Dave Ramsey says: Parent’s request for secrecy about loan is out of bounds

Dear Dave,

My wife and I are in our late 20s, and we’re on Baby Step 6.

Recently, my mom reached out to me for help. She has a car lease that ends next month, and she asked to borrow $2,000 so she can pay it off.

It’s a weird situation because my parents keep separate accounts and don’t combine their finances. My mom also asked me not to tell my wife about all this.

What’s your advice?

– Daniel

Dear Daniel,

I don’t do anything I can’t tell my wife about – ever.

If I’m in a meeting, and someone tells me what’s said in that room has to stay in that room, that I can’t talk to anyone else about it under any circumstances, I’ll get up and leave. In my mind, keeping things from my wife is against the law.

Your mom is out of control to even think about asking you to do this, and you need to have a serious talk with her.

Let her know you love her, but she has no right to ask this of you, and it’s not something you’d do. Let her know, too, that she’s never to ask for anything like this again.

If she needs $2,000, she should be talking to her husband about the idea. They should be living with combined finances anyway. So, it sounds like they’ve got issues to straighten out between themselves.

It’s time folks started laying their cards on the table and stopped sneaking around. That’s no way for a husband and wife to live, and your mom has no business trying to drag you into all of it behind everyone’s back!

— Dave

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