Based on your financial expertise, provide your response or viewpoint on the given financial question or topic. The response format is open.

Should you co-sign a personal loan for a friend/family member? Why/why not?
My personal rule is to not loan money (or co-sign) for any amount that I am not willing to give away.  It can go wrong in so many ways, and having a family or friend involved means making a "business" decision is difficult. If a bank won't loan the person the money, why should I?  Being a co-signer is the same as borrowing the money in my name and giving it right over to the borrower. There might be great reasons to do it.  I would probably sign a loan to keep my family alive or healthy, but no other reason.  There are many ways to help without signing a loan.  Give a room and a place to live, loan a car. The other thing is if you really truly believe in the borrower, it won't do long term damage to your credit or your financial goals, and you are the only resort; go ahead.  I am thinking about helping a teenager afford their first car or student loans.