My sister wants me to co-sign her car loan. How do I say no without making it about trust?
Money"You don't have to give me any money," my sister said. "They just need another signature."
At a US dealership, she's been offered a car loan with payments of about $280 a month, provided she has a co-signer. The car would help her get to a new job with early starts. She's shown me her proposed budget and seems to have taken it seriously.
I have roughly $180 left each month after my own commitments. I couldn't comfortably take over the $280 payment, let alone repay the remaining loan. She says that won't happen because she's never let me down. I don't have a story about her being irresponsible to point to, and I don't want to invent one to justify refusing.
I haven't signed anything. I could help her compare cheaper cars or contribute $200 towards transport while she starts the job. Neither offer solves the problem she's brought me today.
How do I explain that I can trust her intentions and still decline this responsibility? I want to help without turning a smaller offer into a promise that I'll sign later.