Dave Ramsey Tells Woman Whose Boyfriend Thinks 401(k)s Are A Scam: ‘Don’t Marry This Guy, He Ain’t Worth It,’ Calling Him An ‘Immature’ Man Who Doesn’t ‘Want To Think About The Future’

On a recent episode of The Ramsey Show, a woman phoned in to talk about her boyfriend’s approach to finance that raised some red flags: “I’ve been dating a lovely young man… and his response [to retirement savings] was that 401(k)s are a scam.” Hosts Dave Ramsey and George Kamel, as usual, had a lot to say about that.

What Happened: The caller shared that while she saves sincerely with a 401(k) and Roth IRA, her 32-year-old boyfriend, who immigrated from Albania six years ago, disregards retirement accounts completely. Ramsey responded: “What he’s saying is… I’m immature and I don’t want to think about the future.”

Ramsey went on to acknowledge that fear or cultural experience might be impacting the boyfriend’s position. “If he is truly scared of this product… then you can deal with fear,” Kamel added. They advised the caller to approach the situation like teaching someone to ride a bike: begin with training wheels, then build confidence step by step.

See Also: Kevin O’Leary Urges Americans To Rethink Retirement Goals, Says Social Security Alone Won’t Cut It: ‘Throw Out Your Plan For Freedom At 55 Or Even 65’

Why It Matters: Ramsey did not mince his words, highlighting the long-term relational and financial risks of not having a 401(k). “You’re going to live with someone who’s going to do no planning for the future, which guarantees your future sucks.”

He shared stories of other callers who had a similar perspective and then ended up with decades of regret. “I meet 57-year-old Americans who have no vision… and they end up retiring and trying to live on Social Security and griping because all the opportunity is gone”, he said.

For this woman, the path forward with her boyfriend would be to “honor their questions,” said Kamel. “Don’t always try to explain them away… get with a third party” like a financial advisor.  Ramsey then added: “I love you—don’t marry this guy. He ain’t worth it,” if his mindset does not shift.

Ramsey has previously advocated for a similar approach, highlighting the importance of tackling debt, putting extra cash into a 401(k) and Roth IRA, and investing in broad‑based mutual funds that compound over decades.

Read Next:

Photo courtesy: Shutterstock