Why not? I only know a smidge about him so I’m just curious why you don’t recommend him
Kinda on my way out. I'd want to spend at least 20 minutes responding to this, but can't. There's a good FatWallet rebuttal/analysis of
The Total Money Makeover and other principles, but FatWallet closed. I'd have to search around for the really good analysis.
I dislike how he equates credit with debt. They're not the same at all. In other words, having available credit (e.g. via a credit card) doesn't automatically mean that the cardholder will irresponsibly revolve the balance. I have close to $300,000 in available credit, and I revolve literally $0.00 per month since I Pay in Full (PIF), and I profit from hundreds of dollars to thousands of dollars in credit card rewards every year! And I'm a single guy. I'd be raking it in if I were married +/- kids. I understand how those with poor discipline should
fix their self-control issues first (of course!), but to force those views onto those who do have discipline is both arrogant and dishonest. He's misleading people.
I dislike most of his investing advice, since his 12% annualized returns is unrealistic. His Asset Allocation is meh, and I'm worried that his sheep will follow it by the letter instead of thinking of their own personal and family situation on how to invest for retirement. Dave Ramsey's forte is really on getting people with self-control problems out of debt. He's weak as a whole on personal finance, especially teaching about credit and investing.
I dislike his arrogance and how he treats some of his callers like ****. The yelling and screaming and degrading insults.
I dislike how he's so adamant about paying off debts from lowest balance to highest balance, ignoring interest rate.
I dislike how he charges to use his forums. And the hypocrisy that he's so against credit cards, but his forums accept credit cards. He answers that people should be using debit cards, but that argument doesn't hold water since you can accept debit transactions through the Automated Clearing House (ACH), but when you use a debit card through the Visa/MasterCard networks, you are quite literally using it as a credit card. He just wants the profit and hypocrisy be damned.
Not to mention that using debit cards -- speaking as a victim -- opens someone up more easily to liability and fraud if the debit card is misused. Because then it's
your money that was stolen that you have to stress over getting back. With credit cards, it's the bank's money that was stolen, so they have more incentive to go after the bad guy(s) + most issuers have a $0 fraud liability promise, whereas debit cards have less favorable rules to follow to recover your money. Debit card? The bank can tell you to bugger off, just as mine did. Same with paying for airfare, hotel, and rental car: using debit is much riskier and many businesses require credit over debit.
I dislike -- speaking as a Christian -- how he preys (and profits!) on the ignorant Christians by offering Financial Peace University in church (either during Sunday School or through an evening program) and
that it costs money for knowledge that is free. It disgusts me to use the church to transact money like this. I'd feel better if FPU were free if he's going to go after the church crowd who look up to him as some savior without flaw. He has amassed a fortune by inserting his business during church.
I've read that he functions like an alcoholic or drug addict in that ALL credit is ALWAYS bad. It's way too black-or-white, all-or-nothing. Just because he personally had discipline and self-control problems and got burnt doesn't mean that his philosophy applies to all humans.
I really, really am repulsed at the cult mentality some of his followers espouse on the Web, where any criticism is met with the nastiest attacks from them. It's mob mentality vs. using critical thinking to be able to objectively analyze the tenets.
I recognize the value he brings to those who are completely ignorant to personal finance and who have problems with discipline/self-control. So I recognize that many,
many people have followed his advice from
The Total Money Makeover and Financial Peace University to get out of debt. Bravo! More power to them! I also -- from listening to his radio program -- appreciate a lot of his entrepreneurial and business owner advice. It's just some of his basic advice is either misleading or downright incorrect, and I am repulsed by his arrogance, his predation on the church community, and the nasty cult-like mentality of some of his followers.
though, find what works for you to give you as much peace as possible over your monies to use as a tool to benefit you instead of as a weapon used against you and future/current partner. 
