Jackburton
Gone Fish'n
I use my credit card for the points, Amex blue cash (no annual fee) for 3% cash back for groceries (average 180.00 spent a week) which goes up to 6000 a year for the 3%. I only use the Amex for the groceries. Amazon visa for 3% cash back from Amazon purchases plus 2% back on gas (no limits on both). I pay each off every week with a simple log in on my phone and haven't payed interest on any card for 10 years.I'm a huge fan of his baby steps program. Its a sure way to get out of debt and the methods involved are proven to have more of a positive psychological affect than many other programs. That means people are more likely to stick with it. Saving $1000 as the first step and paying off the lowest balance bills first to start the "debt snowball" instead of attacking higher interest bills is the key.
The initial $1000 is there if someone hits a snag financially during the program and are less likely to be demoralized by it and will likely recover quickly and continue the program. And seeing smaller bills disappear and compound into more and more money to pay off the bills with higher balances more quickly is a huge moral boost. I actually had fun with the program. Its not necessary to live on rice and beans but that definitely speeds up the process.
His investing advice is definitely debatable and tends to be more generic or playing it safe advice. And his stance on buying cars is doable but not practical for everyone. His advice on credit cards is sound but many people use credit cards to take advantage of the points. I quit doing that because I hated waiting for credit card payments (which I was paying off as soon as they would appear) to clear. Its strictly debit card for me now. For investing advice I search the internet.
Dave Ramsey's catch phrase is "He's never met a millionaire who says they made thier millions off of points". While that may be true, responsible use of credit (Clark Howard) can be achieved. I'd also like to mention one other thing Dave says, "Use a debit card instead of a credit card, it has the same protections". One thing Dave fails to mention, money instantly leaves your account. If it gets compromised, which one is going to be easier to resolve, especially if you have other bills you're going to pay and someone empties your checking account in 10 seconds. Credit card companies actively watch your account, as they are on the hook if your account gets compromised, your debit card isn't.