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.

If this episode helped, like, subscribe, and send it to the friend who needs it (you know the one).

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

Your household makes good money. So why is there nothing left at the end of the month?

Kelly kicks things off with a client story (shared with permission) about a mom who said, "When I was your age, I already owned two homes." So we did what any reasonable podcast would do and compared 1989 to 2026. It's not apples to oranges. It's apples to a couch.

We walk through what a typical millennial family in the Northeast spends each month: daycare, two car payments, travel sports, and the $12 DoorDash coffee. Add it all up and it lands around $13,000 a month. That's roughly $156,000 a year in take-home pay.

The good news? You're not alone, and there's plenty you can control. We cover the convenience tax, food spending, the birthday gift card hack, Buy Nothing groups, why your first car probably shouldn't be a BMW, and why none of your friends need to fly to Greece for your bachelorette party.

Nobody is judging your Toyota. Promise.

What's one expense that surprised you when you finally added it up?

Chapters

00:00 Kelly's accidental head coaching gig
03:36 "I make good money, so why am I broke?"
03:49 A client, her mom, and "when I was your age"
05:01 Apples and a couch: comparing generations
06:46 1989 vs. 2026: how family life changed
10:20 Starting life at 30 (with 10 years of debt)
12:54 Where the money goes: the millennial family budget
17:06 Paying for convenience: DoorDash, Uber, and the $12 coffee
22:13 The "little treat" life and why cooking saves money
28:36 Travel sports and the cost of kids' gear
31:01 Birthday parties and the gift card hack
33:31 Babysitters and swapping with friends
35:33 Influencer culture, hand-me-downs, and Buy Nothing groups
40:49 Cars: why under 30 shouldn't mean BMW
42:40 Destination bachelor and bachelorette parties
47:28 Nobody cares what you drive

Remember Eat This, Not That? The 2008 book that said you don't have to be a psycho about dieting. Just swap the bagel for an English muffin and move on with your life. Derek and Kelly do the exact same thing here, except with your money.

No overhauls. No spreadsheet that ruins your Sunday. Just 8 simple swaps that quietly put more money back in your pocket: debit vs. credit, where your savings actually sits, what to do with an old 401(k), term vs. whole life insurance, that big tax refund you're weirdly proud of, how much house to actually buy, the "20% down" rule, and whether paying off your mortgage early is really the flex you think it is.

00:00 First day of school (and the middle school supply gauntlet)
03:26 The game: Financial Do This, Not That
03:44 Swap 1: Debit card, meet credit card
07:24 Swap 2: Ditch the regular savings account
09:44 Swap 3: That old 401(k) needs a home
13:24 Swap 4: Term vs. whole life insurance
16:05 Swap 5: The big tax refund problem
19:01 Swap 6: Don't borrow the max
23:45 Swap 7: The 20% down myth
26:07 Swap 8: Should you pay off your mortgage early?
32:47 Wrap up

New episodes of Millennial Money Matters drop regularly. Like, subscribe, and tell at least six friends (and one enemy).

Small tweaks. Boring on purpose. That's kind of the point.

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