{"id":75888,"date":"2026-04-13T19:56:23","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T19:56:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/colorado-couple-who-are-both-married-to-other-people-should-not-combine-their-bills-or-debts-the-ramsey-show-says\/"},"modified":"2026-04-13T19:56:23","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T19:56:23","slug":"colorado-couple-who-are-both-married-to-other-people-should-not-combine-their-bills-or-debts-the-ramsey-show-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/colorado-couple-who-are-both-married-to-other-people-should-not-combine-their-bills-or-debts-the-ramsey-show-says\/","title":{"rendered":"Colorado couple who are both married to other people should not combine their bills or debts, The Ramsey Show says"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div xmlns:default=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" data-testid=\"article-body\">\n<div class=\"bodyItems-wrapper\">\n<p class=\"yf-1fy9kyt\"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->Combining finances with a partner can get messy, especially if both partners are still married to other people. That\u2019s the situation a recent caller to <em>The Ramsey Show<\/em> said she\u2019s facing.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --><\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1fy9kyt\"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->Grace and her partner, who both live in Colorado, are both technically still married to their previous spouses. He has two kids with his soon-to-be ex-wife, and Grace says she\u2019s helping raise them. They\u2019re living together, and last summer they decided to combine their finances, but she says things haven\u2019t been going well.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --><\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1fy9kyt\"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->Grace said she\u2019s newly pregnant and living paycheck to paycheck. She and her partner have a combined $5,700 monthly income after taxes and $91,000 in debt. She\u2019s looking for a way out of the mess, and co-hosts Rachel Cruze and John Delony didn\u2019t hold back.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --><\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1fy9kyt\"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->\u201cYou are roommates financially,\u201d Delony told her. \u201cYou have to think about it that way.\u201d<!-- HTML_TAG_END --><\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1fy9kyt\"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->Grace was already on shaky ground before any of this. But the core issue is straightforward: she tied her financial life to someone else\u2019s before she had any legal protection in place.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --><\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1fy9kyt\"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->Her partner hasn\u2019t even started his divorce yet, largely because of a $5,000 attorney\u2019s retainer he can\u2019t afford. But they\u2019ve been informally pooling money by paying each other\u2019s bills and splitting expenses, without any of the legal framework or protection that marriage provides.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --><\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1fy9kyt\"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->It gets even messier when one partner is going through a divorce. During the divorce, lawyers often review financial records such as bank accounts, utility bills, retirement accounts, and income. Any shared assets or payments could be scrutinized during divorce proceedings.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --><\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1fy9kyt\"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->Grace\u2019s approximately $48,000 income is commission-based, with a $2,500 monthly baseline that can swing up to $4,000 or more depending on her performance. That variability makes budgeting difficult and leaves little margin for error, let alone the ability to absorb someone else\u2019s debt.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --><\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1fy9kyt\"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->Cruze and Delony\u2019s advice to Grace was direct: stop paying her partner\u2019s bills (and letting him pay hers), split expenses, and start budgeting based solely on her own income.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --><\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1fy9kyt\"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->More importantly, they said, his divorce costs are his problem, not hers.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>   <button class=\"secondary-btn fin-size-large readmore-button    rounded   yf-r7dg9i\" data-ylk=\"elm:readmore;itc:1;sec:content-canvas;slk:Story%20Continues\" data-yga=\"{&quot;yLinkElement&quot;:&quot;readmore&quot;,&quot;yModuleName&quot;:&quot;content-canvas&quot;,&quot;yLinkText&quot;:&quot;Story Continues&quot;}\" aria-label=\"Story Continues\" title=\"Story Continues\"> <span>Story Continues<\/span> <\/button> <\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more-wrapper\" style=\"display: none\" data-testid=\"read-more\">\n<p class=\"yf-1fy9kyt\"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->\u201cYou don\u2019t have enough money to even be helping with that,\u201d Delony told her (1).<!-- HTML_TAG_END --><\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1fy9kyt\"><!-- HTML_TAG_START --><strong>Read More: How to apply Dave Ramsey\u2019s 7 Baby Steps to your own life<\/strong><!-- HTML_TAG_END --><\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1fy9kyt\"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->Whether you\u2019re considering combining finances or already in a complicated situation like Grace\u2019s, there are ways to protect yourself. In general, the smartest move is to avoid combining finances without a clear agreement in place, ideally a legal one.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --><\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1fy9kyt\"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->Here are a few practical steps to protect yourself and avoid getting into a sticky situation:<!-- HTML_TAG_END --><\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1fy9kyt\"><!-- HTML_TAG_START --><strong>Treat each other like roommates financially.<\/strong> Split bills cleanly and keep your own accounts. Use a payment app to split costs rather than paying each other\u2019s bills directly. Alternatively, you can contribute equal or proportional amounts to a joint checking account for shared household bills, and keep your own separate accounts for everything else.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --><\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1fy9kyt\"><!-- HTML_TAG_START --><strong>Build your own financial foundation first.<\/strong> Unmarried partners should focus on their own finances rather than taking on each other\u2019s obligations. Build a budget based on what you can afford on your own.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --><\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1fy9kyt\"><!-- HTML_TAG_START --><strong>Don\u2019t take on your partner\u2019s debt.<\/strong> Combining loans and credit cards might seem like the supportive thing to do, but it puts your finances at risk. If the relationship ends, getting your name taken off of their bills and debts could be a pain \u2014 and any money you paid toward their debt usually can\u2019t be recovered. If your partner isn\u2019t yet divorced, like in Grace\u2019s case, combining assets could also put your money at risk.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --><\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1fy9kyt\"><!-- HTML_TAG_START --><strong>If you do combine, do it formally.<\/strong> Not all couples fully combine their incomes, but if you do, make it official. That means creating joint accounts, updating beneficiaries, and having a clear picture of your total combined debt and income. Many financial advisors also recommend a prenuptial agreement if you plan to get married, especially if one partner has significantly more wealth or assets \u2014 not as a sign of mistrust, but as a practical way to protect both partners (2).<!-- HTML_TAG_END --><\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1fy9kyt\"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->Combining finances without a legal agreement in place comes with risks, and those risks increase if one or both partners are still legally married to someone else. In Grace\u2019s situation, keeping things separate may be the safest approach.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --><\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1fy9kyt\"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->Join 250,000+ readers and get Moneywise\u2019s best stories and exclusive interviews first \u2014 clear insights curated and delivered weekly. <strong>Subscribe now.<\/strong><!-- HTML_TAG_END --><\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1fy9kyt\"><!-- HTML_TAG_START --><em>We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our<\/em> <em>editorial ethics and guidelines<\/em><em>.<\/em><!-- HTML_TAG_END --><\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1fy9kyt\"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->The Ramsey Show Highlights (1); GB Family Law (2)<!-- HTML_TAG_END --><\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1fy9kyt\"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->This article originally appeared on Moneywise.com under the title: Colorado couple who are both married to other people should not combine their bills or debts, The Ramsey Show says<!-- HTML_TAG_END --><\/p>\n<p class=\"yf-1fy9kyt\"><!-- HTML_TAG_START --><em>This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.<\/em><!-- HTML_TAG_END --><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Combining finances with a partner can get messy, especially if both partners are still married to other people. That\u2019s the situation a recent caller to The Ramsey Show said she\u2019s facing. Grace and her partner, who both live in Colorado, are both technically still married to their previous spouses. He has two kids with his [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":75889,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_daextam_enable_autolinks":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[10],"tags":[6891,1179,132,2256,539,2678],"class_list":["post-75888","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-news","tag-bills","tag-john-delony","tag-living-paycheck-to-paycheck","tag-retirement-accounts","tag-robert-kiyosaki","tag-the-ramsey-show"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/353d9dcee3d4a6f7402153e444321b17.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75888","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=75888"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75888\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/75889"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=75888"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=75888"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=75888"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}