Would you sign a lease with someone who won't tell you their credit score?

Derek and Kelly break down the financial red flags to watch for while dating, from the first few dates all the way to buying a house together. It starts with a guy who pretended to be an NFL wide receiver and scammed women out of $1.3 million. (Tip: if someone claims to be on the 49ers, check the depth chart.) Most red flags are less obvious than that.

We cover:

The partner whose lifestyle doesn't match their paycheck
Parent money and trust funds (and the strings that come with them)
Why the $200,000 wedding talk on date three is a red flag
What your partner's parents tell you about how they'll handle money
Why you should look at each other's credit before signing a lease
Splitting rent 50/50 when one of you makes $200K and the other makes $60K
Hidden debt, hidden accounts, and surprises on mortgage applications
Why buying a house before marriage needs a written agreement

The biggest red flag isn't debt or a low credit score. It's someone who's unwilling to have the conversation at all. Our rule of thumb: if you've been dating seriously for six months, it's time to talk money.

Kelly Turner is a licensed mortgage broker. Derek Mazzarella, CFP® is a financial advisor and author of Just Retire Already: An Unconventional Retirement Guide.

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Chapters

0:00 Intro: The $46 New York strip
1:20 Today's topic: Dating financial red flags
1:45 The fake NFL player who scammed $1.3 million
2:41 When their lifestyle doesn't match their job
6:10 Parent money and trust funds: What are the strings?
7:03 Lifestyle expectations and the $200K wedding
9:24 Won't talk about money? Red flag
11:46 You probably handle money like your parents
14:12 Check your credit before you sign a lease
19:18 Splitting rent 50/50 on unequal incomes
20:50 Financial abuse and hidden money
23:54 Hidden debt and mortgage application surprises
26:58 Buying a house before marriage
29:49 Recap: What to watch for at each stage
32:41 The six-month money conversation
33:34 The "I'll figure it out later" red flag
34:33 Final thoughts

Connect with Us:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekmazzarella/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/millennialmoneymatterspodcast/reels/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Millennial-Money-Matters-Podcast/61569837731004/?_rdr


Reach out to Kelly Turner at kturner@totalmortgage.com and Derek Mazzarella at dmazzarella@mygfpartner.com