Comments on: Dave Ramsey critics

By: Texas12

Texas12 — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 20:26:30 +0000

Janet-

You claim that Dave stole Larry’s information but id Clark Howard states something similiar are you not upset that he does not give Larry credit?

Some people’s parents did not teach them financial responsibility….hence the people that are are severly in debt. And there are many of them.

And if he is so wrong, why is he so wealthy and why are people successful with it?

thx

By: janet

janet — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 19:10:12 +0000

Again, if you are old enough to have talked to your parents or even grandparents saving and charity were things taught to you as a child. I read some of Larry Burkett’s books. Larry’s books were based on biblical principles. He worked to get churches out of debt. I guess what rubs me the wrong way is how he presents his material. Like it all started with him and he has all of this knowledge. Actually, some of his counsel is wrong. Suze Orman and others have called him on several things; some of it dealt with student loans. I disagree with him about credit cards vs. debit cards. I would never use a debit card, but I will use a credit card. Why? It is cheaper than an attorney and much more effective. This year alone it has put well over $5,000 back into our bank account without filing one lawsuit. Clark Howard is much more consumer saavy and helpful while offering and preaching almost exactly the same thing that Dave Ramsey puts out for consumers. Difference between the two: Dave Ramsey is never wrong and Clark Howard will admit when he is wrong or there is another way to do something. In other words Clark Howard is more approachable and more sincere in his efforts to reach consumers.

By: janet

janet — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 18:56:37 +0000

You can’t be serious that what Dave Ramsey is marketing is new and worth paying money or spending time to learn. Anyone who had a grandparent or even parents who lived through or after the depression has voiced everything that Dave Ramsey has in his books. I even consider some of his advice to be foolhardy and dangerous. Otherwise, everything else is just common sense. Some of it is not reality in some parts of this country when it comes to marriage and how business is conducted in other states. Also, by now someone his age should be wise enough to know that no two marriages are alike and you can’t force another person to do something against their will. I won’t even touch his attitude about how to raise children and his my way or the highway approach. It may have worked for him, but this is not something that works for everyone else. Same thing about his perspective on employment. There are some areas of this country where employment opportunities cease to exist and may never return. Dave Ramsey is hardly a guru or a financial wizard. As for his so call hard times; that is also a joke. Sure he went broke, but all of his so called wealth was on paper and did not exist. Anyone can rack up large mortgages and leverage to the max wishing and hoping that everything works out. If Dave Ramsey had died instead of filing for bankruptcy, there would have been no FPU. He was fortunate to be young enough to rebuild and undo mistakes. He has been successful marketing himself guru; not so sure that his business will survive upon his demise. The brand is built around his brash persona. Actually, the churches in this country used to preach austerity, tithes, saving and charity, but now even religion has become a business today. I listen and watch because I keep current, but I would never pay a cent for his so-called wisdom because it is something I learned from my grandmother.

By: scott s

scott s — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 04:54:51 +0000

Dave properly gives Larry Burkett and others credit when using their material. You act like he is plagerising. You would know this if you took his seminar or read his books. I am currently taking his FPU.

By: Taylor

Taylor — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 13:34:36 +0000

@janet

Actually the first was the Bible, that’s where the information came from to begin with, and Dave and Larry were friends.

“More than 20 years ago, in the early days of his own calling, Dave was influenced by the ministry of Larry Burkett. Larry started his ministry in the 1970s, and he grew to become a well-known, respected author and on-air personality. Dave listened to Larry’s radio show, read his books, and soaked in the wisdom of Scripture. They met and spoke on a number of occasions, and with Larry’s blessing, Dave incorporated many of his biblical financial principles into his first book, Financial Peace.

There are those in our lives who teach and mentor us…those who’ve gone before and blazed the trails that we travel daily. Larry was one of those men for Dave. His example and godly leadership still serve as inspiration for Dave and help support the message he now carries. Dave would be the first to tell you that Larry’s trust—to carry on that legacy—is a tremendous honor that he and his organization will never take lightly. Though Larry is no longer with us, his wisdom and values live on.”

-From The Lampo Group, Inc. -One of the men who inspired Dave. 9/8/11

If that is what you are upset about with Dave then you must have many things you are upset about. I’m typing this on a HP laptop, but HP didn’t come up with the first laptop, it’s “copied.” I was in a hotel the other day but it wasn’t the first company that made a hotel.. I’ve heard Dave many times give credit to Larry for his inspiration, and also of coarse to the Word of God.

By: janet

janet — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 23:05:27 +0000

He stole Larry Burkett’s ideas and now markets them as his own. As for being a Christian – I find it really hard to swallow when he tells people how to get out of paying debt that they racked up using credit or buying houses. I have credit cards and use them all the time. I am not in debt and have actually owned everything since I was 33 years old – including houses. I did it the old fashioned way – working and saving. Amazing how much money you can make or use for investments when you aren’t paying off large mortgages. His advice about debit cards is going to get him into trouble one day. Debit cards are the worse thing that ever hit the banking industry. On the surface it is good, but I would never pay for his books or attend a seminar. The mere fact that he copied another media person makes me think less of him – in other words he is NOT the original or the first one to market this so-called financial guru stuff – it was Larry Burkett.

By: Merenda Farley

Merenda Farley — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 19:04:49 +0000

Dave’s advice is good and his radio program provides education via his callers, their discussions and his advice; however, his use of English and his euphemisms and euphemistic adjectives – freaking, stinking, like your grandmother–but we keep our teeth in, SWI, I love it !, etc. are geeky, common and annoying—my advice ? Do not concentrate on being such a “showman” — such comes across as “hokey/cheesy” – not wild and funny.

By: stacey

stacey — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 05:13:28 +0000

I like Dave Ramsey and his advice. He is an ordinary guy who fell down (and fell down hard) a couple times, got up, brushed himself off, and, instead of developing a fear of financial success (or anything financial), he embraced what he believes are a good set of principles, and figured out how to use them to help himself, and millions of others. Sure, the average person probably cant work 3 jobs, and just and start a home business. Believe me, I have thought about it; but in my home, I have a kindergartner, an sick elderly mother-in-law, and a sick, disabled husband, who lost his income 5 months ago, all of whom i take care of, before and after my one full time job each day; and i am just too tired for a 2nd or 3rd job, and/or a home-based business on top of it all. But I agree with Dave: if we can, we have to do something more than we are already doing to get out if debt, and achieve financial success, or else we won’t go forward in life. Whether it’s getting a 2nd job, starting a home busiess, or spending less, or saving more. And he is right about something else: whether we like it or not, money is intertwined within our lives, almost every aspect. So, getting out of debt, getting an emergency fund, and a retirement fund built up are important steps down that road to success. We had been living paycheck to paycheck: but paying off those first few small debts really did motivate me to keep going, even though I know it will take me awhile to pay off our debts. Dave’s point, when he tells people that they could be delivering pizzas tonight if they just got off their butts and did something about their situation is, if you are willing and able, you can do it somehow. Who cares whether its American, British, or Japanese? My family doesn’t care, as long as we do everything we can to prepare for tomorrow’s wondeful possibilities that GOD has in store for us.

By: Esbee

Esbee — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 14:22:37 +0000

I have been using the “pay the smallest debt first and when paid off, use that money for the bigger debts” for over 20 yrs. We heard our preacher talk about it on the pulpit and it is the sermon that has done the most for us ever. (not including the spiritual preaching)

To give you an idea of how nothing my hubby and I had, when married in 1975 we only had one horse for transportation. the music leader church he had been promised that caused us to move from CA to ARK was given to someone else without notice or apology. The old horse was truly a fgift from God as I had always wanted one and now needed her badly as our car quit working and we had no money to fix it..I staked her out on church property to eat the grass while I worked across the street at at Gibson’s dept store the rode her home at night to the little house we rented.

During this time my hubby had various illnesses which kept us choosing either buy his meds or buy cereal to eat. There were days I put water in my stomach just to have something in it. Our church at the time offered little or no help. Could not even get on welfare. When the old horse died, our car miraculously started working again but would not pass inspection. I had to sneak out at night to go shopping or get meds my hubby needed. Hubby also took no interest in finances, mostly because there was nothing to work with and he was ill all the time. In that time figure in the effects/costs of 2 tornadoes hitting our house (1982 and 1985) But after hearing that preacher’s plan for getting out of debt (in our case, just getting money) we followed it carefully and now both of us work good jobs and are ready to retire within a few years, I have horses, truck, trailer, home, etc and very little debt. We have a new car to pay off only because the one we had for 10 yrs had a problem with static shock every time you opened the door you got a very baaaad shock. No one was able to figure out why or fix it.
I know this story sounds fantastic and hard to believe, would not believe it myself had I not lived it.

By: GHolmes

GHolmes — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 19:31:25 +0000

@Rick- can tell it was only a cursory review, because Dave does discuss Christian giving while getting out of debt. That when he was getting out of debt that he adhered to the 10% principle giving that you discussed above. Its first part of his budget forms as well.

I did click on the link you supplied and one of the first topics in your banner was being safe with credit cards. Dave Ramsey’s steps is to eliminate cards which I have done.

There are so many folks enslaved with debt. There is a marvelous opportunity to witness to non believers by helping them get out of the pit of debt.