Mom Lost Her Savings In A Bad Relationship—Dave Ramsey Tells 32-Year-Old Daughter Concern For Herself 'Needs To Be Close To Zero'
- - Mom Lost Her Savings In A Bad Relationship—Dave Ramsey Tells 32-Year-Old Daughter Concern For Herself 'Needs To Be Close To Zero'
Casey B. RennerFebruary 8, 2026 at 8:01 AM
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When a parent loses financial stability, adult children can be left sorting through complicated emotions.
Megan, a St. Louis resident, told "The Ramsey Show” her mother lost her savings after a relationship ended. The caller said she was raised by a single mother who built a successful career in physical therapy.
Her mother owned three clinics, supported Megan and her sister and covered family expenses for most of their lives. That changed about five years ago.
Megan said her mother sold her interest in the clinics and her home to move in with a long-term fiancé. She said her mother used a large portion of the proceeds to help him open a diner.
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A Profitable Diner, A Broken Engagement
Megan said the diner opened when other restaurants were liquidating equipment, allowing them to buy assets at lower costs. She said that the diner remained profitable for five years. During that same period, the engagement weakened.
Megan said the relationship ended and her mother moved out earlier that year. The former fiancé agreed to buy out her share of the diner through monthly payments rather than a lump sum.
According to Megan, the repayment schedule could take about 15 years for her mother to recover the investment.
"Where is the money for our dreams?" Megan said, adding that her family had long planned vacations, holidays, and future milestones together. Her mother had previously talked about helping with a home purchase and wedding expenses.
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Ramsey Draws A Line On Responsibility
"You're 32 years old," personal finance expert Dave Ramsey said. "You sound like an 18-year-old whining that your mommy didn't give you something."
Ramsey said Megan's mother had built her career from nothing, made a poor relationship choice, and lost the money as a result. He added that the situation called for compassion rather than frustration tied to unmet expectations.
"You should be heartbroken for her," Ramsey said.
He said Megan was not required to cover travel costs or shared expenses, particularly while saving for her own wedding, and that her mother was also not obligated to pay for an adult daughter's wedding after losing her savings, Ramsey said.
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Separating Help From Expectation
Megan said she had paid for some travel, including her mother's 60th birthday trip, while also trying to manage her own finances. Ramsey said those decisions should be based on personal limits rather than expectation.
"My concern for myself needs to be close to zero in this," he said.
Co-host Ken Coleman said Megan could acknowledge conflicting emotions without holding onto resentment.
"It's okay for her to say, ‘I'm mad she made this promise and she can't keep it, but we got to move on,'" Coleman said.
For Megan, the situation involves family expectations and financial limits. Domain Money offers personalized, CFP professional-led financial planning for professionals earning $100,000 or more a year who want tailored, expert guidance.
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