Wife has been asking me to help with a joint credit card we have together. She gets a lot of money from me and I took 85% of about 32k in debt. She took about 7k of it. I have made great strides in paying off that debt. She is paying rent at her dads (hmmmmmmm). I want to help, but she told me to quit asking about counseling. I am scared, but I know that the right thing to do is help, but legally I am not bound to. I would just hate myself to help and then get screwed. I would feel like a heel. But then again, our whole separation thing is over my irresponsibility with money and not taking care of my financial responsibilities when we were together. Perhaps this is a test. Or she could just be using me. Quandry, Quandry, Quandry. I think I will take the high road, no matter what the cost to me. I still love her.

Rob,<P>If you can afford to pay it for now pay it. If she doesn't it is just going to mess up your credit. Yes, maybe she is testing you in some ways. I don't know your financial history but if it is like you said and you weren't that great with money she may be testing you. Was alot of the debt from that card yours<P>JIll

Rob,<P>The point about messing up your credit is well taken. If there is any way you can pay off that entire debt yourself, it might be a good idea, providing you can get that credit card cancelled and neither of you can put any more charges on it.<P>There is a rule for new credit card users that nobody follows. It is real simple. When you get your credit card bill, you must either pay the entire bill at once, or you must cut up the credit card and quit using it. End of story. There is no "yes but", there is no "what if".<P>Credit card debt is the worst kind of debt to be carrying, the interest rates put them in the class with a licensed loan shark.<P>I recommend that you not worry about your wife getting over on you or getting the better part of the deal. Because of the high interest rates, it could cost you more to try to make sure that she picks up "her fair share" than it would to just pay off the whole shooting match yourself. You are most likely already legally responsible for it anyway. It isn't worth the ag. Chalk it up as a bad deal, and start getting yourself on sound financial footing.<P>What amazes me reading the posts in this forum, is the number of well educated people who get their finances all screwed up. Because of sloppy money management, many of these folks are only getting thirty or forty percent of what their money could buy with proper management.<P>One of the best investments you could make right now is to go to your community college and and take a course in personal finance. If you can bite the bullet and get past this hump, you will be able to get the things you want when you want them, and live a lot better on your money for the rest of your life.<P>Don't ever understimate the value of a good credit rating. I've been at this for a life time, but here is an example of what good credit means. I just bought a new 2001 Mercury Grand Marquix, my retirement mobile. I knew what I wanted, so I made two phone calls, one to my bank and the other to a dealership. The deal was closed fifteen minutes after I walked into the showroom, three thousand less than advertised. The next day, it took about an hour for them to get the car ready, and I drove out the door. When my severance pay comes in next month, I'll make another phone call to pay off the car loan and buy some T bills. <P>Good Luck!<P>Prayers and stuff,<P>Bumper