I have some real problems with Dave, but still find his show overall entertaining. Mainly do the callers and their stories. Here are my major problems with his teachings.
- 12% average returns on mutual funds, I have yet to hear him mention a specific one of these unicorn funds.
- Never ever using a credit card. Unrealistic and can negatively impact FICOs and in turn insurance rates, interest rates, and so on.
- Fails to mention loan forgiveness programs. Especially for public service professionals or teachers who call in. Yes student loan debt is out of control, however rushing to pay it down as quickly as possible is not the answer in every circumstance.
- Charging people money for his programs. In fairness to him though he does offer a lot of advice (good or not) for free. I have also enjoyed using some of the free finance tools on his website. It is one thing to sell books, but to me the financial peace university thing is a bridge too far.
PS: If you want to listen to a family friendly financial show, check out Clark Howard. He offers every show for free as a podcast and the sound quality is fantastic. You can also listen on the radio, but in my area the signal is poor. Give it a shot, and you will not be disappointed. He also offers travel advice, talks about financial news, and tries to protect his listeners from financial harm.
