![\"Rachel](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/a1d9f3f59533b1a193f5f45a983fce27.png\"\/)
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Rachel Cruze and Ken Coleman advise a Nevada woman to get a job in the face of a controlling husband.<\/p>\n
Financial expert Dave Ramsey has long argued that couples should operate as a team, with full transparency around spending, debt and long-term goals. But not every relationship works that way.<\/p>\n
Susan, 59, called into The Ramsey Show and told hosts Rachel Cruze and Ken Coleman (1) that her husband of six years has kept their finances almost entirely off-limits.<\/p>\n
He controls the accounts, handles the major bills, and gives her a small allowance for groceries and everyday expenses.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is an overlord, not a husband,\u201d Coleman said in response.<\/p>\n
Must Read<\/p>\n
When she recently started asking questions \u2013 and pushing for more transparency \u2013 his response wasn\u2019t to open the books. He threatened divorce.<\/p>\n
The financial deceit<\/p>\n
Susan claims her husband asked her to sign a blank prenup the day before their wedding. On another occasion, he went to the bank to refinance their house without telling her (she\u2019s not listed on the mortgage). She said he may have refinanced it to address his struggling business.<\/p>\n
When the hosts asked what she needed help with, Susan didn\u2019t have a clear answer because she didn\u2019t have a clear picture of her own finances.<\/p>\n
She isn\u2019t sure how much her husband owes, what she\u2019d be walking into if the marriage ends or what she\u2019s entitled to.<\/p>\n
The hosts told her there may be a small silver lining: If her name isn\u2019t on any loans or accounts, she likely isn\u2019t legally responsible for his debt. But without visibility, there\u2019s no way to be certain, and that\u2019s the real problem.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut that doesn\u2019t really help you with your problem,\u201d he added. \u201cYou don\u2019t know what he\u2019s done. You don\u2019t know what he\u2019s put in your name.\u201d<\/p>\n
And Cruze warned of a risk around home equity, especially as she\u2019s not listed on the mortgage.<\/p>\n
\u201cAny equity that\u2019s built into this thing, either you don\u2019t have, which is a negative,\u201d Cruze said. \u201cBut also, if he is underwater a hundred grand in business loans and he has to file bankruptcy, they\u2019re going to take the house and use the equity.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said she just finished a degree in esthetics, but doesn\u2019t yet have the means to support herself. The hosts advised her to make a choice ASAP and, at the very least, go get a job.<\/p>\n
\u201cEither he changes and chooses to be a spouse in this relationship, which means commitment and transparency,\u201d Cruze said. \u201cIf he doesn\u2019t do that, which he probably won\u2019t, then you need to make a decision.\u201d<\/p>\n
Read More: 5 essential money moves to make once you\u2019ve saved $50,000<\/a><\/p>\n The importance of financial trust in marriage<\/p>\n Talking about money may not be the most romantic thing, but it\u2019s certainly one of the most important conversations in a healthy marriage.<\/p>\n Trust and transparency in marital finances not only puts you and your spouse in a good fiscal spot, it also leads to healthy communication, reduces conflict, and strengthens the relationship overall (2) \u2013 especially if you have the talk before marriage. Financial stress is among the leading causes of relationship conflict (3), with money disagreements considered a strong predictor of breakdowns among couples.<\/p>\n A survey from the Institute of Family Studies found just over half of respondents had been financially deceived (4) by their spouses. Financial infidelity can have some of the same consequences as traditional infidelity, and there are warning signs to watch for.<\/p>\n Common flags (5) of financial infidelity include overspending and sudden surprise purchases, defensiveness from your partner when you ask about money, bills and mail being hidden, and large transactions that are unaccounted for.<\/p>\n You can protect yourself by focusing on visibility. Pull your credit report, review any joint accounts, and gather whatever financial documents you can access so you know what\u2019s tied to your name.<\/p>\n Next, consider creating your own financial footing. Open an account in your name, direct any income there, and begin building a small emergency cushion.<\/p>\n Finally, don\u2019t go it alone. A family law attorney or financial advisor can help you understand your rights, especially if you\u2019re married. If a partner refuses transparency, that\u2019s a relationship issue and a financial risk worth addressing quickly.<\/p>\n What To Read Next<\/p>\n This 20-year-old lotto winner refused $1M in cash and chose $1,000\/week for life. Now she\u2019s getting slammed for it. Which option would you pick?<\/a><\/p>\n Turning 50 with $0 saved for retirement? Most people don\u2019t realize they\u2019re actually just entering their prime earning decade. Here are 6 ways to catch up fast<\/a><\/p>\n Robert Kiyosaki issues grim warning for baby boomers. Many could be \u2018wiped out\u2019 and homeless \u2018all over\u2019 the country. How to protect yourself now<\/a><\/p>\n Join 250,000+ readers and get Moneywise\u2019s best stories and exclusive interviews first \u2014 clear insights curated and delivered weekly. Subscribe now.<\/a><\/p>\n Article Sources<\/p>\n We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines<\/a>.<\/p>\n YouTube (1)<\/a>; Boulay Group (2)<\/a>; Psychology Today (3)<\/a>; Institute for Family Studies (4)<\/a>; HuffPost (5)<\/a><\/p>\n This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Rachel Cruze and Ken Coleman advise a Nevada woman to get a job in the face of a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":590762,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[45,49,48,4190,133,25896,131,132,855,224941,15381,25898,100771],"class_list":{"0":"post-590761","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-personal-finance","8":"tag-business","9":"tag-ca","10":"tag-canada","11":"tag-dave-ramsey","12":"tag-finance","13":"tag-ken-coleman","14":"tag-personal-finance","15":"tag-personalfinance","16":"tag-relationship","17":"tag-relationship-works","18":"tag-robert-kiyosaki","19":"tag-the-ramsey-show","20":"tag-transparency"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/590761","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=590761"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/590761\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/590762"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=590761"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=590761"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=590761"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}