Til Debt Do Us Part

Musicians Valerey and Alex make more than just music together they've also orchestrated a financial disaster. Unemployed, Valerey recently declared bankruptcy but she's going back to school leaving Alex with all the bills. At 40-something, they're too close to retirement to have zero savings and no assets. Gail's plan depends on them tuning into their financial situation and making more money, but that's a tune that Valerey might not be willing to play.

Mike and Sheila met in a rehab facility and triumphed over their addictions together. But to make up for lost time, they bought everything they've ever wanted, and it's left them with a throbbing debt hangover. And their dreams for the future are totally out of touch with their finances. It's up to Gail to get their spending under control and dole out a sobering dose of reality, or they risk all the progress they've made.

Amy and Paul are learning about home ownership in expensive way. Surprises during renovations forced them into a line of credit _ and there's still much work to be done. Amy loses sleep from worry but they haven't curbed their spending. Now they want to add a puppy to the household but haven't yet figured out if they can even afford it. It's time to get their priorities straight if they ever want to sleep peacefully.

Ted is a paramedic, Melissa a cop. Working opposite shifts in high-stress jobs, and caring for two young kids, has left them with no energy to track their money. So, they spend, spend, spend. Totally divorced from their financial reality, the couple underestimates their monthly income yet still overspend across the board. Their healthy joint income is more than enough to comfortably support the family, so Gail's first question is: where's the money going?

Owning a house is just a dream for family-minded Jill and Orson. Stuck with their children in a cramped apartment, they live a life where overdraft protection is not a safeguard but a necessity. Jill's financial management is misguided while Orson stays willfully ignorant. They're both clueless as to why they keep spinning their wheels as they grind from month to month. Can Gail free them and turn their hopes and dreams into ways and means?

Commercial pilot Ed and chic fiancee Brandi live with their heads in the clouds. But a globe-trotting lifestyle of fine wines and the latest fashions has left them with financial jet lag. Despite recent reductions to their incomes, they haven't curbed their expensive tastes., making Brandi's disproportionate share of household expenses and baggage of student debt all the more glaring. With marriage fast approaching, they'll need to change course or prepare for a turbulent ride.

After 18 years together, Paula and David's relationship is at the breaking point, and it's all due to finances. Paula feels exhausted by the stress of trying to manage their money on her own, and she's frustrated by David's debt denial. It's definitely taken a toll on them, and their two young children. Once Gail gives David a wake-up call, this couple makes money the focus of their vows when they decide to finally take a walk down the aisle.

Newlyweds Karissa and Karl have everything a new home, two vehicles, and a new baby. Because they make their minimum payments on time every month, they're perfect credit clients and they have the massive credit limits to prove it. During their short marriage, they've used that credit to rack up over $80,000 in debt. Karl wants to focus on paying down the debt, but Karissa thinks they can do it later. Will Gail be able to help this couple find the balance between their income and their debt?

Andy and Evelyn's impulsive decision making has lead them from one end of the country to the other. Along the way, they've had to sell their dream house and still ended up with a whack of debt. It's cost them more than just money because their relationship is on the rocks. Andy is feverishly working, trying to bring home the bucks while Evelyn broods at home with their two toddlers. Gail tries to balance the scales by putting Evelyn in charge of the family's finances.

Dina and Bill have turned to their mortgage to cover up some of their money mistakes. They even used their home equity to finance their car purchase. Now they're going to spend the next 25 years paying for a vehicle that will likely only last a fraction of that time. To ensure that Bill and Dina's teenagers learn from their mistakes, Gail gets the kids involved in her family-focused challenges.

Ivy and Carson haven't stopped to add up the cost of their family-focused lifestyle. Having a stay at home mom and buying organic is important to them, but are they spending too much time thinking about the wrong kind of green? They say they're worried about their increasing debt but they can justify every bad decision they've made. Gail faces an uphill battle trying to get these two to change their ways no if's, and's or but's.

Despite a healthy family income, Lucy and Dave have never been debt free. Lucy manages all of the family's finances but she spends it as fast as it comes in. To get this couple back in the black, Gail has to open up the lines of communication between themselves and with fellow shopaholics. Confronting clutter at home and in their spending habits gets Lucy and Dave back in sync.