Ramit Sethi, yeni evlilerin düğünden önce sakladığı 30.000 $ da dahil olmak üzere 165.000 $ 'lık borcun üstesinden gelmesine yardımcı oluyor

Ramit Sethi helps newlyweds tackle $165,000 in debt — including the $30,000 he hid before their wedding

Aditi Ganguly

Mon, August 10, 2026 at 1:55 PM GMT+3 10 min read

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Sana and Arhem knew going into marriage that money would be a challenge. What Sana didn't know until a month before their wedding was that Arhem had accumulated $30,000 in credit card debt.

When Arhem disclosed it, Sana was devastated — by both the amount and the secret. Then the debt grew again. By the time the couple appeared on Ramit Sethi's Money for Couples podcast, their total debt had reached $165,000 against a combined income of $188,000 — and the financial betrayal had nearly ended the relationship (1).

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"Things got to a really deep pit," Sana told Sethi.

The financial picture

Their $165,000 in total debt includes Arhem's credit card balances plus other obligations the couple has accumulated.

Despite a $188,000 household income — a figure many Americans would consider comfortable — they describe their financial life as regimented. Their system is highly organized on paper, with spreadsheets and tracking, but Arhem says it all feels like going through the motions rather than building toward anything meaningful (1).

Part of what drives Sana's anxiety goes beyond the numbers.

She carries a strong sense of responsibility for supporting her family financially, which shapes her financial decisions, even at the expense of her own well-being (1).

Arhem, meanwhile, had developed a pattern of accumulating debt he felt too ashamed to discuss. After the first disclosure, the debt grew again because he didn't really break the cycle of secrecy. Today, the couple is still working to rebuild their trust.

Financial infidelity is more common than many realize

What happened to Sana and Arhem is called financial infidelity.

According to Debt.com's Debt and Divorce Survey, 37% of divorced Americans said they'd hidden credit card debt during the marriage and 42% said credit card debt played a role in ending the relationship. More than a third said they believed hidden debt justified divorce (2).

Fidelity's Couples & Money Study found that about 1 in 4 partners admit to hiding a financial secret from their spouse and almost half dodge money discussions altogether to avoid arguing (3).

And the damage extends beyond trust. Hidden debt can limit joint goals, derail mortgage applications and — as Sana and Arhem are experiencing — create a financial environment where even a solid income doesn't translate into a sense of security.

Sethi's solutions

Sethi's core observation was that the couple's debt payoff plan may actually be too aggressive and so focused on eliminating the "really deep pit" that they've left no room for the kind of spending that makes life feel worth living.

Postponing all happiness until becoming debt-free, he argued, is its own form of financial dysfunction.

He also pushed back on the idea that earning more would solve Sana's underlying anxiety. Her worry is a response to broken trust and familial patterns that more income alone won't fix.

His most pointed recommendation: Couples therapy is the logical next step to try to rebuild trust while simultaneously managing a shared financial crisis. "Joint finances, trust and couples therapy. In addition, you make sure your numbers are dialed in" (1).

Sethi recommended fully consolidating finances rather than maintaining a hybrid of joint and separate accounts, which, in this couple's case, had allowed the secrecy to continue.

When money is fully shared and fully visible to both partners, the conditions for hidden debt become much harder to maintain (1).

Following the session, Sana and Arhem made changes.

They moved toward joint finances and began prioritizing their marriage alongside their debt payoff — treating their relationship as something that needed investment, not just their balance sheet.

The pit is still there. But they're climbing out of it together.

Consolidate your debt

If high-interest debt is also making it hard for you to get ahead, you're far from alone, as Sana and Arhem's situation illustrates. Americans now owe a record $1.25 trillion on their credit cards as of the first quarter of 2026 (4).

For many households, the problem isn't just how much they owe — it's the combination of multiple balances, different due dates and interest charges that can make getting out of debt feel like an uphill battle.

If you're juggling several high-interest balances, debt consolidation could help simplify the process. One option is to roll multiple debts into a personal loan through Credible. Instead of keeping track of several payments and interest rates, you could have one fixed monthly payment to work into your budget.

Through Credible's online marketplace, finding the right loan becomes much simpler. Credible lets you comparison-shop for the lowest interest rates for free with just a few clicks.

In minutes, you'll see all the lenders willing to help pay off your credit cards or other debts with a single personal loan.

You can find personal loans starting at 5.96% APR. Credible also offers a best rate guarantee — and if you close with a better rate than you prequalify for on the platform, you'll get a $200 gift card.

For those who owe a substantial amount, you may also want to see if you qualify for a debt relief program to help clear a significant portion of your debt.

With Freedom Debt Relief, you can speak with a certified debt relief consultant for free, who can show you how much you can save by partnering with them.

If you're eligible, they can negotiate settlements with your creditors until all of your enrolled debt is resolved.

Give every dollar a job

Once you've consolidated your debt, consider taking a fresh look at your monthly spending and figure out whether your budget has enough breathing room to handle those payments.

You don't necessarily need to slash your spending across the board.

Sometimes, a few smaller adjustments like dining out a little less often, reducing entertainment costs, or canceling subscriptions can make a meaningful difference.

Apps like Monarch Money can help you build a personalized budget, track your spending and see exactly where your money is going.

Monarch Money puts all your finances under one roof, from your banking statements to your investments. Once you link your accounts — including investments and real estate — you will be able to view every transaction through one clean, searchable list.

The platform can also help you forecast your spending beyond just one month.

Monarch Money also offers a seven-day free trial, so you can take a look around and see if it's right for you. Even better, you can get 50% off your subscription for the first year when you sign up using the code WISE50.

Give yourself some breathing room

Getting rid of debt is a major financial win, but it can be surprisingly easy to fall back into old habits if you don't have any savings to fall back on. One unexpected expense can quickly turn into another credit card balance. Building an emergency fund gives you a little breathing room and helps break that cycle.

While financial experts recommend saving three to six months' worth of living expenses in an emergency fund, you don't have to reach that number overnight. Setting aside even small amounts can make a difference in how financially secure you feel.

A Vanguard survey found that people with at least $2,000 in emergency savings reported 21% higher financial well-being than people without an emergency fund (5).

A high-yield account like a Wealthfront Cash Account can be a great place to grow your uninvested cash, offering both competitive interest rates and easy access to your money when you need it.

A Wealthfront Cash Account currently offers a base APY of 3.30% through program banks and new clients can get an extra 0.75% boost during their first three months on up to $150,000 for a total variable APY of 4.05%.

That's ten times the national deposit savings rate, according to the FDIC's March report.

Additionally, Wealthfront is offering new clients who enable direct deposit ($1,000/monthly minimum) to their Cash Account and open and fund a new investment account an additional 0.25% APY increase with no expiration date or balance limit, meaning your APY could be as high as 4.30%.

With no minimum balances or account fees, as well as 24/7 withdrawals and free domestic wire transfers, your funds remain accessible at all times. Plus, you get access to up to $8 million FDIC Insurance eligibility through program banks.

Start investing consistently

Paying down debt and building savings are important, but that doesn't necessarily mean you have to put investing completely on hold. Once your finances are moving in the right direction, even a small amount invested regularly can give your money an opportunity to compound over time.

You don't need thousands of dollars sitting around to get started.

In fact, consistency can matter more than trying to figure out the perfect time to buy. Rather than waiting until you have a few thousand dollars to invest or trying to predict when the market will hit its next low, regular contributions allow you to keep investing through different market conditions.

The math checks out. Investing just $20 a week for 30 years could grow to more than $179,000, assuming a 10% annual return. For context, the S&P 500 has averaged annual returns of roughly 10.5% since 1957.

Apps like Acorns allow users to invest spare change from everyday purchases automatically in index funds — helping them steadily build wealth without having to think about every market move.

All you have to do is link your cards and Acorns will round up each purchase to the nearest dollar, investing the difference — your spare change — into a diversified portfolio of ETFs managed by experts at leading investment firms like Vanguard and BlackRock. Over a lifetime, a little bit of consistency can go a long way.

With Acorns, you can invest in an S&P 500 ETF with as little as $5 — and, if you sign up today and set up a recurring investment, Acorns will add a $20 bonus to help you begin your investment journey.

- With files from Emma Caplan-Fisher.