During an episode of The Ramsey Show, a woman sought advice from financial expert Dave Ramsey on how to deal with her mother’s financial situation and her siblings’ irresponsible behavior.
What Happened: On the July 18 episode of The Ramsey Show, a woman named Katie shared her family’s financial situation. Her mother, who was widowed in 2013, was left with a significant amount of debt after her father’s passing.
Despite having around $100,000 left from selling her home and receiving $2,000 in Social Security, Katie's mother has been quietly supporting another daughter who refuses to work more than two days a week to retain government aid.
“We feel, my husband and I feel that we are supporting her financially and finding out that we have siblings who are taking advantage of her financially,” the woman said.
Ramsey didn't hold back, calling the dependent sibling a "parasite" and warning Katie that her mother's financial missteps would soon fall on her.
She's going to burn through that $100,000 supporting the parasites, he said. "Then you’re going to be stuck with a mom in the house, and you’re going to be caring for your mom, and she’s going to have social security checks off.”
"Enabling always harms the recipient," Ramsey said.
Dave Ramsey advised that, for the sake of your peace of mind, you'll likely need to take two key steps. First, accept the reality of the situation and make peace with it.
Second, have a clear, calm, and direct conversation with your mother about her behavior and firmly tell her it needs to stop.
Why It Matters: This is not the first time The Ramsey Show has addressed complex family financial situations. In a recent episode, a caller sought advice on a real estate plan involving her husband’s family and a $1 million debt.
In another episode, a woman discovered her boyfriend’s $80,000 secret debt after a decade-long relationship and turned to The Ramsey Show for urgent advice.
Earlier in the show, a couple who had once been debt-free shared how they still ended up accumulating $46,000 in credit card debt, even after following Ramsey's financial principles.
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