Being debt-free before you get married isn’t necessary

Published: September 27, 2017

Dave Ramsey

Dear Dave,
I’ll be getting married in a few months, and I just finished reading some of your books. You make a lot of sense, but now I’m wondering if I need to talk to my fiancée about postponing the wedding until I pay off all my debt. How do you feel about this?
Nick

Dear Nick,

First, congratulations on your upcoming wedding! I admire your desire to get out of debt and take control of your finances, but you’re talking about marrying the woman you love. You do not have to be debt-free to get married.

If you guys are on the same page when it comes to money, and you’re both willing to work together on paying off any debt after you’re married, there’s no reason to postpone the wedding. You two shouldn’t be paying each other’s debt before you get married, but once the rings are on your fingers, and you’re pronounced “as one,” then everything shifts from being “mine” and “hers” to “ours.”

— Dave

Dave Ramsey has five New York Times best-selling books. “The Dave Ramsey Show” is heard by more than 8.5 million listeners each week on more than 550 radio stations. Ramsey’s latest project, EveryDollar, is a free online budget tool.