Dave Ramsey has changed thousands, if not millions, of lives with his Financial Peace University. Now, he is looking to improve on that formula with the newly revised Financial Peace University. While this latest version of Financial Peace University has all of the benefits of the old version, some of the material has been changed, and there are new speakers added to the mix.
The revised Financial Peace University kit includes a workbook; Ramsey’s book, The Complete Guide to Money; a welcome guide that includes a pencil, sharpener, and eraser; an envelope system; a laminated Financial Peace University Progress Chart; a folder for Financial Peace forms; and most importantly, 10 audio CDs containing Ramsey’s lessons.
The 10 audio CDs cover the following topics:
CD #1: Super Saving: Common Sense for Your Dollars and Cents
CD #2: Relating with Money: Nerds and Free Spirits Unite!
CD #3: Cash Flow Planning: the Nuts and Bolts of Budgeting
CD #4: Dumping Debt: Breaking the Chains of Debt
CD #5: Buyer Beware: The Power of Marketing on Your Buying Decisions
CD #6: The Role of Insurance: Protecting Your Health, Family and Finances
CD #7: Retirement and College Planning: Mastering the Alphabet Soup of Investing
CD #8: Real Estate and Mortgages: Keeping the American Dream from Becoming a Nightmare
CD #9: The Great Misunderstanding: Unleashing the Power of Generous Giving
CD #10: Dave’s Story: Learn How Dave Found the Peace He Was Missing
There are three major changes I noticed in the newly revised Financial Peace University.
1. The course has been shortened from 13 weeks to 9 weeks. Some may say that this time frame is too short, but I think it is great. Ramsey is such a motivational speaker, that after hearing him speak for one class people are fired up and ready to get their finances in order. Shortening the course to 9 weeks allows them to make quicker progress and begin working on their financial situation sooner.
2. Content that wasn’t relevant to everyone has been moved to the website. Some content, while useful to those in a particular situation, isn’t applicable to the majority of people. For instance, Ramsey skillfully explained exactly how to deal with harassing bill collectors in the original Financial Peace University, and that information is essential to those in that situation. However, since the majority of FPU participants are not in that desperate situation, that content has been moved to the website.
3. Ramsey has brought in three new speakers–Rachael Cruze (Ramsey’s daughter), Jon Acuff and Chris Hogan. Fans of Ramsey will probably have mixed feelings about these new additions.
Rachael Cruze has the hardest job. Ramsey is a dynamic motivational speaker who makes his job seem effortless. People will naturally expect the same of his child. In reality, Cruze is young and new at this business. She is definitely not as polished as her famous father, though truthfully very few people are. However, she offers the voice of a person who has been raised following Dave Ramsey’s principles and hearing her success is encouraging.
Jon Acuff shares Ramsey’s sense of humor, but his jokes don’t go over quite as well. However, his tips on negotiation are good, and readers can definitely learn from him. A few more years of working with Ramsey, and he will have the natural, relaxed attitude as Ramsey does.
Chris Hogan is the most charismatic new addition. While he is not Dave Ramsey, he is a natural public speaker. He gives important information about buying a home, but his lessons are peppered with humor that naturally engage the listener.
My husband and I both listened to the CDs, and I didn’t mind the addition of the new speakers and know that Ramsey is probably adding them to prepare to eventually hand over his dynasty. However, my husband did not like the new additions and felt that most of the speakers were simply reiterating what Ramsey always says.
Overall, Dave Ramsey’s newly revised Financial Peace University is an improvement on the first version and can inspire participants to pay off debt and improve their financial situation once and for all.
Melissa is a writer and virtual assistant. She earned her Master’s from Southern Illinois University, and her Bachelor’s in English from the University of Michigan. When she’s not working, you can find her homeschooling her kids, reading a good book, or cooking. She resides in New York, where she loves the natural beauty of the area.
Thanks for doing a review on this. I have facilitated the 13 week course and I was curious to what they had changed. I’m glad they shortened it because 13 weeks did seem long.