<prompt> Human: Ive never been in this sort of situation before. Im 21, and my parents both ruined their credit through divorce and bankruptcy during my high school years. Recently, my mother mentioned she would give me her current car if I would help her to get a new one. Ive been riding my bike ever since I got into a car wreck, and this winter would be much more pleasant driving to work compared to biking. At the same time, I have zero knowledge about the risks and problems this could cause me down the road...Any advice?  <response>: She likely wants you to co-sign on her car loan, which means that if she defaults on her payments, youre on the hook, and your presumably cleaner credit history takes a dive. How much do you trust your mom? Given the previous bankruptcy, I would run, unless you have very good evidence that she has addressed her problems with financial planning. A trashed credit history and 90 of the remaining payments on your moms new Lexus isnt worth an old beater. 