Pro tip: check your partner's spending habits before merging finances

I found out last month that my girlfriend of 3 years had been hiding $8,000 in credit card debt from me. We were about to open a joint account when I noticed a collection letter on the counter. Looked it up and found she'd been paying minimum amounts on three cards for over a year. The kicker is she makes good money as a nurse, just couldn't stop buying clothes and takeout. I asked her straight up and she broke down crying. Now I'm stuck trying to figure out if this is a trust thing we can fix or a red flag I should have seen earlier. Has anyone else found hidden debt before going joint on accounts?

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simonl115mo ago

My buddy found his fiance had 12k in secret payday loans two weeks before their wedding.

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johnflores5mo ago

Didn't I read this exact story on Reddit a month ago?

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charlienelson3mo ago

My wife and I sat down and made a shared budget spreadsheet before we got married. Everything goes in there now, no secrets allowed. It saved us a lot of fights down the road.

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