Transcript

Dave Ramsey (0:05)

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Jade Warshaw (0:12)

Normal is broke and common sense is weird. So we're here to help you transform your life. From the Ramsey Network in the Fair Ones Credit Union studio. This is the Ramsey Show. I'm Jade Warshaw. Next to me, Dr. John Deloney. We are taking calls from you all hour long. We're headed out to Seattle, Washington, where we have Shelby on the line. Hey, Shelby, what's going on? How can we help today?

Caller Shelby (0:32)

Hi, yes, I'm just calling wondering if the way my fiance is splitting the finances with us, with me, is the right way.

Dr. John Deloney (0:43)

Okay, I can already tell this is going to be a fun call, Shelby.

Jade Warshaw (0:47)

Yeah, tell us about, tell us about the. The right way that he has it split now.

Dr. John Deloney (0:52)

Have you listened to our show before?

Caller Shelby (0:54)

Yes, I have. And I actually listen to you guys always. And John, like James, I follow you guys religiously. So yes.

Dr. John Deloney (1:02)

Okay. So whatever answer we give you, same team, right?

Caller Shelby (1:05)

Yes.

Dr. John Deloney (1:05)

Okay. All right, good. All right, let it rip.

Caller Shelby (1:09)

So, long story short, I, my fiance are a blended family. We do own a home together. I have three kids. He has one. I, my ex, who passed away years ago, left me in a financial situation where I did have to file bankruptcy before I got to my fiance. I then built myself back up, got myself, you know, a very six figure paying job, you know, moved throughout, and now we have one joint, checking. But the mortgage is the only thing that comes out of that. And then everything else.

Caller or guest (1:46)

Venmo.

Jade Warshaw (1:48)

Interesting. Okay, your phone's breaking up a bit. Make sure you're somewhere where your phone's not breaking up.

Dr. John Deloney (1:53)

You said you Venmo each other?

Caller or guest (1:55)

Summary

The Ramsey Show — "Own Your Choices, Starting Now"

Date: April 24, 2026
Host: Jade Warshaw, Dr. John Deloney (Ramsey Network)

Episode Overview

This episode of The Ramsey Show centers on the empowering message: you have the ability to build wealth and transform your financial future—no matter what mistakes you've made in the past. Hosts Jade Warshaw and Dr. John Deloney field listener questions, offering advice rooted in financial ownership, intentional decision-making, and lived values. The show explores relationships and money, dealing with debt (including high-interest loans and family bailouts), mindset shifts, and practical next steps for financial peace.

Detailed Segment Summaries

1. Blended Families & Relationship Money Dynamics

(Shelby in Seattle — [00:12]-[08:39])

Situation: Shelby, in a blended family, asks if her fiancé’s method of “splitting finances” is right. They've been together three years, jointly own a home (mortgage paid half/half), but keep most finances separate—Venmoing for bills, bickering over kid expenses. The engagement is in a holding pattern; her fiancé wants to “wait two years.”
Key Discussion & Insights:
- Jade: “There is a very shallow commitment here...I think it’s a wonderful thing that you’re not combining money right now, because you’re not married.” ([06:30])
- John: “You’re worth more than being in trial period number two, you’re worth more than—no marriage I’ve ever heard of...has roommates Venmoing each other to keep the lights on.” ([05:53])
- Advice: Wait to combine money until married. Consider the depth of commitment—red flags matter. Financial entanglement reflects relational commitment.
- Memorable Moment: John humorously compares splitting bills by “who turns the thermostat down” to behavior of “19-year-old roommates.”
Theme: Know your worth, honor your gut, seek transparency, and don’t ignore red flags around money or commitment.

2. Choosing Values Over ‘Having It All’

(Jonathan in Kentucky — [10:18]-[18:09])

Situation: Jonathan and his wife (stay-at-home mom) want to buy a home but can’t meet the 25% take-home pay rule with his income. He loves his job and their current setup, but feels “stuck.”
Key Insights:
- John: “You are running right up against one of our culture’s greatest lies—that we can have it all, all at the same time.” ([11:39])
- Jade: “When you say 'yes' to one thing, you’re automatically saying 'no' to something else—even if you haven’t stopped to consider it.” ([13:13])
- Advice: Homeownership means tradeoffs—if you value job happiness and one-income living most, renting is the chosen tradeoff. Revisit choices regularly, and own them: “I want you to take full ownership of the choices you’re making.” ([14:59])
- Quote: “The more you feel like a victim to your circumstances, the more you both are gonna end up in pathological responses…nobody makes loving, intimate connection while they’re reacting.” — Dr. John Deloney ([15:09])
Theme: You can have what you value most, but not everything at once. Empowerment comes from owning—rather than reacting to—your choices.

3. Peace of Mind vs. “Mathematical” Debt

(Kyle in Boston — [21:59]-[31:24])

Situation: At 23, Kyle is debt-free aside from $25k in federal student loans, which he could pay off today from investments, but wonders if he should keep investing since the “math” favors the market over interest.
Key Insights:
- Jade: “There’s a mathematical side to it…but the borrower is slave to the lender. It’s a soul tax, a sleep tax, a relational tax.” ([22:52])
- John: “You have never been 100% in the driver’s seat of your own life... I’m telling you, on the other side of what you are bro, it’s pretty sweet.” ([25:02])
- Memorable Bet: “Cancel the debt today, live debt-free for two months... if you hate not owing anybody, go take out $25,000 and put it back!” — Dr. John Deloney ([24:10])
- ROI on Good Relationships: “The ROI on a married couple who are locked in with their money is the highest ROI.” ([29:32])
- Advice: Pay off the loan now and enjoy true freedom and peace. You can always invest more aggressively after.
Theme: Even when the numbers look close, peace, autonomy, and intentionality win out over maximizing a hypothetical financial “delta.”

4. Should I Keep My Out-Of-State Rental?

(Richard in Austin — [33:16]-[40:47])

Situation: Richard has a rental (old home in Florida with a “golden handcuffs” 3% mortgage), but now wants a home in Austin. Unsure whether to keep renting it for a small profit or sell and buy locally.
Key Insights:
- John: (mockingly) “Make a sign that says 3%...put it in the middle of your teeny tiny one-bedroom apartment…every time you have to turn sideways to get to your fridge, look at it: ‘This one’s for you.’” ([35:15])
- Jade: “It’s really not a rental house...because if you were on the hunt for a rental house, you would not have chosen that one.” ([37:43])
- Advice: Sell it—don’t let “the rate” trap you in the wrong asset for your life. “Start considering what you want your life to feel like.” ([39:04])
Memorable Moment: Humorous “recency amnesia”—do you really want to hold busted investments for the next “isolated incident” (pandemic, 2008, etc.)?

5. Setting Boundaries with Financially Irresponsible Family

(Beth in Denver — [44:13]-[52:30])

Situation: Beth’s mom, financially irresponsible, is pressuring Beth (who is now wealthy after following Ramsey’s steps) to bail her out—despite repeated patterns of overspending, bankruptcy, and refusing real help.
Key Insights:
- Jade: “They made choices the same way you made choices…the fact that she’s literally coming to you saying ‘Will you buy me a house?’—that’s when I knew…this is ridiculousness.” ([46:10])
- John: “No amount—let me free you from this—there’s not a thing you haven’t said in just the right way that will solve this for them.” ([49:31])
  “You didn’t take the baton from them. You picked it up off the track and decided to run as fast as you could with it.” ([50:01])
- Advice: Offer planning/accountability, not money. Set clear boundaries. Don’t waste mental energy on “figuring them out.”
Memorable Moment: John’s analogy: “You can’t keep showing up to the bar of a friend with an alcohol addiction and say ‘I’ll buy this round.’” ([51:12])
Theme: You are not responsible for other adults’ choices. Removing rescue enables both parties to grow.

6. Truck Debt & Escaping a 30% Interest Loan

(Dakota in Memphis — [54:23]-[63:41])

Situation: Young caller stuck with a truck loan at a predatory 30% interest, with other vehicles, low income, and a need to save for a house.
Key Insights:
- Jade & John: All about swift action—sell everything (motorcycle, four-wheelers) to pay off or cover the deficit in the truck loan.
  - Jade: “The only way you’re going to get out of this is to quickly blast through it—or turn around and sell it.” ([57:24])
  - John: “You have to swallow your ego and all the things you thought made you a man at 21—a big truck, four-wheelers, toys…and say what makes me a man is absolute freedom.” ([59:11])
Advice: Do whatever it takes to rid yourself of the 30% loan—even if that means selling almost everything and driving a “beater.” This is about more than money—it’s identity, adulthood, and freedom.

7. Inheritances, Family Drama, and Leaving a Mess

(Leanne in Oklahoma — [65:31]-[72:13])

Situation: Husband’s family wants to keep a heavily mortgaged house “in the family” and Ladybird deed it, requiring siblings to pay $400/mo indefinitely for a potential small future gain. Leanne is the only one earning.
Key Insights:
- John: Don’t join for an “investment”—there’s little upside, a lot of risk. “This ends up in multiple lawsuits…stay away from the whole thing.” ([71:57])
- Jade: “If you can, convince him—I don’t want to be a part of this. That’s the answer.” ([71:47])
Theme: If you don’t feel peace or can’t fully say yes to an arrangement, opt out. Sometimes the emotional (and legal) downsides outweigh any small potential gain.

8. Stork Mode, Emergency Funds, and Enjoying the Journey

(Sean in Spokane — [117:32]-[125:21])

Situation: Expecting first child, just got debt-free, wants to know how strictly to follow “stork mode” (pause for baby emergency fund) while also wanting to take a $15-18k trip to Italy before the birth.
Key Insights:
- Jade: “Ultimately, you have the emergency fund you need…I’d love for you to get at least to three months [of expenses] before you consider this, then you can tick that box…then cash flow the trip.” ([121:26]-[122:54])
- John: “If you unshackle yourself from people telling you what to do at 23—how fast you can run will astonish you.” ([31:04])
- Advice: Don’t use the emergency fund for the trip; cash-flow it. Communicate about timing—having a baby fundamentally changes life’s rhythms.
- Memorable Moment: Jade plays devil’s advocate: “She’s viewing this as...‘our last shot’” before baby comes. ([124:51])
Theme: Balance safety/nesting with enjoying special moments, but don’t risk long-term stability.

9. Quick Call Highlights

Should I pay off student loans or invest? ([22:05]-[31:41]): Nearly always pay off debt for the psychological and real freedom, then invest.
Dealing with repo’d credit/cosigning: Don’t cosign, and don’t hire “credit repair”—settle debts directly for less if old and in collections.
Family living with grandma to save: Multigenerational arrangements can work if boundaries are healthy and it’s win-win.
Handling a house fire insurance payout: Get bids and facts before deciding to rebuild or take a payout; don’t make major choices while overwhelmed with emotion.
Car insurance for teens: For older, inexpensive cars, drop to liability coverage only if you could cover a loss from savings.

Notable Quotes & Timestamped Wisdom

“Everything is an exchange. What are you willing to exchange for your freedom?” – Jade Warshaw [28:01]
“Hold your choices. Otherwise you’re a victim to your circumstances.” – Dr. John Deloney [14:59]
“Red flags are red for a reason.” – Jade Warshaw [08:15]
“No amount of money will stop people from blowing by natural consequences.” – Dr. John Deloney [49:31]
“What makes me a man at 21 is absolute freedom.” – Dr. John Deloney [59:11]
“Focus is a matter of deciding what things you are not going to do.” — John Carmack (quoted) [116:42]

Episode Themes & Takeaways

Intentionality: Every major life and money choice is an act of saying “yes” to something and “no” to something else.
Ownership: There’s power and peace in owning your choices, not drifting or blaming circumstance.
Boundaries: With family or partners, clear financial boundaries are crucial for long-term wellbeing.
Freedom Over Fleeting Comfort: Sometimes the path to financial peace is uncomfortable—but it leads to confidence, control, and the ability to build a future you choose.
Relationship & Communication: Whether with a spouse, fiancée, or parent, money issues almost always point to deeper relational and trust questions. Openness, clarity, and shared priorities matter.

For Further Guidance

Download the EveryDollar app for budgeting support.
Consult www.ramseysolutions.com for additional tools and ways to ask your question live.
Remember: There’s only one way to financial peace—walk daily with the Prince of Peace, Christ Jesus.

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