Americans Are Taking 7-Year Car Loans Just to Afford a Vehicle. How Did We Get Here? Buying a car used to mean getting from point A to point B. Now, some Americans are signing up for 84-month loans just to make the monthly payment manageable. And it gets worse. 42.6% of underwater car buyers turned to 7-year loans in Q4 2026. Many owe more on their current car than it’s worth. Instead of paying off the difference, they roll that debt into their next vehicle and start the cycle all over again. The average underwater buyer financed roughly $56,000 for a new car. Their average monthly payment is $850 That’s nearly $900 a month just to own a car. Meanwhile, auto-loan defaults are climbing to levels not seen in years.

Can someone explain who’s buying $1.2 million homes right now? Seriously, I need someone to explain this to me. A $1.2 million house. A 6.8% mortgage rate. Thousands in property taxes and insurance every year. And groceries, utilities, and everything else getting more expensive. Are there really that many households making $300K–$400K a year? What do these people actually do for a living? Are they executives, business owners, tech workers, or people who built wealth years ago? Because I’m trying to understand how so many people can afford homes that cost more than most people will earn in a lifetime.

Six months ago, my Prius needed a new hybrid battery. The dealership quoted me almost $3,000. I stared at that number and thought, For that kind of money, I could use it as a down payment on another car. So I put the repair department on hold and walked over to the sales department. A saleswoman spent over a week working around my schedule, letting me test-drive nearly every hybrid on the lot. Inventory was low because of the pandemic, but I eventually found one I loved. Price: $11,800. Monthly payment: just under $300. Interest rate: around 23%. Yes, 23% interest. I almost signed the deal. But I decided to sleep on it. The next morning, I realized I was about to take on a car payment just because my old car needed an expensive repair. So I went back to the repair department and booked an appointment to fix the Prius. A week later, I picked it up. The bill was only $1,500. Confused, I asked the mechanic what happened to the original quote. He said, We had that battery sitting in storage for some reason. Your car is the only model that uses it, so I saved you a thousand dollars. I thanked him and drove home in my old Prius. But I couldn’t stop thinking about one thing

An American told me people sometimes buy used cars with cash, and I had one question. WHY? Imagine saving $10,000 to buy a used car. You find the car you want, agree on the price, and head to meet the seller. Instead of making a bank transfer, you show up carrying $10,000 in physical cash. Ten thousand dollars. In your pocket. Or in a bag.

I'm Going To Prison For 3 Years Because OF My Husband's Fraudulent Actions. Caller: I’ve been in a financially abusive marriage for 23 years. I’m facing three years in prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud. My husband put my name on documents showing I owned companies, and I say I didn’t understand what was happening. Dave Ramsey: You’ve already pleaded guilty, and you’re supposed to serve three years? Caller: Yes. My husband controlled the money. He had a gambling problem, and I never really had a say in our finances. Dave: Are you divorced yet? Caller: No. He won’t give me a divorce. Dave: He doesn’t get to decide that. You live in Florida. You can file for divorce. Caller: He takes my keys. When I try to leave, he lets the air out of my tires. Dave: You can’t stay married to this guy. You need an attorney and you need to get divorced. Caller: I’m planning to file for divorce when I go to prison. I want to start fresh when I get out. Dave: Good. You get to start over after living in an abusive situation for far too long. The caller then asked what to do with her 401(k) before going to prison. Dave’s advice: Talk to a financial professional about rolling it into an IRA. She also worried that her felony conviction would prevent her from finding a job after prison. Dave: Why couldn’t you go back to your career? Caller: I think because I have a felony. I don’t believe I’m very marketable.

My dad has a paid-off house worth $350,000. At 59, after 32 years as a civil engineer, he should be thinking about enjoying retirement. Instead, he wants to borrow $100,000 against his home to help me buy mine. I’m making $92K a year, raising two kids, paying student loans, and watching our rent climb to $2,400 a month. On paper, I have a decent income. In reality, buying a house still feels out of reach. I told him I couldn’t let him put his future at risk for us. He looked at me and said: “What’s the point of spending your whole life building something if you can’t use it to help your children?” I didn’t have an answer. Because he’s not wrong for wanting to help. And I’m not wrong for wanting him to enjoy what he worked so hard to build. When did buying a home become a family burden instead of a normal milestone?