Dave Ramsey Says Play it Safe, Because You Can't Do it Yourself.

I'll start by saying I love Dave Ramsey. He is truly someone who I admire and I do try to follow his advice about becoming debt free. I do not disagree with anything he says, but one thing he preaches is not to invest for yourself. I think this is great advice for most people, but by saying that no one can invest DIY, Dave is selling people short. He says that there are numerous studies (which I've not seen) that conclude individual investors buy high and sell low. I am not saying that people should drop all mutual funds, but I am saying that people should take a small percentage of their money and try to find opportunities to make a greater return than can be achieved through passive investing. Here are some examples from my own life where a little research went a long way and I did not risk the farm to do it.