A woman told "The Ramsey Show" that her husband drained $386,000 from their accounts, admitting, "I've been stealing from us." The caller, identified as Sarah, said she had been married less than three years and entered the marriage with a net worth of more than $1 million. Her husband reported $160,000 in assets, but she later discovered that money was tied to loans.
Prenup Signed But Truth Later Unraveled
Sarah explained that she initiated a prenuptial agreement requiring her to match her fiancé's assets. Any excess wealth, she said, would be set aside for their children. She believed his $160,000 reflected real value, but she later learned it was borrowed.
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"Fast forward, I just started seeing our accounts getting lower and lower when I believed they should have been going higher," Sarah said. When she pressed for access to his business account, he admitted, "He admitted that he had been stealing from us … his words were, ‘from me' … and that he is a fraud."
Accounts Emptied And Business Struggling
Sarah said her husband took more than $100,000 from joint savings and another $286,000 from premarital accounts. She explained the money was not spent on addictions or infidelity. Instead, she found he had been trying to keep his struggling business afloat while hiding its losses.
"Instead of telling me only a certain amount of money was coming in so I could budget, we were going on vacations," she told hosts Jade Warshaw and Rachel Cruze. She also revealed he racked up $130,000 in personal debt while maintaining the appearance of financial stability.
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Warshaw pressed for details, asking whether the missing savings were used to cover the failing business. She also questioned Sarah about what made her feel the need to sign a prenup in the first place, wondering if she had seen any red flags.
Shock And Next Legal Steps
The caller said she is still in shock two months after the confession. With two children under the age of two, she explained she is reluctant to separate but has taken steps to protect her finances.
"I have already done most of that, and I'm in the mess of a postnup, which he has agreed to," Sarah said. The new agreement would specify that his debts remain his responsibility.
Cruze told her that living with lies of this scale can destroy trust and that separating finances immediately was crucial. She stressed that drawing clear boundaries was not selfish but necessary to protect both Sarah and her children.
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Still In Shock But Focused On Children
Sarah admitted she is trying to process what happened while considering her children's future. "I have to say I'm still in shock," she said.
Cruze compared the situation to marital infidelity, explaining that financial deceit carries similar weight. She urged Sarah to seek professional help and maintain safeguards until her husband demonstrates lasting change. Sarah added that counseling was not affordable at the moment.
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