<prompt> Human: Long story storter: My parents who are retired and have only pension as income are terrible with finances and theyve got a credit card debt of 7000... They also have a mortgage and car payments so they owe some amount on those although Im not nearly as concerned about that as the CC debt because its got a much higher interest rate.I have the means to lend my parents the money to pay off their CC debt and stop paying the credit card companies so much interest. However, Ive already lent them a couple grand and they are in no position to pay me back in the forseeable future. I think a fair way to go about this, is I lend them the money to clear off their credit cards, and then they start paying me the month payments they were going to pay their credit cards. However, Im afraid they will find excuses not to make those payments as their daughter is not as scary as a credit card company. Can we work out a legal way of showing the money lent and owed? So that one day I will be paid back, maybe when the house is sold? Im not terribly concerned about being paid back promptly it just deeply upsets me to think I will give them 10G I will never see again. That is a very large sum for me, especially because I havent even paid off my student debt yet.EDIT: Thank you for your response everyone, Ive decided not to lend my parents money, I will focus on paying off my own debts first and help them in other ways, such as trying to find a different loan solution for them with a lower interest rate.Assistant: Dont do it, period. There is no benefit to you. Youre just enabling their shitty, financially irresponsible behavior. Can we work out a legal way of showing the money lent and owed?Have a written record of the debt, signed by them or digital equivalent, with a payment plan detailed. I dont know why you wouldnt do this, period, for any sum over 500.Also, In the unfortunate event your parents kick the bucket, their debtors get first grabs on their estate. If you have no record of the loans you gave them, you have zero chance of getting any of it back.tl;dr -- get it in writing. NOW. Demand that they give you, in writing, records of the previous debt they owe you, or you wont even consider giving them another loan.Human: I agree theres no large financial benefit, although I was thinking of charging them the exact same amount of interest that they are already being charged so at least the interest is going to me as opposed to Mastercard or whatever.I am worried that it will simply enable their shitty behavior, but they ARE my parents and I hate to see them struggling. So the benefit is clear in that case, they will breathe a little easier, and I get to pat myself on the back for being a good kid.  <response>: and I get to pat myself on the back for being a good kid.For charging them the same interest as the CC company?they will breathe a little easierHow? They will still be in the same situation. They just owe you instead of the CC company. I am worried that it will simply enable their shitty behaviorUnless you are as ruthless as the CC collectors that is what will happen. 