History of Dave Ramsey in Timeline

Dave Ramsey is a prominent American personal finance personality, author, radio host, and businessman. As the CEO of Ramsey Solutions and host of The Ramsey Show, he advocates for debt reduction through his "7 Baby Steps." His core advice revolves around aggressive debt repayment, saving an emergency fund, and investing for retirement. Ramsey emphasizes financial discipline, avoiding debt, and building wealth through long-term investing, primarily in mutual funds. His best-selling book, "The Total Money Makeover," outlines his financial principles and offers a step-by-step guide to achieving financial freedom.

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Full Timeline

September 3, 1960: David Lawrence Ramsey III Born

On September 3, 1960, David Lawrence Ramsey III was born. He would later become an American author, radio show host, businessman, and personal finance personality.

June 26, 1982: Marriage to Sharon

On June 26, 1982, Dave Ramsey married his wife, Sharon.

1986: Accumulated Real Estate Portfolio

In 1986, Dave Ramsey had accumulated a real estate portfolio valued at over $4 million.

September 1988: Filed for Bankruptcy

In September 1988, Dave Ramsey filed for bankruptcy after being unable to meet his loan obligations following the Tax Reform Act of 1986.

1991: Formed The Lampo Group

In 1991, Dave Ramsey formed The Lampo Group, now known as Ramsey Solutions, to provide financial counseling professionally.

1992: Self-Published "Financial Peace"

In 1992, Ramsey self-published his first book, "Financial Peace".

1994: Introduced Financial Peace University

In 1994, Dave Ramsey introduced Financial Peace University, his nine-lesson course on personal finance.

2004: Newspaper Group Dropped Financial Advice Column

In 2004, the Gannett newspaper group dropped Dave Ramsey’s financial advice column after discovering that the names in readers’ letters had been changed without disclosure.

2007: The Dave Ramsey Show on Fox Business

In October of 2007, Dave Ramsey took his radio show to television with The Dave Ramsey Show on Fox Business.

2010: The Dave Ramsey Show Ended on Fox Business

In 2010, The Dave Ramsey Show ended its run on Fox Business.

2014: Criticism of Former Employees

In 2014, The Daily Beast reported Ramsey had criticized former employees for discussing company culture on social media, and allegedly infiltrated a private Facebook group. Some Twitter accounts linked to former employees alleged that Ramsey "pulled a gun out of a bag to try to teach a lesson about gossip."

2015: Inducted into National Radio Hall of Fame

In 2015, Dave Ramsey was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame.

2018: Estimated Net Worth

As of 2018, Dave Ramsey had an estimated net worth of $55 million.

March 2, 2020: Comments on COVID-19 Pandemic and Refund Requests

On his March 2, 2020, show, Dave Ramsey dismissed refund requests for his upcoming live events, calling those who sought them "wusses" and stated that he would attend an event "by my freaking self" if necessary, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020: The Dave Ramsey Show Renamed to The Ramsey Show

In 2020, The Dave Ramsey Show was renamed The Ramsey Show to incorporate the show’s new full-time co-hosts and to position the brand for long-term continuity.

February 2021: Comments on Stimulus Checks

In February 2021, Dave Ramsey told Fox News that he did not support stimulus checks, saying, “If $600 or $1,400 changes your life you were pretty much screwed already. You got other issues going on.”