This Boston woman, 46, resents her husband for investing his $140,000 inheritance and not paying off the mortgage — the Ramsey Show says ‘nothing is broken’ financially. But there’s 1 problem

Annie, a 46-year-old from Boston, Massachusetts, told Ramsey Show hosts her and her husband were struggling to get on the same page about his recent $140,000 inheritance.

While she wanted to use the cash to pay down their mortgage, her husband “put his foot down” and decided to invest the money instead. She conceded the argument because “technically the inheritance was to him,” however, she can’t get over her feelings of resentment over his decision.

Digging into the numbers, co-host Jade Warshaw offered a diagnosis: “Financially speaking, nothing is broken because this decision was made,” but there is a relationship issue that needs to be resolved.

Here’s why how we feel about money can be just as important as how we spend it.

Is there a real financial issue?

In terms of finances, Annie and her husband are in great shape. Her retirement account is worth $250,000 while his is worth $450,000. The couple is on Baby Step 6 of Ramsey’s debt reduction program and has paid down a lot of debt.

Add to that the recent influx of $140,000 that lives in a separate investment fund under both of their names, and the remaining $300,000 mortgage pales in comparison to their net worth.

For context, the median net worth for an American in their 40s and 50s is $124,509 and $287,482 respectively, according to Empower. In fact, 20% of Americans over the age of 50 have zero retirement savings whatsoever, according to an AARP survey.

Co-host Ken Coleman believes the couple is set for a comfortable retirement, regardless of whether they pay off the mortgage now or later. Instead, he suggests Annie take a fresh perspective to identify the real problem.

“This is a relationship issue, not a money issue,” he told Annie.