Dave Ramsey - Dave Ramsey Budgeting Software

David L. "Dave" Ramsey III (born September 3, 1960) is an American financial author, radio host, television personality, and motivational speaker. His show and writings strongly focus on encouraging people to get out of debt.

Ramsey's syndicated radio program, The Dave Ramsey Show, is heard on more than 500 radio stations throughout the United States and Canada, in podcast format, on IHeartRadio, a dedicated iOS application, as well as live audio and video on DaveRamsey.com. He has written numerous books including five New York Times bestsellers. His books and broadcasts often feature a Christian perspective that reflects Ramsey's religious beliefs. Ramsey was named the 2009 Marconi Award winner for Network/Syndicated Personality of the Year.

Ramsey's company, The Lampo Group, Inc., headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee, oversees six divisions geared toward financial education.

Ramsey has been featured on many media outlets including The Oprah Winfrey Show, 60 Minutes, and The Early Show on CBS. He recorded a pilot and six unaired episodes of The Dave Ramsey Project for CBS. He was the host of The Dave Ramsey Show, which aired at 8 p.m. ET and repeated weekdays on the Fox Business Network until June 2010.

Biography

Ramsey was born and raised in Antioch, Tennessee. He was a 1982 graduate of the College of Business Administration at University of Tennessee, Knoxville with a degree in Finance and Real Estate. At the age of 26, through his brokerage firm Ramsey Investments, Inc., he built a rental real estate portfolio worth more than $4 million and became one of Tennessee's youngest brokers to be admitted to the Graduate Realtors Institute.

Ramsey's success soon came to an end as the Tax Reform Act of 1986 began to have a negative impact on the real estate business. One of Ramsey's largest creditors was sold to a larger bank, which began to take a harder look at Ramsey's borrowing habits. The bank demanded he pay $1.2 million worth of short-term notes within 90 days, forcing him to file for bankruptcy relief.

Ramsey then 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 on works and teachings by Larry Burkett, Ron Blue and Art Williams of A.L. Williams company now called Primerica. In 1992, after many requests from his clients, he wrote his first book, Financial Peace.

Ramsey has been married to his wife, Sharon, for over 30 years. They have three children: Denise, Rachel, and Daniel. The family resides in Franklin, Tennessee.

Dave Ramsey Inspired Excel Budget Spreadsheet

The Dave Ramsey Show

Ramsey started his radio career by co-hosting the show The Money Game with Roy Matlock of Primerica on June 15, 1992. It is currently known as The Dave Ramsey Show. Originally based locally, it is now syndicated across the country. In 2007, the Fox Business Network launched a television show under the same title, but canceled the show in June 2010. In August 2013, the Dave Ramsey Show began transmitting a live video feed featuring the live three-hour call-in show, as well as other special video content.

Dave identifies himself as a devout born-again Christian. Many churches have hosted and promoted Dave Ramsey workshops.

Related companies

The Lampo Group, Inc.

Ramsey founded his company, The Lampo Group, Inc., in 1992, initially helping people one-on-one who were struggling with financial issues. In 1994, he hired Russ Carroll, Ramsey's lead financial counselor, and together they began teaching the first Financial Peace University classes on overhead projectors. Between 1999 and 2004, The Lampo Group grew from 18 to 105 team members. There are currently over 400 team members.

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

Financial Peace University

Ramsey is also the creator of Financial Peace University, a biblically based training series for adults that integrates video teaching, class discussions, and small group activities. The video series lasted for 13 weeks until August 2012 when it was relaunched as a 9-week program. Some topics covered in the series are cash flow planning, investing, saving, credit, retirement, and giving.

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, work to success projects, domestic violence shelters, drug and alcohol recovery programs, crisis pregnancy centers, youth outreaches, and high schools, to help others become financially literate.

EntreLeadership

The word EntreLeadership describes the responsibilities of a small business owner as an entrepreneur (Entre) and as a leader (Leadership). EntreLeadership is also the name of a small business conference developed by Dave Ramsey. The principles presented at EntreLeadership seminars are the core principles of how Ramsey grew his company debt-free. EntreLeadership is available to small-business owners in two forms; a one-day abbreviated seminar; and a five-day master series located at a resort destination. The small business conference is taught by Ramsey and his leadership team. Ramsey also released the book titled EntreLeadership in 2011. The book rose to the New York Times Bestseller's list nearly overnight. EntreLeadership marked the fourth time Dave Ramsey has been listed on the New York Times Bestseller's list.

The Legacy Journey

In 2013, Ramsey and the Lampo Group launched the followup to Financial Peace University, The Legacy Journey. This course is a biblically based training series for adults lasting seven weeks focused on "what's next?" after getting out of debt and, like Financial Peace University, integrates video teaching, class discussions, and small group activities. Some topics covered in this series are a deeper look into investing, basic estate planning, purposeful living, safeguarding your legacy, and discovering the keys to generational wealth and true generosity.

Financial advice

Ramsey supports the debt snowball method, where debtors pay off their lowest balance debt first instead of paying off their highest interest rate debt first. This approach has been criticized by NerdWallet.com. A Kellogg School of Management research study found that the debt snowball method is effective. The article stated that the small victories gave the debtors motivation.

Ramsey states that investors can get a 12% average annual return and this is the number he uses in financial analyses. Critics state that using an average annual return rate is misleading and that the compound annual growth rate is a better measurement when planning investments. Most individuals are unaware of this difference. Critics have also stated that a 12% return is unrealistic. According to the Motley Fool, following Ramsey's calculations could cause individuals to be seriously under-invested for retirement.

Ramsey recommends investors to hold all their investments in stock mutual funds, with no bonds. Ramsey recommends that retirees withdraw 8% of their retirement each year.

Ramsey recommends individuals buy term life insurance instead of cash value insurance or return of premium life insurance and invest the savings. According to Pamela Yellen, writing for The Huffington Post's blog, this approach has caused some individuals to be stuck paying high insurance premiums in the long term.

The Nashville Scene has reported that Ramsey occasionally receives emails and letters containing the red-letter Bible verse: "And again I say unto you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." (Matthew 19:24) Ramsey interprets such communications as a rebuke of his own wealth and a call for poverty, dismissing these letters as “doctrinal nitpicking.” He instead points to Matthew 25:13-30 and the good Samaritan as examples of being a good steward of money. That is why he states he is unashamedly in favor of building wealth, asking rhetorically how broke people can help the poor.

In November 2013, Ramsey received criticism from other Christians after posting an article by Tim Corley to his website, titled 20 Things the Rich Do Every Day.

Bibliography

Financial advice

• Financial Peace: Restoring Financial Hope to You and Your Family (1997) ISBN 0-670-87361-6
• The Financial Peace Planner: A step-by step guide to restoring your family's financial health (1998) ISBN 0-14-026468-X
• How to Have More than Enough: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Abundance (2000) ISBN 0-14-028193-2
• More than Enough: The Ten Keys to Changing Your Financial Destiny (2002) ISBN 0-14-200047-7
• Financial Peace Revisited (2002) ISBN 0-670-03208-5
• The Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan For Financial Fitness (2003) ISBN 0-7852-6326-8
• Total Money Makeover Workbook (2004) ISBN 0-7852-6327-6
• The Money Answer Book: Quick Answers to Everyday Financial Questions (2005) ISBN 0-8499-9619-8
• Priceless: Straight-Shooting, No-Frills Financial Wisdom (2006) ISBN 0-9774895-9-0
• EntreLeadership: 20 Years of Practical Business Wisdom from the Trenches (2011) ISBN 978-1-4516-1785-6
• Smart Money Smart Kids: Raising the Next Generation to Win With Money (2014) ISBN 1937077632 (co-authored by Ramsey's daughter Rachel Cruze)

Kids' books

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

Contributions

• 48 Days to the Work You Love by Dan Miller, Foreword by Dave Ramsey (2005) ISBN 0-8054-3188-8

Spanish translations

The Total Money Makeover, Financial Peace Revisited, and More than Enough have been translated into Spanish.