Amanda from Tampa, Florida, told "The Ramsey Show" she only discovered she was tied to an $11,500 loan when she noticed a receipt left out at her parents' home.
The single mother explained that she thought her parents had stepped in to cover a car repair after a hurricane evacuation. Instead, she learned the money came from a $30,000 home equity line of credit in their name — and she was assigned a portion without being told. The unexpected debt, she said, "added pressure as I tried to get back on my feet" after divorce, job loss, and caring for her three-year-old.
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Parents Took Loan Without Her Knowledge
Amanda said her father handled the repair through a mechanic friend and never explained the arrangement. "I wasn't aware of this until afterwards," she said. "My parents ended up helping out, but they're the kind of people where strings are attached."
She added that the receipt she stumbled across confirmed what had happened. That moment, she explained, revealed she had been tied to part of the debt without her consent.
Hosts Call Out Hidden Strings
The revelation raised immediate concerns for co-hosts Jade Warshaw and John Delony. "I think they wanted to take out a HELOC, and I think you gave them a good excuse to do it," Warshaw said.
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Delony stressed urgency in addressing the balance. "I think I would treat this like the IRS — put it at the very top and pay it off as fast as humanly possible," he said. Yet after Amanda explained she had never agreed to the loan, Warshaw recommended she stick to the show's "Baby Steps" plan rather than rushing repayment.
Debt Adds To Personal Struggles
Amanda said the unexpected loan came at the worst possible time. "I was in a bad place because I had no income and I have a three-year-old," she told the hosts. The $300 monthly payments, she added, began just as she was starting to stabilize after a divorce and job loss.
Warshaw advised Amanda to be direct with her father about repayment. She suggested making it clear that she intended to cover the $11,500 but should refuse to add interest, since she never would have agreed to the arrangement if asked beforehand.
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When Financial Help Becomes A Burden
The discussion turned to the risks of family assistance that comes with hidden conditions. "If they put strings on there, that's on them," Warshaw said, emphasizing that Amanda should not let parental pressure override her recovery.
Delony added that parents should consider simpler ways to help their children. "You help your kid by buying a $1,500 used Camry with 300,000 miles," he said. "You don't take out an $11K loan at 8% and haggle your single-mom daughter over it."
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