Newark woman says her husband secretly took $100K and lost it all in an ‘online bank’ investment scam — ‘The Ramsay Show’ gave her tough love

Amanda SmithSun, April 26, 2026 at 2:05 PM UTC

0

A photo of a visibly stressed man and a frustrated woman reviewing their finances together.

A woman woke up one morning to her husband telling her he lost $100,000. He drew from his 401K and their Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC), without her knowledge. What did he "invest" in? Probably a Nigerian prince, according to Dave Ramsay.

She dialed into the personal finance expert's talk show, in what was more like an episode of Dr. Phil. (1)

Must Read -

Dave Ramsey warns nearly 50% of Americans are making 1 big Social Security mistake — here’s what it is and the simple steps to fix it ASAP

Robert Kiyosaki issues grim warning for baby boomers. Many could be ‘wiped out’ and homeless ‘all over’ the country. How to protect yourself now

Taxes are going to change for retirees under Trump’s ‘big beautiful bill’ — here are 4 reasons you can’t afford to waste time

The wife was surprisingly calm and told the hosts she was trying to give her husband a lot of grace, to which Ramsay replied: "No! He ought to be on his knees begging for forgiveness."

"Not only did he lie, but he was stupid with the money, and he's still walking around like this is okay," Ramsay grilled.

What happens next should not be up to her husband, Ramsay insisted.

Is deception akin to an affair?

Ramsay encouraged the woman to take ownership from here, starting with demanding marriage counseling immediately. Ramsay outlined two big problems: being out $100,000 and the lies.

All agreed that the broken trust was the more costly issue. He went behind her back, and it backfired big time. She asked the money expert how to rebuild from that, meaning she wasn't planning to leave the marriage.

Ramsay reminded her that "behavior is a language," and that it had already been a month since he told her. The money expert shared that he used to do a lot of real estate deals that his wife never knew about. He screwed up one Christmas and, ever since then, he doesn't make any major decisions without his wife involved.

"We don't make decisions unless we make them together," he said. "That's a new system that went in place after Dave was stupid."

Ramsay shared that financial secrecy touches on the same nerve that having an affair does.

"It's the same level of betrayal," he said.

Financial infidelity — which involves hiding, misrepresenting or avoiding debt or spending from a spouse — is more common than you might think.

Advertisement

With financial disagreements being the leading cause of divorce, this needs to be treated seriously. (2)

Couples also need to smarten up, with scammers getting savvier in the age of AI. According to Pew Research Center, 73% of U.S. adults have experienced some kind of online scam or attack, with 21% reporting actual financial losses. (3)

Read More: Almost 50 with no retirement savings? Here’s why you shouldn’t panic

How to protect your relationship from financial ruin

While you might think this could never happen to you, it's important to put systems and standards in place to ensure it never does.

Ramsay's advice is applicable for every couple. Set rules that work for you as a couple, and always uphold that agreement. For example, always make big financial decisions together — whatever "big" means for you, as that's subjective.

Spend time reviewing all your shared accounts, and decide on rules for each one. For example, the woman had an open HELOC, so her husband didn't need her signature.

Make financial check-ins part of your routine, maybe before a monthly date night. Create a non-threatening environment to talk through issues and ideas, check all your accounts, and decide on any changes for the month ahead.

And the big one: Invest in a marriage counselor to build a stable foundation of open communication, have safe financial discussions with a mediator, and make better-quality decisions.

This is how you can grow trust, and wealth, as a result. A strong relationship is something that'll pay dividends — for life.

What To Read Next -

Thanks to Jeff Bezos, you can now become a landlord for as little as $100 — and no, you don't have to deal with tenants or fix freezers. Here's how

Robert Kiyosaki says this 1 asset will surge 400% in a year and begs investors not to miss this ‘explosion’

Vanguard reveals what could be coming for U.S. stocks, and it’s raising alarm bells for retirees. Here’s why and how to protect yourself

Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan ‘works every single time’ to kill debt, get rich in America — and that ‘anyone’ can do it

Join 250,000+ readers and get Moneywise’s best stories and exclusive interviews first — clear insights curated and delivered weekly. Subscribe now.

Article Sources

We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our ethics and guidelines.

YouTube (1); Institute for Divorce Financial Analysts (2); Pew Research Center (3)

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Money”