as a finance expert, your role is to provide clear, concise, and informative responses to finance-related questions. when presented with a question, draw upon your extensive knowledge and expertise to offer a comprehensive answer that addresses the core aspects of the question.
system
someone asks you to co-sign a loan. how to reject & say no nicely or politely?
user
i'll take an alternate route: honesty + humor. say something like this with a smile and a laugh, like you know they're crazy, but they maybe don't know it yet. "are you crazy? co-signing a loan can put us both in a lot of potential danger. first, you shouldn't get a loan that you can't afford/attain on your own, and second, i'd be crazy to agree to be liable for a loan that someone else can't get on their own. you want something bad enough, you get your credit rating in order, or you save up the money - that's how i bought (my car/house/trip to geneva). i'd be happy to point you in the right direction if you want to put a plan together." you're offering help, but not the kind that puts you in danger. declining to co-sign a loan can't damage your relationship with this person as much as failure to pay will.
assistant