How can I help a friend who is in debt? (2024)

FAQs

How can I help a friend who is in debt? ›

Love your friend, make time to listen to them, and help them feel safe and free from judgement. Many people in debt feel shame, so it's vital that you assure them you're not judging them. Don't push them to make any decisions, but say that you are there to listen and support them.

Love your friend, make time to listen to them, and help them feel safe and free from judgement. Many people in debt feel shame, so it's vital that you assure them you're not judging them. Don't push them to make any decisions, but say that you are there to listen and support them.

Lending money to family and friends can be a gesture of goodwill when someone you know is in a tight spot financially, but it can be problematic if your efforts to help lead to disagreements or you experience financial issues as a result.

One of the biggest ways that parents can help their adult children with debt is to support their children's own efforts to pay down their debt. For example, a grandparent could help with childcare while the parents work extra hours to pay off debt. This helps your adult children to help themselves.

Make sure you have a clear agreement about the form of help, such as a loan or gift, and any terms for repayment. If you want to give the person something outright, consider giving them cash, paying one of their bills directly, or providing them with non-cash assistance, like gift cards, or certain resources they need.

Generally speaking, a good debt-to-income ratio is anything less than or equal to 36%. Meanwhile, any ratio above 43% is considered too high. The biggest piece of your DTI ratio pie is bound to be your monthly mortgage payment.

Is debt a reason to break up? ›

Debt can be a source of stress in any relationship and a catalyst for breaking up. According to USA Daily News, almost 50% of Americans believe debt to be a significant contributing factor to breaking up, including divorce. However, it is crucial to note that debt alone isn't a reason for separating.

Broke-Fishing

This term refers to someone who appears to need financial help when this isn't the case. It's not the same as being deliberately misled by a friend telling you they need your help but someone who allows you to pay for them while they save their money.

If assisting someone else is overtaxing your time, energy, or resources—stop! Even if you agreed to do something, if the cost becomes too great, whether that's financial or emotional, you can back out or adjust how much you can help. If you are harming yourself, that is not helping.

Give the person information on low-cost housing, insurance, etc., as needed for the situation. Be tactful and matter-of-fact about it. Say something like, “I heard about this great program for insurance for kids of parents who are having financial troubles. Here is the phone number.”

You can call us free on 0808 808 4000. Our expert advisers are waiting to speak to you anytime between Monday to Friday 9am-8pm and on Saturday 9:30am-1pm.

Almighty Lord, I feel helpless and troubled while dealing with my current financial circ*mstance. Calm me with your majestic power and take me out of all these troubles. Dear God, hear my prayer, respond with your miracle, and bless me with abundance.

You could say something like, "It would be helpful to me, if you could make a payment towards the loan today." If you're worried your friend may truly be having trouble repaying the money, say something like, "I know you're still struggling, but is there a small amount you could pay me now?"