You thought you were helping your kid out. Maybe it was a car loan, student debt, or a personal loan to get them on their feet. You signed your name on that dotted line as a co-signer, figuring your son would handle the payments as he promised. Fast forward a few months or years, and now you're staring at a repossession notice or a demand letter from the bank. They want your car. Your savings. Maybe even a lien on your house. The gut-punch question hits hard: can they actually do this? The short answer is yes, they absolutely can. When you co-signed that loan, you didn't just vouch for your son's character or give him a confidence boost. You legally bound yourself to the entire debt as if you'd borrowed the money yourself. The bank doesn't see you as a backup plan or a safety net. In their eyes, you're a co-borrower with equal responsibility.