2 Times Dave Ramsey Has Called Out People’s Terrible Money Decisions

Thu, Aug 21, 2025, 8:45 AM 3 min read

Dave Ramsey is a savvy finance expert. He’s also a straightshooter who isn’t afraid to call out his followers when they make bad money choices — especially when they are intelligent people who should know better.

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Consider these situations where Ramsey’s podcast callers should be thriving, but debt is holding them back.

“Dave Ramsey Show” caller Ryan confessed to having roughly $181,000 in debt, including credit cards, personal loans, student loans, and a car loan, as well as a mortgage on a $767,000 house.

Prior to being out of work for 18 months with a workers’ compensation claim, Ryan was making as much as $220,000 per year. Even so, he’s failed to pay down more than a few thousand in debt. Ryan wanted to consolidate his debt, but his credit score wouldn’t allow it. He asked Ramsey for a solution.

“You’ve given your life away and the way you get it back is you’re gonna have to give up some stuff,” Ramsey said. “Sell your car, sell your stupid house. Get you another one later, when you get your act together.”

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The caller argued that his credit wasn’t good enough to buy another home. Ramsey suggested the caller put $140,000 per year toward debt to get out of his current situation.

“But you don’t want any pain, you don’t want to sacrifice,” he said.

Ramsey takes paying down debt seriously and doesn’t take excuses from callers.

James, another caller on “The Dave Ramsey Show,” confessed to having more than $750,000 in debt, including student loans and a $350,000 mortgage, which is held by a family member.

The caller is in law school, poised to take the bar exam, while his fiancé has two years left of medical school and another two years of residency. When she completes her residency, the couple should have a combined annual income of roughly $550,000.

But even with this massive income potential, right now they are essentially broke college students. And Ramsey suggested they start living as such.

“You can’t have a house right now. You have no income,” Ramsey said, after James confessed to two big financial mistakes.

First, James has been living off his student loan money. And he and his fiancé have been living in the house with a deferred mortgage provided by a family member.

“I have not collected any interest nor have I made any payments on the property,” James said.