Investing Advice Aside, an Ode to All the Good Dave Ramsey Does

Dave Ramsey is the heavyweight of all heavyweights in personal finance. He's been helping people straighten their personal finances for decades. His daily radio show is the third-most listened to in the country.

Ramsey can also be a lightning rod for criticism. Case-in-point: In 2013, I wrote an article critical of his investment assumptions (count on 12% annual returns), and his suggestions for retirement (a "safe withdrawal rate" of 8%). That led to an appearance on his radio show that was contentious, to say the least.

Thus, most assume I'm against all things Ramsey. The point was hammered home this week when a college buddy sent a link to this Guardian article: "The Man Who Wants to Help You Out of Debt -- At Any Cost." After reading it, there's one thing worth being clear about: It is possible to disagree vehemently with Ramsey's investing advice and at the same time give him all the credit in the world for his personal finance advice.

Source Fool.com