The Best Dave Ramsey Books of All-Time (Updated for 2024) (2024)

Dave Ramsey is a popular radio talk show host and businessman. If you didn’t know already, he offers advice that’s a mixture of religion and financial savvy. Although there are many finance books on the market, his stand out amongst the competition.

Financial Peace University is one of his most popular curriculums. The financial guidance is biblically based. However, it’s still appealing to secular families who want to get a handle on their money situation. And his family-oriented approach is something that’s missing in many business books on the market.

Quick Look: The Best Dave Ramsey Books

• The Total Money Makeover - Get this book
• The Total Money Makeover Workbook - Get this book
• Dave Ramsey’s Complete Guide to Money - Get this book
• EntreLeadership 20 Years of Practical Business Wisdom from the Trenches - Get this book
• The Financial Peace Planner - Get this book
• Smart Money Smart Kids - Get this book
• The Legacy Journey - Get this book
• Financial Peace Revisited: New Chapters on Marriage, Singles, Kids and Families - Get this book
• More Than Enough - Get this book
• The Money Answer Book - Get this book

What Do Great Dave Ramsey Books Have to Offer?

Dave Ramsey is an advocate for saving for emergencies, paying off debt, and building wealth. And he shows his followers how to do exactly that in proven and practical steps.

Great Subject Matter

Ramsey helps the average person take control of their finances. He calls them “Baby Steps” and he has 7 to complete for financial freedom.

Many of his books center around the “Baby Steps” theme. That includes topics like

• Saving for an emergency
• Using the debt snowball
• Investing 15% of your income for retirement

However, he does have books that lean toward the emotional and spiritual aspects of money, too. In addition, he also has books that focus on saving money as a family. And there are separate books that focus on how to teach your children about money.

Easy to Understand

Dave Ramsey frames his financial advice in such a way that the average American can understand and follow it. Consequently, you don’t need to have a background in finance to start reading his books. They’re a good option for beginners who are looking to get a handle on their financial situation.

Top Dave Ramsey Books

Dave Ramsey is a prolific writer. And as such, it may be overwhelming to look at everything he’s written. But here are the top 10 books to check out if you’re interested in Ramsey’s philosophy.

The Total Money Makeover

• Who’s it for? Average people who want a simple financial plan
• Price: $26.99 or listen to it for free with a 30-day Audible trial - Try it now

The Total Money Makeover is one of Dave Ramsey’s bestsellers for a reason. In it, he goes over his “7 Baby Steps” to taking control of your finances. He covers topics like savings, debt reduction, and investing for the future.

It’s an easy read with simple, practical concepts. It may be somewhat repetitive in some sections. But the advice is easy to follow.

In addition, there are plenty of testimonies from people who have followed these principles successfully. This may be a hit or miss with some people. However, they’re in there to inspire you to get motivated and disciplined to follow the steps.

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The Total Money Makeover Workbook

• Who’s it for? Anyone looking for exercises to further their understanding of Ramsey’s principles
• Price: $19.99 or listen to it for free with a 30-day Audible trial - Try it now

If you want to dive into Ramsey’s principles, this companion workbook, The Total Money Makeover Workbook, is a good option. “Option” is the key word here since it’s not essential to understanding the main book. However, if you want exercises to better your understanding of personal finance this may be the one for you.

You don’t have to own both the book and the workbook because much of the information is repeated. But this may be a good option if you like to work out your information instead of simply reading it.

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Dave Ramsey’s Complete Guide to Money

• Who’s it for? Beginners who want to learn about personal finances
• Price: $21.99 or listen to it for free with a 30-day Audible trial - Try it now

Schools don’t teach you much about practical personal finance in real life. Fortunately, Ramsey has you covered in Dave Ramsey’s Complete Guide to Money. Learn everything you need to know about money, including:

• Savings
• Budgeting
• Dumping debt
• Investing
• Insurance
• Mortgage options
• Bargain hunting

If you’ve completed Ramsey’s 9-week Financial Peace University class, you may not find new information here. However, this is a good all-in-one resource to keep on your shelf. Or for newbies who want to learn Ramsey’s philosophies on money.

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EntreLeadership 20 Years of Practical Business Wisdom from the Trenches

• Who’s it for? Managers, business owners
• Price: $27.00 or listen to it for free with a 30-day Audible trial - Try it now

Ramsey steps out of personal finance with EntreLeadership 20 Years of Practical Business Wisdom from the Trenches. Instead, he broaches the subject of leadership in business. In this book, he covers topics like:

• inspiring your team
• unification
• handling money in business
• goal setting

The book is filled with tips and anecdotes on how to be a successful leader in business. In addition to telling you how to do something, he also tells you why it’s important. And that difference may be integral to solving leadership issues in business.

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The Financial Peace Planner

• Who’s it for? People in debt
• Price: $18.00 or listen to it for free with a 30-day Audible trial - Try it now

Are these books only for those in a lot of debt? Not necessarily. But much of the advice and stories in The Financial Peace Planner do center around debt.

The workbook format is great for those who want to write down and monitor their progress as they work through Ramsey’s advice. His inspirational insights stem from his own personal experience. And they may be motivational for anyone who wants to climb out of personal debt.

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Smart Money Smart Kids

• Who’s it for? Parents and guardians
• Price: $24.99 or listen to it for free with a 30-day Audible trial - Try it now

Smart Money Smart Kids isn’t necessarily for kids. That’s a different Dave Ramsey book altogether. But if you want your children to be smart about money, you may want to check out this book.

Ramsey and his daughter pair up to deliver advice on important money topics such as:

• Working
• Spending
• Saving
• Paying cash for college
• Avoiding debt

Rather than taking a lecturer standpoint, they share how they discussed money in their own household. And they offer a recommendation on how to broach the subject in your household, too.

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The Legacy Journey

• Who’s it for? Anyone who wants to learn money principles based on Bible Scriptures
• Price: $22.99 or listen to it for free with a 30-day Audible trial - Try it now

Do you want to know what the Bible says about wealth and generosity? Dave Ramsey tackles the complex subject in The Legacy Journey. And he uses biblical scriptures to support his money principles.

The book covers common topics from a Biblical perspective, such as:

• Money
• Wealth
• Generosity
• Wealth affecting relationships

Ramsey shares insights about creating wealth and leaving a legacy. If you’ve worked his “Baby Steps,” this is a good companion book to own.

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Financial Peace Revisited: New Chapters on Marriage, Singles, Kids and Families

• Who’s it for? People who want a spiritual take on personal finance
• Price: $26.95 or listen to it for free with a 30-day Audible trial - Try it now

Financial Peace Revisited: New Chapters on Marriage, Singles, Kids and Families may be similar to his other books, but Dave Ramsey updated his bestselling Financial Peace. And it now includes updated practices and tactics like:

• Getting out of debt and staying out
• Simple rules of investing
• Using the principle of contentment for making financial decisions

In addition, this revised edition also includes how money flow can change personal relationships. Ramsey uses his own personal story as a guide to getting out of debt and creating financial security.

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More Than Enough

• Who’s it for? anyone who wants to learn about achieving financial freedom
• Price: $18.00 or listen to it for free with a 30-day Audible trial - Try it now

More Than Enough is meant as a follow-up to Ramsey’s first book, Financial Peace. Because of that, the topics move on from getting debt-free to creating prosperity. He includes subjects like:

• Creating budgets that fit your income
• The correlation between finances and romance
• Values and your financial life
• Retiring wealthy

In addition, the book includes case histories and insights to inspire you. It also includes workable quizzes, exercises, and worksheets for you to work through Ramsey’s financial principles.

Keep in mind, however, that this book focuses more on creating prosperity spiritually and with your family. So, it’s not strictly a personal finance book.

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The Money Answer Book

• Who’s it for? Anyone who wants quick answers to everyday money questions
• Price: $15.99 or listen to it for free with a 30-day Audible trial - Try it now

The question and answer format makes this a great resource and an easy read for Dave Ramsey fans.The Money Answer Book includes over 100 most asked questions from the author’s radio show. Learn about different practical money matters like budget planning, retirement planning, personal buying, charitable giving, and saving for college.

Anyone familiar with Dave Ramsey’s money philosophies may benefit from this easy to read format. The questions are specific and the answers are concise. And it may save you time from rereading other books to find answers to simple questions.

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Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for a book that will give you advice about the stock market, this author may not be the one for you.

Secular readers may find the constant biblical references tiring. But keep in mind that his main audience is Christian followers. So if you’d like to check out what Dave Ramsey has to say about the “baby steps” to debt-free financial freedom, you’ll have to contend with the references.

Lastly, some of his advice like the debt snowball is controversial. And not all financial advisors agree that his principles are the best approach. For a balanced approach, you may want to read a variety of different finance authors along with Dave Ramsey.

Frequently Asked Questions