,” Ramsey begged. “This is a disaster.”

The combined debt in both of their names consists of “two vehicles, a credit card, and a car hauling trailer,” according to Holly.

“Please have a celebration one year from now and get married this weekend. You are so vulnerable that your goose is cooked if something happens here,” Ramsey declared. “This is so scary. You have no idea the mess you have potentially made.”

The Total Money Makeover author further warned Holly against purchasing a home before being officially married.

“You are playing with fire, and if you don’t get burned in this, I’ll be shocked. Please do not buy a house with someone you are not married to,” he remarked. “You are doing what we call, in legal terms, a general partnership, and if he dies and there is no will, you will own a house with his mother. This is the kind of crap you’re playing with that you don’t even know about.”

With a final plea, Ramsey said: “If you’re going to own cars together and buy houses together, get married first and do your celebration a year from now.”