'He Earns $250,000 And Won't Give Me Access To Our Money' — Distressed Callers Asks Dave Ramsey For Advice As She's Left With No Money

In a recent episode of Dave Ramsey’s show, a caller named Angela reached out for help with a tough situation in her marriage. Angela has been married for eight years and is a stay-at-home mom to two children. Her husband makes a good salary of $250,000 a year but doesn't give her access to their finances. Instead, he gives her a set amount of money each month, which isn't enough to cover all the bills, leaving her with "zero dollars to her name."

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Angela explained that she feels trapped and helpless because she can’t access their money. This issue has been ongoing since they got married. Even though they took a financial management course together, her husband never wanted to combine their finances.

"I think it’s maybe fear of giving that control up. When we got married, he was already, you know, he was very established. He’s 12 years older than I am. He’s always been on his own, so I think he’s having a really hard time relinquishing that," said Angela about what might be behind his controlling behavior.

Dave Ramsey and his co-hosts were very concerned about Angela's situation. They pointed out that this kind of control over money is a form of financial abuse and a significant red flag in a marriage. "You’re not his daughter!" said Dave, underlining that this behavior is not normal or acceptable and can seriously harm a relationship.

"It sounds to me like it’s a whole lot more toxic and bad than you actually think it is. You’ve kind of normalized this. It’s a disaster," declared Dave before warning her, "this is not a financial problem. You have a very serious marriage problem, OK? You married a man older than you who thinks he’s your dad."

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Dave advised Angela to get help from a marriage counselor, thinking a professional could help them sort out their relationship issues. Since her husband had refused to go to counseling before, Dave suggested that Angela see a counselor by herself to get stronger and clearer about her situation. He emphasized the importance of having support from friends and family during this tough time.

Dave also suggested that Angela look for ways to become financially independent, like getting a part-time job, to have more security and power in the relationship.

She needs to set clear rules about handling money in the marriage and ask a counselor for help having these tough conversations.

Lastly, Dave emphasized the importance of planning for the future. Because Angela has two kids, he advised her to create a plan to ensure she and her children are financially secure. She must change her situation since eight years of this dynamic is too long. "I don’t want to be some doomsayer, and I don’t want to add drama, but I want you to do something about it. Don’t stay in this."

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