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Dave Ramsey

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Dave Ramsey (b. 1960) is a United States nationally-syndicated talk radio host and New York Times best selling author[1]. His radio program, The Dave Ramsey Show is about "Life and Money" and is heard on almost 300 radio stations throughout the United States and also on XM and Sirius satellite radio, as of July 2006.[2] Ramsey's current company, The Lampo Group operates out of Brentwood, Tennessee and oversees three divisions geared towards financial counseling. He has written over 14 books, three of which have been on the New York Times Best Seller list. He is also the creator of a 13 week video training series known as Financial Peace University, and a school program known as Financial Peace for the Next Generation that is offered in more than 400 schools in 29 states.[3] He has been featured on many media outlets including The Oprah Winfrey Show, 60 Minutes, and The Early Show on CBS. Currently he is involved in a development deal with CBS to create a reality based show tentatively titled "The Dave Ramsey Project."[4] A revised edition of The Total Money Makeover will be released on February 6, 2007.[1]

Background

David L. Ramsey, III was born in Tennessee and raised in Nashville. He received a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Finance and Real Estate at the University of Tennessee in 1982[2], shortly thereafter finding a niche market in foreclosure real estate. At the age of 26, through his brokerage firm Ramsey Investments, Inc. he had built a rental real estate portfolio worth more than $4 million dollars. He became one of Tennessee's youngest brokers to be admitted to the Graduate Realtors Institute.[5]

Ramsey's success soon came to an end as the Tax Reform Act of 1986 began to negatively impact the real estate business. One of Ramsey's largest investors was sold to a larger bank, who began to take a harder look at Ramsey's borrowing habits. The bank demanded he pay 1.2 million dollars worth of short term notes within 90 days, forcing Ramsey into bankruptcy.[5]

After years of hardship through determination never again to return to debt, Ramsey began to recover. People began coming to him asking how he made it through, and Ramsey eventually began counseling couples at his local church. Soon after offering private counseling services, Ramsey began attending every workshop and seminar on consumer financial problems that he could find. He developed a simple set of lessons and materials based partially on his own experience, and after many requests from his clients, in 1992 wrote his first book "Financial Peace."[5]

That year the local radio station, WWTN filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy. One of its talk show hosts had quit over not getting paid, and Ramsey offered to host a show on money matters for a month without pay. "The Money Game" went on the air in 1992. In 1995, Gaylord Entertainment Company bought WWTN and began promoting Ramsey's show. Ramsey rewrote "Financial Peace" based on the lessons he'd learned from the shows callers. By mid-1996 the show became syndicated, and changed its name to "The Dave Ramsey Show" as it is known today.[5]

Dave has been married to his wife Sharon for over 24 years, and has three children, Denise, Rachel, and Daniel.[5]

The Lampo Group, Inc.

Ramsey started the Lampo Group in 1991[6], initially helping people one on one who were struggling with financial issues. In 1994 he hired Russ Carrol, Ramsey's lead financial counselor and together they began teaching the first Financial Peace University classes on overhead projectors.[6] Between 1999 and 2004, The Lampo Group grew from 18 to 105 team members.

Ramsey runs his business completely debt free, an accomplishment he states was critical to the success of his company.[7]

The Dave Ramsey Show

The Dave Ramsey show is a three hour self-syndicated radio program that airs live Monday through Friday, from 2-5 EST. It is primarily broadcast from Brentwood, Tennessee, though during the summer it is broadcast via remote from Ramsey's lake house.[2] During the show, Ramsey discusses various life and money related issues with callers. One notable difference between his and other financial shows was that Ramsey attempts to go beyond the mathematical mechanics and reach his callers through an emotional and spiritual level.[8]

The program began in 1992 when Ramsey, while selling copies of Financial Peace out of the trunk of his car, was a guest on 99.7 WWTN.[6] Ramsey offered to do a one hour show for free for one month, not entirely expecting to be successful. "The Money Game" went on the air with Ramsey co-hosting, along with a friend of his[9], presumably either Hal Wilson[10], or Roy Matlock[11]. The program was quite popular in Nashville. Reportedly, when WWTN asked Ramsey who would be syndicating his show, Ramsey simply pointed to Blake Thompson, who continues as executive producer of the show to this day. As Bill Hampton, Vice President of The Lampo Group stated, "they learned syndication from the ground up."[7]

"The Money Game" changed its name to "The Dave Ramsey Show" in mid 1996.[5] As of 2006, the show is heard in 250 markets.[12] In 2006, the show received two nominations for the 2006 Radio & Records News/Talk Industry Achievement Awards. It is the fifth year in a row for Dave Ramsey in the "Syndicated Personality of the Year" category, and the second year in a row for Bill Hampton in the "Executive of the Year" category.[12]

On the success of the show, Bill Hampton has stated that the show did 2.5 million in network sales in 2005, while MyTMMO.com did 1.2 million. He also stated the show would bring in an estimated 3.7 million from advertisers.[7]

Publications

Additionally, The Total Money Makeover, Financial Peace Revisited, and More than Enough are available in Spanish.

Financial advice

  • The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan For Financial Fitness
Hardcover: 224 pages
Publisher: Nelson Books (September 11, 2003)
ISBN 0-7852-6326-8
  • Total Money Makeover Workbook
Paperback: 240 pages
Publisher: Nelson Impact (January 21, 2004)
ISBN 0-7852-6327-6
  • Financial Peace Revisited
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Viking Adult (December 30, 2002)
ISBN 0-670-03208-5
  • The Financial Peace Planner: A step-by step guide to restoring your family's financial health
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (January 1, 1998)
ISBN 0-14-026468-X
  • More than Enough: The Ten Keys to Changing Your Financial Destiny
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics); 1st edition (February 15, 2002)
ISBN 0-14-200047-7
  • Priceless: Straight-Shooting, No-Frills Financial Wisdom
Hardcover: 135 pages
Publisher: Lampo Press (August 2006)
ISBN 0-9774895-9-0
  • How to Have More than Enough: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Abundance
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics) (April 1, 2000)
ISBN 0-14-028193-2
  • The Money Answer Book: Quick Answers to Everyday Financial Questions
Paperback: 160 pages
ISBN 0-8499-9619-8

Kids' books

  • The Super Red Racer: Junior Discovers Work
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Lampo Press (January 2003)
ISBN 0-9726323-0-1
  • Careless At The Carnival: Junior Discovers Spending
Hardcover: 26 pages
Publisher: Lampo Press (October 2003)
ISBN 0-9726323-1-X
  • The Big Birthday Surprise: Junior Discovers Giving
Hardcover: 26 pages
Publisher: Lampo Press (October 2003)
ISBN 0-9726323-2-8
  • My Fantastic Fieldtrip: Junior Discovers Saving
Hardcover: 26 pages
Publisher: Lampo Press (October 2003)
ISBN 0-9726323-3-6
  • A Special Thank You: Junior Discovers Integrity
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Lampo Press (August 2005)
ISBN 0-9769630-0-0
  • Battle of the Chores: Junior Discovers Debt
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Lampo Press (August 2005)
ISBN 0-9769630-1-9

Contributions

  • 48 Days To The Work You Love by Dan Miller, Forward by Dave Ramsey
Hardcover: 224 pages
Publisher: B&H Publishing Group (January 2005)
ISBN 0-8054-3188-8

Other Ramsey programs

Live events

Dave Ramsey' live events are a five hour event largely based on the Total Money Makeover, incorporating humor and financial advice. [13] Beginning in 2007 a prerecorded video stream of a Live event was also offered online.

Endorsed Local Providers

ELPs are financial professionals who are essentially fans of the Dave Ramsey Show, and for the endorsement of his program help local area Ramsey listeners with advice on investing, accounting, health insurance, real estate, and marriage issues. Part of the requirements of becoming an ELP is that the advisor "have the heart of a teacher," in that they are willing to explain products and how they work as opposed to selling products that simply make the most profit.[13]

Share It!

Share It! is a foundation created by Dave and Sharon Ramsey for the purpose of working with other non-profit organizations such as Housing Initiatives, Welfare-to-work projects, Domestic violence shelters, Drug and alcohol recovery programs, Crisis pregnancy centers and Youth outreach and high school curriculum become financially literate.[14] One of products sold on Dave Ramsey's website for which proceeds go entirely to this charity is the "Freedom" wristband.[3]

Financial Peace for the Next Generation

Ramsey created this program as a high school curriculum designed to make students financially literate.[13] Ramsey has stated on his radio program and during his Financial Peace classes that he created this program to directly combat curricula that were now being offered to high schools by the credit card industry.

Financial advice

Getting out of debt

Ramsey's approach to getting out of debt has been compared to a weight loss program.[15] His motto "Live like no one else, so that later you can live like no one else"[16] refers to the sacrifices Ramsey suggests are needed to win. He steers his readers away from using credit, believing that it encourages people to extend their resources.[15] In his book, The Total Money Makeover, Ramsey suggested that before a person can begin to get out of debt, they must break through denial and a number of debt myths. After this he encourages readers and listeners to follow "The Baby Steps":

Dave's debt myths

  • Debt: Ramsey suggests that the risk created by debt offsets any positive leverage created by the debt.[17]
  • Cosigning: Ramsey often argues against cosigning, stressing that lending institutions ask for a cosigner because they know that the primary signer does not have the means to pay the debt.[17]
  • Usury lending: Ramsey has labeled Cash Advance, Pay-Day Lenders, Title Pawning and "Tote-the-Note" car lots as predatory lenders, targeting lower income families with high interest rates. Despite their current legal standing, Ramsey has criticized these industries for numerous dishonest business practices.[16]
  • 90 Days Same as Cash: Ramsey contends that by "flashing cash" in front of business managers, customers will often receive a discount that they may not receive through financing. Ramsey also states that 88% of these finance contracts convert to debt, meaning the interest is back-charged and no real advantage has taken place. Finally, Ramsey accuses finance companies of fraudulently forcing contracts into default through "universal default provisions."[16]
  • Vehicles: Ramsey suggests that if a person places the money they would spend on the payments for a new car in investments that average 12%, they would have several million dollars invested at retirement age as opposed to owning a vehicle that will have lost most of its value in the first four years. [16] Additionally, he refers to the leasing of cars as "fleecing," quoting Consumer Reports and Smart Money Magazine as stating that leasing is the "worst possible way to acquire a vehicle."[16] He has also accused dealers of surreptitiously pushing the lease on consumers because it makes them more money.[16]
  • Teenagers and Credit: Ramsey argues that giving a teen a credit card is "introducing a financially harmful substance and endorsing its use.[18] He also accuses credit card companies of targeting teens on college campuses.
  • Debt Consolidation: Ramsey contends that Debt Consolidation is dangerous because the person involved is treating the symptom, not the problem of overspending. He argues that after the person has added considerable risk to their mortgage, the debt usually grows back because the person has not developed a plan to stay out of debt.[19]
  • Gold as an investment: Ramsey uses the recent devastation of Hurricane Katrina to illustrate a micro-economy that collapsed, defraying the myth that in a collapsing economy, gold and other precious metals will be preferred tender.
  • Cash Value Insurance: Ramsey claims that after hidden fees and conditions, cash value insurance is a waste of money.[20]
  • Lotto: Ramsey claims that the lottery is "a tax on the poor and people who can't do math."[16]
  • Mobile Homes: Ramsey refers to buying a mobile home as "like living in your car," claiming that mobile homes will lose value, not gain like traditional real estate.[16]
  • Budgeting: Ramsey quotes The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People when he says that highly effective people begin with the end in mind.[16] He contends that people are against doing a budget because it feels like a straight jacket that confines their spending. But he argues that succeeding at a budget takes time and practice, and offers advice and free budget forms to help people in the endeavor.[21]
  • Debt Management: Ramsey argues that after going through a debt management plan, when applying for a Conventional, FHA or VA loan the person involved will be treated as though they have gone through a Chapter 13 Bankruptcy.[22]
  • Debt Collectors: While stopping short of recommending people not pay their debts, Ramsey almost universally labels debt collectors as "scum," claiming that they frequently violate the Federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. After tutoring readers and listeners in common collections practices, he urges them into settlement of the debt and stresses that all agreements be confirmed in writing through certified correspondence, and that they never give electronic access to checking accounts.[16][23]
  • Bankruptcy: Having gone through bankruptcy himself, Ramsey is particularly against bankruptcy, stating that it is not the painless "wiping of the slate" that some think it is.[24] On a related note, Ramsey has blasted Republican Congress over the passing of the Bankruptcy Reform Act of 2005, accusing the legislation as being bought and paid for by credit card companies.[25]
  • Carrying Cash: While not discounting the danger of losing the cash through robbery, Ramsey argues that by not using the power of cash people are spending more and losing out on the opportunity of bargaining.[16]

The baby steps

Before starting the baby steps, Ramsey recommends people be current with their debts. He suggests that old, written off debts or those on which one is behind on payments should be approached first even before beginning step one.

  1. Start a "beginners" Emergency Fund: This should be $1,000 unless the family makes less than $20,000 a year in which case the fund should be $500. While admitting that he used to recommend people shed their debt first, he found too often that emergency situations such as pregnancies and blown transmissions would completely curtail their efforts to get out of debt. He revised this step to take care of any small emergencies that might take place during step two.[16]
  2. The Debt Snowball: Making all the minimum payments and keeping debts current, Ramsey recommends using any extra funds to pay begin paying off debts by the smallest to the largest.[26] Ramsey admits this method is mathematically inferior to paying off debts largest interest to smallest, but states that he is more interested in the "quick wins" involved in paying off the smaller debts quickly.[16] This step is also often called "Debt free except your house," as he does not count a personal home mortgage along with other debt.
  3. A Fully-Funded Emergency Fund: Ramsey recommends having a fully-funded emergency fund placed in low interest building and easily accessible accounts such as money market accounts totaling three to six months of expenses. The purpose of this step is to build a safety buffer so that using credit cards for emergencies no longer becomes necessary.[26]
  4. Invest 15% of your gross income: Ramsey recommends starting with matching 401k accounts, but not including the actual company match in the 15% calculation. He also does not recommend including calculated Social Security benefits. Beyond company match 401k, Ramsey recommends funding Roth IRAs if the person qualifies. After that Ramsey recommends Mutual Funds with a high performance track record of 5 years or more. Ramsey's full recommendations on investing can get rather complicated, and always recommends seeking out further information, either through his subscription website[4] or through one of his ELPs (Endorsed Local Provider, a financial professional that Ramsey recommends)[16]
  5. College Funding: Ramsey acknowledges that "a college degree does not equal success,"[16] and urges parents not to send their children to expensive out-of-state colleges. He of course urges students to stay away from student loans, and to search out as many scholarships as they can. Additionally, he recommends that parents invest in ESAs and 529 plans. [16]
  6. Pay off the home mortgage: Ramsey argues that taking a tax deduction for a home mortgage does not make up for the amount of money spent in interest each year.[16]
  7. Build Wealth: Ramsey's idea here is that once a persons income is totally free of payments, they should be able to invest heavily and amass a sizable nest egg.[16]This is the step in which Ramsey recommends having fun, investing, and philanthropy.

Sometimes there is a Baby Step 3b, involving the purchase of a home if the person does not own one while going through the debt snowball. Ramsey strongly recommends the person pay 100% down on their home, but concedes that few people will be able to do this, therefore he recommends getting a 15 year fixed rate mortgage, the payment being no more than 25% of net household income.

Financial Peace University

Financial Peace University, or FPU as it is often called, is as Dave Ramsey refers to it as a "12 step program" of finance.[27] It is a 13 week series developed by Ramsey, involving DVD lessons and a discussion group. The intent of the group dynamic is to create accountability amongst members, to help assist in the debt elimination process. The 13 DVD lessons include:[28]

  • Super Savers: About the importance of saving money.
  • Cash Flow Planning: Largely about creating and maintaining a budget.
  • Relating with Money: Mainly about marriage and family topics involving money.
  • Buying only big, big bargains: A lesson in bargaining.
  • Dumping Debt: The longest lesson in the series, primarily focused on recognizing the reasons why a person should get out of debt, and the methods used to do so.
  • Understanding Investments: Teaches the difference between various investments.
  • Retirement and College Planning: Expands on the investment lesson by explaining how to use various investments for retirement and college planning.
  • Buyer Beware: Explains the techniques used by the sales industry to get customers to spend more than they intend.
  • Real Estate and Mortgages: Explains how to buy and sell a home, and discusses the different mortgage options available.
  • Careers and Extra Jobs: Places importance upon building worthwhile careers, and gives suggestions on additional jobs for extra cash flow.
  • Collection Practice and Credit Bureaus: Primarily discusses tactics used by collection agencies, how to deal with them, and also how to clean up discrepancies on a credit report.
  • The Great Misunderstanding: Largely a discussion of Christian Philanthropy, this lesson covers biblical concepts such as tithing and stewardship.

Criticism

  • Ramsey has been criticized in financial circles for offering simplistic solutions to financial issues. [16]
  • Ramsey is often criticized for stating that the stock market has a track record of 12% gains. Critics say this number is misleading as it refers to a 78 year period (few investors will stay in stocks for that long) and is not adjusted for inflation. Ramsey only recommends mutual funds as 5 year or longer investments, and only ones with a long track record of success.[29]

Trivia

  • After the death of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin, Ramsey began editing out a reference to the conservationist from the "Super Savers" DVD portion of his Financial Peace University program. The edit was prompted by his commonly used phrase "When you play with snakes, you get bitten."
  • In 2004 Dave Ramsey's column was dropped from the Tennessean, and four other newspapers owned by Gannett, Co. after several question senders were misidentified in his column. [30]
  • Ramsey's show is one of very few national radio shows to be self-syndicated. The program is not connected to any national network or programming service, and is distributed directly to local stations.
  • On August 10, 2006 The Dave Ramsey Show cut ties with Salem Communications, ending communication of the Dave Ramsey show on 21 of Salem's stations. Negotiations had broken down over "affiliate clears," which Ramsey felt was unfair.[8]
  • A message on the KNUS2 website in Denver, Colorado, one of the Salem stations effected states that "the long run of the Dave Ramsey show has come to an end,"[5] leading some to believe that the show was cancelled outright. A query from Ramsey's website however states the show is still carried through an AM Station in Brush, Colorado and both AM and FM stations in Colorado Springs.

See also

References

  1. ^ "New York Times Bestseller list as of October 15, 2006". New York Times Best-Seller List. Poor Richard Web Press. Retrieved 2006-12-03.
  2. ^ a b "Axia Interview with Blake Thompson, producer of The Dave Ramsey Show". www.axiaaudio.com. Retrieved 2006-12-03.
  3. ^ Beth Tallent, Media Relations (2006). "FINANCIAL PEACE FOR THE NEXT GENERATION AVAILABLE IN MORE THAN 400 SCHOOLS NATIONWIDE". daveramsey.com. Retrieved 2006-12-03.
  4. ^ Chris Lewis (2006). "Ramsey pilot preview ready". The City Paper Online. Retrieved 2006-12-03.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Ramsey, Dave (2003). Financial Peace Revisited. Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England: Viking Penguin. p. 325. 0-670-03208-5. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help) Cite error: The named reference "GRI" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b c Dave Ramsey (2006). "Our Company History". daveramsey.com. Retrieved 2006-12-03.
  7. ^ a b c Mike Kinosian (2005). "The Inside Story with Mike Kinosian: Behind The Dave Ramsey Show" (PDF). InsideRadio.com. Retrieved 2006-12-03.
  8. ^ a b Joe Howard, Editor-In-Chief (2006). "Dave Ramsey: Money in the Bank (10/02/06)". Radio Ink. Retrieved 2006-12-03. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  9. ^ Dave Ramsey (2006). "About us". daveramsey.com. Retrieved 2006-12-03.
  10. ^ Hal Wilson. "The Wilson Group Real Estate". Wilson Group Real Estate. Retrieved 2006-12-03.
  11. ^ Jan Duke. "The Money Game". About Nashville, TN. Retrieved 2006-12-03.
  12. ^ a b Beth Tallent (2006). ""THE DAVE RAMSEY SHOW" CLEARS 250TH STATION". daveramsey.com. Retrieved 2006-12-03. Cite error: The named reference "Ramsey Media Relations" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  13. ^ a b c Beth Tallent. "The Product We Sell is Hope!". daveramsey.com. Retrieved 2006-12-03.
  14. ^ "About Us". shareittoday.org. Retrieved 2006-12-03.
  15. ^ a b D. Marie (2005). "Dave Ramsey's Advice for Getting, and Staying, Out of Debt". Associated Content. Retrieved 2006-12-03. Cite error: The named reference "Associated Content" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  16. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Ramsey, Dave (2003). The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness. Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc. p. 5. 0-7852-6326-8. Cite error: The named reference "TMMO" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  17. ^ a b Dave Ramsey (2006). "The Truth about Debt". daveramsey.com. Retrieved 2006-12-03. Cite error: The named reference "Truth about Debt" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  18. ^ Dave Ramsey (2006). "The Truth about Teens and Debt". daveramsey.com. Retrieved 2006-12-03.
  19. ^ Dave Ramsey (2006). "The Truth about Debt Consolidation". daveramsey.com. Retrieved 2006-12-03.
  20. ^ Dave Ramsey (2006). "The Truth about Life Insurance". daveramsey.com. Retrieved 2006-12-03.
  21. ^ Dave Ramsey (2006). "The Truth about Budgeting". daveramsey.com. Retrieved 2006-12-03.
  22. ^ Dave Ramsey (2006). "The Truth about Debt Management". daveramsey.com. Retrieved 2006-12-03.
  23. ^ Dave Ramsey (2006). "Hey Dave, lay off of the debt collectors!". about.com. Retrieved 2006-12-03.
  24. ^ Dave Ramsey (2006). "The Truth About Bankruptcy". daveramsey.com. Retrieved 2006-12-03.
  25. ^ Dave Ramsey (2006). "Dave Ramsey Rips Bankruptcy Bill". bizzyblog.com. Retrieved 2006-12-03.
  26. ^ a b Dave Ramsey (2006). "Dave Ramsey's Babysteps". Moneyspot.org. Retrieved 2006-12-03.
  27. ^ Chris Carpenter (2006). "The Total Money Makeover: An Interview with Dave Ramsey". cbn.com. Retrieved 2006-12-03.
  28. ^ Dave Ramsey (2006). "Financial Peace University - 13 lessons". daveramsey.com. Retrieved 2006-12-03.
  29. ^ Dave Ramsey (2006). "Frequently Asked Questions When It Comes To Investing". daveramsey.com. Retrieved 2006-12-03.
  30. ^ http://www.tennessean.com/business/archives/04/06/53312885.shtml

Further reading

  • Dave Ramsey, The Total Money Makeover ISBN 0-7852-6326-8
  • Dave Ramsey, Financial Peace, Revisited ISBN 0-670-03208-5
  • Dave Ramsey, More Than Enough ISBN 0-14-200047-7
  • Dave Ramsey, The Money Answer Book ISBN 0-8499-9619-8
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