Is the American Dream Officially Dead? w/ @BenShapiro

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Dave Ramsey sat down with Ben Shapiro for a real talk on work, building wealth, and
what it really means to pursue the American Dream in 2024.

Founder and CEO of Ramsey Solutions, Dave Ramsey is a financial expert and national bestselling author. Over the last 30 years, Ramsey Solutions has delivered clear, no-nonsense money advice through radio shows, podcasts, books, courses and tools, helping millions of people take control of their money and build wealth. Each week, 8 million people tune in to The Ramsey Show across podcasts and YouTube for advice on money, careers, and relationships.

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[gayleyb]

My Dad retired and was so bored he went back to work. He and another teacher started an independent study high school in the same school district he retired from. He was a born teacher...He loved to learn and passed on his knowledge. He lived to be 97. Sharp as a tack to his dying day. My hero.

[derekstone]

To all the people unsubbing... Why? He is asking Ben questions like... "how did you succeed?" "is the American dream dead?" "how do you ballance faith and work" "in your opinion is 65 is bogus retirement age" "do you think there's value in working after retirement?" How is this not okay to talk about on a financial channel?

[oliviaHill-we]

My original retirement plan was to retire at 67, work part-time, and save money. However, high prices for everything have severely affected my plan. I'm concerned if people who went through the 2008 financial crisis had an easier time than I am having now. The stock market is worrying me as my income has decreased, and I fear I won't have enough savings for retirement since I can't contribute as much as before.

[jeffDwyer]

American dream will continue to be “a dream”. More and more people might face a tough time in retirement. Low-paying jobs, inflation, and high rents make it hard to save. Now, middle-class Americans find it tough to own a home too, leaving them without a place to retire.

[JoelCharisma-qu]

Surprising that despite the pessimism most people are still making hundreds of thousands of dollars from businesses and investing. The American dream did not die, it is just not known to the general public. I myself make at least 40k from investing in the markets, and that does not include money from my businesses.

[V.stones]

it feels like that classic dream—owning a home, building wealth, retiring comfortably—is slipping away for a lot of people

[gracehu]

I am 34, First generation immigrant. Came here by myself with next to nothing 8 years ago. Worked hard for years. Now I am an airline Pilot, A job I couldn't even dare to dream before, I have an awesome family, I am not there yet, but future is so bright! American dream is not dead. The victim mindset and entitlement is why people are not making progress. We need to be responsible for our own behavior.

[cesarmurph]

The normal state of the U.S. economy is actually very bad. Because of this it goes into convulsive spasms fighting to grow any way it can out of desperation. Tricks, gimmicks, rule changes try to stimulate the economy and prevent it from falling but they only bring temporary relief to people since, when you factor in inflation we are declining.

[georgias]

Unimportant observation: Ben's coat and shirt are perfectly coordinated with the Ramsey mug. 😄

[Joshmarmolejo_]

For people complaining, when I first found Dave Ramsey 4 years ago and started getting my finances together that was the beginning of my red pill process lol

[singleinLA]

These great men make me cry. I am single income living on a clerk salary in California no family no government assistance; debt free net worth > $1M with a paid for house. The American dream is still Alive. I just bought a second home even though I came to this country alone. America is truly the BEST county in the World for those who are willing to WORK and not make excuses.

[AuroraCardi-inzt]

This is an excellent interview! My parents and I immigrated to the US in the mid sixties. They had to learn english and get jobs, my dad as a mechanic and my mom in a garment factory. They worked hard, saved money and paid cash for everything. They never were in debt because they remembered how bad it was in Italy after WWII. People who complain about living in the US should think about why are people always trying to come to America.

[CurieBohr]

This is the best Shapiro interview I’ve ever watched. I’m so glad Dave gave him the freedom to talk without interruption. Dave recognizes that Ben offers value.

[beachcoconuts]

Tip to the Ramsey show: put chapter titles along the timeline of the episode in case people want to skip forward to a certain topic.

[MakesMeNoDifference-sdqg]

I was laid off at 66 years old even thought I wanted to work to 70. I worked part-time for those 4 years until I started drawing Social Security at 70. I still work some part-time for wages but I have been doing building projects at our church. I have saved the church several thousands of dollars by doing these projects with my efforts and several volunteers. Now I am helping with a couple of charities while taking some time to travel. By the way, I led Financial Peace classes for our church for about a decade and have been a millionaire for several years - yes, I had an occupation in the top 5 of the Ramsey Millionaire Survey - Engineer.

[mikebalint]

Near the end of his life, Stan Lee (Marvel Comics Fame) was asked, "when will you retire?" His response was, "I love what I do, why would you take that away from me?" A lot of people get joy from the work- so why quit?

[knttnyv]

I am a first generation immigrant. We moved to USA in 80s. My parents worked hard, we didn't rely on EBT or public housing. My parentle raised 4 kids; 2 doctors and 2 engineers.

[kellybrashier]

these two men are the reason I went conservative. The first time I met uncle Dave, I was watching the Sunday Special! This started me on my journey to become a better person! Closer to GOD and ready to work on getting out of DEBT! Still working on it but these two are wonderful!

[yourlocalyoutuber]

You don't have to agree with Shapiro politically to realize this is a great conversation.

[DoBetterWorld]

It is so nice to see a different side of Ben, thanks Dave for having him on your show.