When Matt from Bismarck, North Dakota, called into The Ramsey Show, he asked if his mom was responsible for his dad’s credit-card debt.
His father, now in assisted living, racked up $18,000 on an American Express card. While Veterans Affairs assistance covers some of his residential care, it’s not enough to cover interest on his debt.
That leaves Matt’s 75‑year‑old mom doing her best to pay interest on her husband’s debt. She has no savings and works part-time, three days a week.
Neither Matt nor his sister have the means to eliminate their father’s $18,000 debt. Their parents’ home is paid off and valued at $700,000, but their mom does not want to sell and move.
“In order to save the house, [you’re] going to have to deal with Amex,” Dave Ramsey said, adding that otherwise, “They’re going to just drive her bananas.”
Theoretically, American Express could place a lien on Matt’s parents’ home to recover the debt and force a sale — driving Matt’s mother out.
But Ramsey said credit-card companies like American Express rarely take this kind of action, saying there’s less than 0.25% chance of it happening.
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The real concern, Ramsey said, is that Amex’s collections department will harass Matt’s mother relentlessly to get more money.
“They are absolute buttholes,” he said. “They are horrible to deal with.”
To shield Matt’s mom and his parents’ home, Ramsey laid out this plan:
For six to nine months — or until the debt “goes bad” — Matt’s mother should stop making any payments on the credit card and refuse to engage with collectors. Ramsey said that means she should not pick up the phone or respond to any inquiries, email or otherwise. During that time, Matt and his sister should save a total of $5,000.
At the nine-month point, or whenever the debt has “gone bad,” Matt and his sister should offer American Express a $5,000 lump-sum settlement (no more) to settle the debt once and for all.
