The Ramsey Show – “There's Always Hope When Facing Financial Hardship”
Date: February 13, 2026
Host: Rachel Cruze, Dr. John Delony (Ramsey Network)
Overview
This episode of The Ramsey Show centers on the inspiring idea that anyone can take control of their finances and change their life—no matter their past mistakes or current struggles. Through live calls, Rachel Cruze and Dr. John Delony field a variety of real-world questions, from blending finances in remarriage and overcoming debt from addiction, to home ownership dilemmas, caring for aging parents, and celebrating debt-free milestones. The tone is compassionate but practical, with a focus on both the technical and emotional elements of personal finance.
Key Discussion Points & Caller Highlights
1. Combining Finances After Engagement & Past Financial Control Issues
[00:13–09:00]
- Caller: Aaron from Alaska, recently engaged, self-identified control issues, wishes to combine finances with fiancée (second marriage for both).
- Advice:
- Self-awareness praised: “For a person with control issues to say that sentence out loud, that tells me you’re pretty special.” – Dr. John Delony [01:29]
- Practical steps:
- Wait until after marriage to combine accounts.
- Begin budgeting conversations during engagement (planning wedding budget as a ‘test run’).
- For control: Make the initial budget, then explicitly invite your spouse to make changes, “and then hold your breath...do your breathing exercises.” – Dr. John Delony [05:07]
- Use the phrase: “The story I’m choosing to make up is…” to frame conflicts, opening up honest communication.
- Emotional side: Entering vulnerability together can make for a stronger marriage—unity and repeated conversations about goals, values, and habits are essential.
- Gift: EveryDollar Premium for a year as a wedding present, encouraging the couple to use budgeting tools together.
2. Refinancing vs. Paying Off a Mortgage Early Amidst Job Security Fears
[10:00–19:24]
- Caller: Bernadette from Tampa, FL—significant equity in her home, spouse wants a 30-year mortgage (job instability), she prefers 15-year.
- Context: Husband's childhood involved housing insecurity, making him risk-averse.
- Advice:
- “If you didn’t refinance, you’ll still pay off the house early. You’re on track.” – Rachel Cruze [12:20]
- With strong income ($300K+), large emergency fund, and significant assets, the risk isn’t in the loan term but in staying in debt longer out of fear.
- Dr. Delony: “What if y’all just sucked it up for 18 months and just paid this thing off?” [17:01]—suggests short-term intensity to remove risk and stress entirely.
- Rachel supports a more intense payoff to address both financial and emotional risks.
3. Overcoming Debt—Gambling, Shame, and the Emotional Side of Recovery
[22:22–30:25]
- Caller: Justin from Chicago—$70K in combined debts due to issues with gambling, now in recovery; high household income ($235K), wife supportive.
- Emotional Emphasis:
- Dr. Delony: “You can’t go anywhere if you’re going to carry around all the past mistakes you made...this is a path to freedom. It’s not flogging you for what you did in the past.” [27:32]
- Rachel: “Paying off this stuff can be easy, but it’s much more fulfilling when you do the deep work too.”
- Shame is a barrier, not a motivator. It’s essential Justin sees this journey as reclaiming self-worth, not self-punishment.
- Gameplay Plan:
- Don’t tap into retirement/inheritance funds.
- Use high income and cutbacks to pay these debts off rapidly via “smallest to largest” snowball method.
4. Should You Have Kids While in Debt? The Baby Step #2 Dilemma
[32:50–37:59]
- Listener Question: Marco in Arkansas—Should people wait to have children until out of debt?
- Rachel: “If the only thing you cared about at life was money, maybe. But create a life you love and let money support that... money is not your life. So: get married, have babies, build your life—even in Baby Step 2.” [33:25]
- Dr. Delony: “Anything worth doing is hard. Build a marriage and a family while you’re getting out of debt—that’s amazing. Children and a meaningful life far surpass dollars alone.” [35:27]
5. House Poor with Roommates: When the Mortgage is 50% of Income
[38:05–42:04]
- Caller: Mariah from San Diego—impulsively bought a home, half their income goes toward it, rely on multiple renters.
- Advice: Rachel urges setting measurable income growth benchmarks before deciding to keep the home. If progress isn’t made in a year, have a “hard and fast rule” to sell. “The stress is weighing on you...have benchmarks and be willing to make the hard call.” [41:33]
- Dr. Delony: “You’ve already left the house emotionally. Now you just need a plan to catch up.”
6. Car & ATV Payment Outpaces Low Income—How to Escape the Trap
[44:13–52:41]
- Caller: Skyler from Little Rock, AR—$31K income, $28K car loan ($10K negative equity), $10K ATV loan, owns a used car but coasts in current life.
- Advice:
- Sell the car and ATV, even if owing money—a small loan is less harmful than ongoing payments that strangle cash flow.
- Rachel and John encourage pursuing greater purpose and stable full-time work: “Are you just going to cash out, just barely getting by, or will you say, hey, I was put on this planet to contribute?” – Dr. John Delony [51:33]
- Gift: Ken Coleman’s book on purposeful work.
7. Caring for an Elderly Parent Who Refuses to Change
[86:42–95:11]
- Caller: Elizabeth—83-year-old mom with chronic overspending and debt, asks if she should pay off debt and take control of finances.
- Advice:
- Yes, pay off if it won’t jeopardize your own family; but get legal control and freeze credit to prevent future borrowing.
- Set expectations: “You’re not going to see psychological awakening at 83...just focus on keeping her safe, keep the lights on, and have realistic boundaries.” – Rachel Cruze [91:08]
- More than technical management—loneliness and isolation are root causes. Encourage community engagement for better quality of life.
8. Divorce, Property, and Grief: Letting Go of ‘The Dream’
[53:44–63:09]
- Caller: Susan from Indianapolis—After 21 years, blindsided by divorce, wants to keep family home on ex-husband’s family land.
- Advice:
- Dr. Delony: “He no longer gets a vote. You are making a business transaction. Hire a good attorney to fight for your best interest.” [55:29]
- Rachel: Warns staying surrounded by ex’s family may emotionally and practically trap Susan. Advocates selling the house and renting for a year for clarity.
- “The life you had is over. The dreams you had for the future are now different. It’s brutal, but letting go of the old dream is how you build a new, better one.” – Dr. John Delony [60:15]
9. Celebrating Big Wins: Debt-Free Homeowners Share Their Stories
[65:01–76:26] & [106:43–115:51]
- Kyle & Sarah from Akron, OH – Paid off $150K (Their House) in 47 months before mid-30s.
- Key to success: “Whether you think you can or can’t, you’re right. We knew that we could.” – Kyle [73:24]
- Tactics: Large down payment, disciplined budgeting, consistent teamwork and vision.
- Brandon & Taryn from Fresno, CA – Paid off $291K home in four years through intense side hustles.
- “Be a team, trust God, and don’t stop tithing. That’s how you get through it.” – Taryn [113:17]
- Big payoff: Bringing their baby home to a debt-free house and a marriage that learned to work together.
10. Rapid-Fire Call Highlights
- Should You Pause Retirement Investments at 50? Alex from Idaho weighs putting $20K/year into retirement when already ahead. Dr. John warns about underestimating compound growth over time; Rachel urges balanced giving, saving, spending. [96:39–101:40]
- Double Mortgage Dilemma: Darian in Colorado Springs bought two homes, losing money renting townhouse. Solution: Sell, take $30K loss instead of keeping a bad investment. Don’t go into foreclosure. [101:40–105:51]
- Windfall Settlement Plan: Toby in Chicago expects $3.5M settlement, only debt is mortgage. Rachel urges patience, intentional planning, no lifestyle changes for six months, and working with a financial advisor to save, give, and only slowly spend such a life-changing amount. [123:24–127:04]
- Anger and Resentment in Marriage: Elizabeth from NJ, frustrated at husband’s recent life choices, seeks guidance on expressing fear he’ll put the family in debt. Dr. Delony stresses that deeper teamwork issues must be addressed, likely with professional help. [118:13–123:07]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On Self-Awareness in Marriage:
“For a person with control issues to say that sentence out loud, that tells me you're pretty special.”
– Dr. John Delony [01:29] -
On Facing Past Money Mistakes:
“You can’t go anywhere if you’re going to carry around all the past mistakes you made...this is a path to freedom. It’s not flogging you for what you did in the past.”
– Dr. John Delony [27:32] -
On Having Kids Before Debt Is Gone:
“Get married in Baby Step 2. Have babies in Baby Step 2. Like, money is not your life. These things trump money.”
– Rachel Cruze [33:25] -
On Navigating Divorce & New Realities:
“The life you had is over. The dreams you had for the future are now over. They’re different now.”
– Dr. John Delony [60:15] -
On Changing Your Family Tree:
“Dude, this kid won the lottery and not, not because of the money y'all make, but because they've got two hard working parents that love each other and know how to do hard stuff.”
– Dr. John Delony (to Brandon & Taryn) [114:12]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 00:13 – Introduction, wedding/marriage events, first caller on combining finances post-engagement.
- 10:00 – Mortgage term conflict—risk versus payoff intensity.
- 22:22 – Gambling debt, shame, and starting over with hope.
- 32:50 – Is it wise to have children while paying debt?
- 38:05 – House poor listener with multiple renters—should they sell?
- 44:13 – Young listener drowning in car/ATV payments, needs a reset.
- 53:44 – Divorce, property, and painful acceptance of a new future.
- 65:01, 106:43 – Celebrating debt-free milestones—what teamwork, sacrifice, and vision can achieve.
- 86:42 – Adult children helping financially irresponsible, aging parents.
- 96:39 – Is there ever a time to pause retirement investments?
- 101:40 – Double mortgage risks—how to cut losses.
- 118:13 – Marriage trouble: resentment, fear, and debt.
Final Thoughts
Throughout the episode, Rachel and Dr. John highlight that hope and transformation in personal finance begins with facing reality—financial and emotional. Their advice is as much about honest communication, courage, and teamwork as it is about technical money moves. The phone lines reflect America: marriages, addictions, windfalls, setbacks, and slow, hard-won victories.
Above all, the hosts implore listeners to build a life worth living—using money as the tool, not the master; and to believe that no matter how deep the hole, you can always climb out, and there’s always hope.
Resources Mentioned
- EveryDollar (budgeting app)
- Find the Work You’re Wired to Do (Ken Coleman book)
- Smartvestor Pro (financial planning/advisors)
- Financial Peace University (FPU)
- Ask Ramsey AI Tool: for immediate financial questions answered with Ramsey principles
Listen to the full episode for:
- More on handling sudden wealth responsibly
- Strategies for supporting (but not enabling) financially struggling relatives
- Candid talk about marriage, mental health, and money
- Uplifting debt-free screams and deep emotional encouragement
“Remember, there’s ultimately only one way to financial peace, and that’s to walk daily with the Prince of Peace, Christ Jesus.” – Rachel Cruze [127:04]