Dave Ramsey, How Could You? (2024)

Dave Ramsey, a well-known talk show host, is brilliant when it comes to managing spending, debt, and real estate. I recommend his books in my books and frequently hand out his DVDs on budgeting and cash flow management. Dave Ramsey has numerous shows and 10 podcasts and has been committed to helping people with millions of their money build wealth grow their leadership skills and enhance their lives through personal development since 1992.

However, when it comes to understanding investments and portfolio withdrawal rates, Dave could use a little education. I listen to Ramsey on my 11-minute commute home each day. Over the past month, I’ve caught enough incorrect information that I thought it was time to respond in writing instead of talking back to my radio.

On the October 22nd show, a caller asked Dave his opinion of real estate investment trusts. While Dave likes real estate as an investment class, he trashed REITs as having terrible returns, mainly because of excessive management fees. He said there wasn’t a REIT around that garnered anywhere near a 12% return over the past 10 years, like “good growth mutual funds,” which, according to Dave, easily return 12 to 15% a year.

During another program that same week, a listener asked him if value funds had overall returns in excess of growth funds. Dave quickly responded no, that growthoriented mutual funds outperform valueoriented funds.

Unfortunately, Dave didn’t check the facts, which directly contradicted his advice.

Over the past 10 years (ending 9/30/07), the Vanguard REIT Index fund averaged 11.91% annually, while “good growth mutual funds” (I used the Morningstar U.S. Growth Index) have averaged 2.6%. Wow! Mutual funds that held valueoriented stocks returned three times more than growth stocks, at 8.91%. Of the 2,014 growth mutual funds that have been around 10 years or more, the REIT Index had a higher return than 89% of them.

Let me put this another way. If you had $100,000 in the REIT index fund 10 years ago, today, you would have $308,098. Had you followed Dave’s investment advice and invested in “good growth mutual funds,” you would have just $129,263.

Giving Dave the benefit of the doubt, I thought that perhaps he was looking at the five-year stats and just got confused. So I checked. The Vanguard REIT Index fund earned an annual return of 20.81%, and “good growth mutual funds” still lagged in REITs but earned a respectable 14.63%. The Vanguard REIT Index fund had a higher return than 80% of all growth mutual funds. Also, value mutual funds thumped the “good growth funds” again, earning 18.5%.

Maybe the three-year picture was better? Nope. The REITs did 18.59%, while the “good growth funds” lagged again with just 12.83%, and the value funds trumped growth again with a 15.6% return. Once again, the REIT index fund beat 79% of all the growth funds.

The facts would seem to suggest just the opposite of Dave’s advice: buy a “good REIT mutual fund” and forget about those underperforming, poor-returning “good growth mutual funds.” Of course, long-time readers of this column know that isn’t sound advice, either. It is essential for a good portfolio to be diversified in order to reduce volatility and balance risk. This means including at least five asset classes, including U.S. stocks (growth and value), international stocks, REITs, marketneutral funds, natural resource funds, and bonds.

Dave Ramsey does a great job of helping you minimize your debt and maximize your cash flow. If he weren’t so popular and well respected, I could have easily been content to groan at my car radio and forget about it. However, because so many listeners value his advice, he owes it to his audience to do more thorough research before giving them investment information.

mes to understanding investments and portfolio withdrawal rates, Dave could use a little education. I listen to Ramsey on my 11-minute commute home each day. Over the past month, I’ve caught enough incorrect information that I thought it was time to respond in writing instead of talking back to my radio.

On the October 22nd show, a caller asked Dave his opinion of real estate investment trusts. While Dave likes Dave Ramsey, How Could You? (1)real estate as an investment class, he trashed REITs as having terrible returns, mainly because of excessive management fees. He said there wasn’t a REIT around that garnered anywhere near a 12% return over the past 10 years, like “good growth mutual funds,” which according to Dave easily return 12 to 15% a year.

During another program that same week, a listener asked him if value funds had overall returns in excess of growth funds. Dave quickly responded no, that growth oriented mutual funds out-perform value oriented funds.

Unfortunately, Dave didn’t check the facts, which directly contradict his advice.

Over the past 10 years (ending 9/30/07), the Vanguard REIT Index fund averaged 11.91% annually, while “good growth mutual funds” (I used the Morningstar U.S. Growth Index) have averaged 2.6%. Wow! Mutual funds that held value oriented stocks returned three times more than growth stocks, at 8.91%. Of the 2,014 growth mutual funds that have been around 10 years or more, the REIT Index had a higher return than 89% of them.Dave Ramsey, How Could You? (2)

Let me put this another way. If you had $100,000 in the REIT index fund 10 years ago, today you would have $308,098. Had you followed Dave’s investment advice and invested in “good growth mutual funds” you would have just $129,263.

Giving Dave the benefit of the doubt, I thought that perhaps he was looking at the five-year stats and just got confused. So I checked. The Vanguard REIT Index fund earned an annual return of 20.81%, “good growth mutual funds” still lagged REITs but earned a respectable 14.63%. The Vanguard REIT Index fund had a higher return than 80% of all growth mutual funds. Also, value mutual funds thumped the “good growth funds” again, earning 18.5%.

Maybe the three-year picture was better? Nope. The REITs did 18.59%, while the “good growth funds” lagged again with just 12.83% and the value funds trumped growth again with 15.6% return. Once again, the REIT index fund beat 79% of all the growth funds.

The facts would seem to suggest just the opposite of Dave’s advice: buy a “good REIT mutual fund” and forget about those underperforming, poor-returning “good growth mutual funds.” Of course, long-time readers of this column know that isn’t sound advice, either. It is essential for a good portfolio to be diversified in order to reduce volatility and balance risk. This means including at least five asset classes, including US stocks (growth and value), international stocks, REITs, market neutral funds, natural resource funds, and bonds.

Dave Ramsey, How Could You? (3)Dave Ramsey does a great job of helping you minimize your debt and maximize your cash flow. If he weren’t so popular and well respected, I could have easily been content to groan at my car radio and forget about it. However, because so many listeners value his advice, he owes it to his audience to do more thorough research before giving them investment information.

Dave Ramsey, How Could You? (2024)

FAQs

What is the simple question Dave Ramsey says you must ask yourself to determine if you have enough savings right now? ›

The easiest way to figure it out is to ask yourself this: If I was out of work, how much money would it take to get me through three to six months? Think of things like the necessary, regular expenses you have (food, housing, utilities, transportation, etc.)

What is the 80 20 rule Dave Ramsey? ›

There's an 80-20 rule for money Dave Ramsey teaches which says managing your finances is 80 percent behavior and 20 percent knowledge. This 80-20 rule also applies to constructing a healthy life. Personal wellness is 80 percent behavior and 20 percent knowledge.

What is the rule of 72 Dave Ramsey answers? ›

Divide 72 by the interest rate on the investment you're looking at. The number you get is the number of years it will take until your investment doubles itself.

What are the 5 questions that you need to ask yourself when it comes to making a decision? ›

To identify possible outcomes in your decision making, ask yourself five questions:
  • Will the decision I make affect other people and if so, how?
  • What am I sacrificing because of my decision?
  • Am I acting in a responsible manner?
  • Will there be long-term consequences because of my decision?
Apr 30, 2021

What is the 10 10 30 50 rule? ›

Spend Less Money

So, if you get a thousand dollars, you live by the “10-10-30-50” rule. The first 10% you tithe, the next 10% you save, 30% is cash in your pocket for incidentals (food, groceries, hair, etc.), and the remaining 50% saved in your checking account for your bills.

What is the 50 30 20 money rule? ›

For those who don't know, the 50-30-20 budget plan is an American concept that seeks to save money and budget your money smartly. After taxes, your income should be divided into: 50% on essential needs; 30% on wants; and 20% on paying off your debt or setting aside funds in case of an emergency.

What is the 50 30 20 rule for savings? ›

One of the most common percentage-based budgets is the 50/30/20 rule. The idea is to divide your income into three categories, spending 50% on needs, 30% on wants, and 20% on savings.

What are Dave Ramsey's five rules? ›

Dave Ramsey: You Only Need To Know These 5 Rules
  • Use a budget in your personal finances. Income is not the same as wealth. ...
  • Get out of debt. Consumer debt will consume your income and destroy your ability to save and invest. ...
  • Only be in high quality relationships. ...
  • You must save and invest. ...
  • Cheerful generosity.
Sep 8, 2022

What is the 80 20 rule money? ›

The 80/20 budgeting method is a common budgeting approach. It involves saving 20% of your income and limiting your spending to 80% of your earnings. This technique allows you to put savings first, and it's both flexible and easy.

What is the 4 pillars of foundation? ›

Rest and recovery are an essential pillar of a healthy lifestyle. The EXOS 4-Pillar Approach highlights how mindset, nutrition, movement and recovery work together to establish a foundation for overall health and well-being. Of those 4 Pillars, recovery may be the most important. What is recovery?

What are the 4 pillars Dave Ramsey? ›

As Dave Ramsey lists them, the four walls are food, shelter, basic clothing, and basic transportation.

What are the 3 things you can do with money Dave Ramsey? ›

I've been doing this for a lot of years, and after all that time studying finance and teaching people about money, I can still find only three good uses for money — spending, saving and giving. You should be doing all three while you're working your way out of debt and towards wealth, and after you become wealthy.

How much is 3 to 6 months of expenses? ›

As a general rule of thumb, many financial experts recommend setting aside 3-6 months' worth of living expenses. So if you generally spend $2,000 per month on rent, utilities, food, gas, healthcare, and other necessities, you should try to save between $6,000 and $12,000.

Does the Rule of 72 really work? ›

The Rule of 72 is derived from a more complex calculation and is an approximation, and therefore it isn't perfectly accurate. The most accurate results from the Rule of 72 are based at the 8 percent interest rate, and the farther from 8 percent you go in either direction, the less precise the results will be.

What is the magic Rule of 72? ›

What Is the Rule of 72? The Rule of 72 is a simple way to determine how long an investment will take to double given a fixed annual rate of interest. By dividing 72 by the annual rate of return, investors obtain a rough estimate of how many years it will take for the initial investment to duplicate itself.

What is the easy Rule of 72? ›

Do you know the Rule of 72? It's an easy way to calculate just how long it's going to take for your money to double. Just take the number 72 and divide it by the interest rate you hope to earn. That number gives you the approximate number of years it will take for your investment to double.

What 3 questions do you ask yourself before passing? ›

So, before you pass a vehicle, ask yourself:
  • Is it legal?
  • Is it safe?
  • Is it worth it?

What 3 questions should you ask yourself to identify your emotions? ›

Who, What, Why, Where, When
  • Ask yourself, “Who is showing up in this moment?” ...
  • Ask yourself, “What is happening in my body?” ...
  • Ask, “Why is this emotion coming up now?” ...
  • Ask yourself, “Where might this emotion be held?” ...
  • Ask yourself, “When might I take wise action?”
Sep 17, 2021

What are the 7 essential questions? ›

The seven essential questions are: (1) The Kickstart Question; (2) The AWE Question; (3) The Focus Question; (4) The Foundation Question; (5) The Lazy Question; (6) The Strategic Question; and (7) The Learning Question. I have adapted them for the purposes of conflict coaching.

What is the 60 10 10 10 10 rule? ›

This formula involves spending 60% of your gross income on your regular monthly expenses (rent or mortgage payment, food, utilities, transportation, and even Internet access), 10% on retirement savings, 10% on long-term savings or debt reduction, 10% on short-term savings (for expenses such as gifts and car repairs), ...

What is the 60 20 20 budget rule? ›

So what are those numbers and what do they mean? The 60/20/20 budget rule suggests that 60% of your income goes to essentials, 20% goes to your financial matters and 20% goes to your wants of discretionary spending.

What is the 40 20 10 rule? ›

The 40-30-20-10 rule suggests you should spend twice as much time on your first priority as on your third. All animals are created equal. Some are more equal than others. Generally your top priority is going to have much more impact than anything else you do.

What is the 50 15 5 rule? ›

50 - Consider allocating no more than 50 percent of take-home pay to essential expenses. 15 - Try to save 15 percent of pretax income (including employer contributions) for retirement. 5 - Save for the unexpected by keeping 5 percent of take-home pay in short-term savings for unplanned expenses.

What is the 20 3 8 rule money guy? ›

To avoid this, follow our 20/3/8 rule: put 20% down, pay your car off in 3 years, and make sure your payment is no more than 8% of your gross income. With mortgage debt, it makes sense to be debt-free by retirement. Total housing expenses should be restricted to 25% of your gross income or less.

Should you count 401k as savings? ›

[See Diversify Your Portfolio, Not Each Investment Account.] Your retirement account is not a savings account. Despite the fact that retirement accounts are designed for long-term goals, it is relatively easy to access your money in the form of 401(k) loans and 401(k) hardship withdrawals.

What is the 4 rule savings? ›

The 4% rule is easy to follow. In the first year of retirement, you can withdraw up to 4% of your portfolio's value. If you have $1 million saved for retirement, for example, you could spend $40,000 in the first year of retirement following the 4% rule.

What is the 27.40 rule saving money? ›

If you take $10,000 and break it down into smaller, “bit-size” chunks you come to 27.40 per day, $192.30 per week, $384.62 per fortnight or $833.33 per month. From here you need to match the timing of your income (pay cycle or business income cycle) and then take that amount out each time period.

What is the 75 25 rule saving? ›

He came up with a method where he puts 75% of his extra money towards paying off debt and the other 25% goes towards his savings goals. Right now, he's putting 75% of that towards his large emergency fund, 15% towards a new car, and 15% towards vacations.

What is Dave Ramsey Step 6? ›

Baby Step 6: Pay off Your Home Early

“After you've paid off all consumer debt, have a fully funded emergency fund, are contributing at least 15% of your income toward retirement, and have a plan for contributing to your kids' college educations,” Ramsey say, “it's time to dump the mortgage.”

What is the 10 money rule? ›

Save 10%, invest 20%

Specifically, his rule is to save 10% of your gross income and invest 20%. The savings portion of your income is for shorter-term goals. This includes your emergency fund, your summer vacation, a new-car fund, or even a house down payment.

How much does Dave Ramsey say to save? ›

Financial guru Dave Ramsey recommends starting by saving $1,000 in an emergency fund ($500 if you make less than $20K a year) that you won't touch for any reason other than an actual emergency. That way, when your car or home needs an unexpected repair or you face an unexpected medical bill, you're prepared for it.

What is the 64 4 rule? ›

Thus, 64% of revenue comes from 4% of customers, 64% of accidents are caused by 4% of hazards, 64% of software errors can be traced to 4% of bugs, and so on. In guiding innovation investments, the 64/4 rule is highly useful because of how much leverage it produces.

How to save $5,000 quickly? ›

Practical tips for saving 5k in 3 months
  1. Increase your earnings. On paper, the easiest way to save more money is to make more money. ...
  2. Use discounts and coupons. ...
  3. Plan ahead when shopping. ...
  4. Cut your biggest expenses. ...
  5. Look for small savings. ...
  6. Follow a budget. ...
  7. Automate your savings.
Jan 17, 2023

What is the 70 30 budget rule? ›

The mistake most people make is assuming they must be out of debt before they start investing. In doing so, they miss out on the number one key to success in investing: TIME. The 70/30 Rule is simple: Live on 70% of your income, save 20%, and give 10% to your Church, or favorite charity.

What are the 4 pillars of prayer? ›

"The Four Pillars of Prayer" is a guide to prayer's four important and universal aspects: Quality, Consistency, Activity, and Passivity- any fashion of prayer can be plugged into this formula to find the most communion with God in your Prayer life and Life of Meditation.

What are the 4 pillars summary? ›

There are four pillars that the author considers critical for staying in good health: relax, eat, move and sleep.

What is the first question to ask yourself when deciding whether to save or invest? ›

The right question to ask first is: “What type of investment should I choose?” The reason for this is that choosing an investment is not a bottomup activity but a top-down one. The process of deciding how to invest your money consists of layers of decisions.

What is one simple rule to follow if you want to create wealth? ›

A straightforward rule: Save and invest a portion of all income. One of Sethi's money rules is fairly common financial advice: Save and/or invest a portion of all your earnings. Making this one of your money rules can help you build your emergency savings and eventually get rich — or achieve another financial goal.

What is the number one question you should ask yourself before you start investing in the stock market? ›

What is my investment goal? The most important question to consider before making any investment is, “What am I trying to accomplish?” Your investments will differ vastly if, for example, you are trying to save money for retirement versus trying to save money for a down payment on a house.

What three questions are required to determine if something is an emergency Dave Ramsey? ›

But you're ready.
...
Ask yourself these three questions to make sure you've got a real reason to dip into your emergency fund.
  • Is it unexpected? ...
  • Is it absolutely necessary? ...
  • Is it urgent?
Mar 13, 2023

What are the 5 questions that you should ask before investing? ›

5 questions to ask before you invest
  • Am I comfortable with the level of risk? Can I afford to lose my money? ...
  • Do I understand the investment and could I get my money out easily? ...
  • Are my investments regulated? ...
  • Am I protected if the investment provider or my adviser goes out of business? ...
  • Should I get financial advice?

What are the six questions that you should ask about any possible investment? ›

Questions To Ask Before Investing In A Business Opportunity
  • How much money do you have to invest?
  • How much money can you afford to lose?
  • Will you operate alone or will you have partners?
  • Will you need financing? How will you obtain it?
  • Do you have savings or income to live on while you start your new business?

What are 4 questions you can ask yourself about concerning your attitude toward money? ›

Four Questions You Should Ask Yourself About Money
  • What does money mean to you? ...
  • What is your first memory of money? ...
  • What was your parents' relationship with money and how does that shape your relationship with money? ...
  • What are you scared of when it comes to money?

What are the 4 key things you need to build wealth? ›

In order to build wealth, families need to have little or no debt, an emergency fund, investable money and confidence in their skills as an investor, according to the report. Note that it's important to prioritize paying off debt and building up an emergency fund first before using leftover money to invest.

What are the three rules of wealth? ›

Think wealthy, get wealthy then get even wealthier. To do this it is important to carry out regular financial health checks. It is important to remember forgetting a debt doesn't pay it! Need to actually think through your finances and plan this.

What is the golden rule of wealth? ›

Let's recap: The golden rule is don't spend more than you earn, and focus on what you can keep. Maybe it sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised at how many people don't understand or follow this rule and end up in debt. Look at credit card use as an example.

What are the 3 factors you must consider before you invest? ›

5 key factors to check before choosing an investment plan
  • Return on Investment (ROI) ROI is often considered to be the holy grail of all metrics when it comes to assembling one's portfolio. ...
  • Cost. ...
  • Time to Goals. ...
  • Tax Considerations. ...
  • Liquidity.
Dec 23, 2022

What three questions should you ask yourself before investing? ›

Five Questions to Ask Before You Invest
  • Question 1: Is the seller licensed? ...
  • Question 2: Is the investment registered? ...
  • Question 3: How do the risks compare with the potential rewards? ...
  • Question 4: Do you understand the investment? ...
  • Question 5: Where can you turn for help?

What is the most important rule to investing? ›

Rule Number 1: Diversify

Since some investments zig when others zag, divvy your money across several investment categories, from stocks to bonds to real estate.

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