Dear Dave,
I’m getting married this summer, and I’m on Baby Step 4 of your plan while starting to invest for the first time. My fiancé is getting onboard with your advice, and he’s currently in the process of paying down his student loan. Should I put my emergency fund money, minus $1,000, toward his student loan debt?
Elizabeth
Dear Elizabeth,
Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! I’m really proud of you guys, too, for your mature behavior where money is concerned.
First, don’t pay anything of his until after the wedding and you two are home from your honeymoon. At that point, “mine” and “his” becomes “ours,” and you can realign your money situation to reflect your total money makeover as a couple. Make sure that “we” have an emergency fund of at least $1,000 in the bank at that point. Then, if you like, you can throw the rest of what you previously had in your emergency fund at the debt.
You can both also pile up cash between now and the big day, so that after you two are official you’ll have even more cash on hand. Who knows, you might be able to knock out that student loan completely and begin your life together debt-free. That would be awesome!
—Dave
* Dave Ramsey is America’s trusted voice on money and business, and CEO of Ramsey Solutions. He has authored seven best-selling books. The Dave Ramsey Show is heard by more than 11 million listeners each week on more than 550 radio stations and digital outlets. Follow Dave on Twitter at @DaveRamsey and on the web at daveramsey.com.
