$28K upside-down on a 2025 Corolla at 18%
A caller owed $28,000 on a car worth $16,000–$18,000 at an 18% interest rate, leaving him $10,000 underwater with no easy exit.
Snapshot · The Ramsey Show
Life Is Complicated. Money Doesn't Have To Be.
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Jul 27, 2026
Where this was said
Zephaniah in Austin: $28K Upside-Down on a Car at 18%
At 26:01 · chapter starts 25:20
Zephaniah in Austin financed a 2025 Corolla at 18% interest with only $1,500 down, now owes $28,000 on a car worth $16,000–$18,000, leaving him $10,000 underwater as he prepares for marriage [1] — George Kamel "$28K upside-down on a 2025 Corolla at 18%: A caller owed $28,000 on a car worth $16,000–$18,000 at an 18% interest rate, leaving him $10,00…" 26:01 . George Kamel is blunt: the only way out is to either save the $10,000 gap in cash or take a personal loan for it plus a cheap replacement car. But Jade's lesson lands harder — Zephaniah walked into the dealership without a money philosophy, so the salesperson wrote one for him [2] — Jade Warshaw "You've got to decide who you are with money and don't let the salesperson decide for you." 29:23 . She implores him to decide who he is with money before entering any sales environment, noting there's a hero and a villain in every transaction, and his job is to protect his future, not accommodate a commission.
$28K Upside-Down on a Car at 18% — The Only Way Out
You're $10,000 underwater on a car you barely needed because you let the dealer decide your money philosophy. The only exit: save up the gap in cash or take a personal loan — and next time, you walk in already knowing who you are with money.
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