Wednesday, October 8, 2025

Ohio couple worth $40M want to borrow against their lake house — Dave Ramsey says to get a new advisor instead

Dave Ramsey speaks with Ashley from Columbus, Ohio, about her financial advisor.
The Ramsey Show Highlights/YouTube

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If you own a home and need money, a home equity line of credit (HELOC) allows you to borrow against your home’s equity, typically at a lower interest rate than other loan types. It can be a useful tool for disciplined borrowers facing a large expense. The potential downside is that you can lose your home, which is put up as collateral.

According to Dave Ramsey, a HELOC should be off the table when you have a net worth of $40 million.

Ashley from Columbus, Ohio, called into The Ramsey Show and told the namesake host she and her well-to-do husband were contemplating a HELOC on their vacation home to supplement their income on the advice of their financial advisor.

“There’s no possible way that borrowing on your lake house is a good idea when you have $40 million,” Ramsey said in a clip posted on August 18. “I’m really disgusted at how pitiful your financial advisor is. This is just asinine.”

As it turns out, the couple’s money problems go far deeper than a quirky financial advisor.

Ashley explained that part of the problem is that approximately $30 million of the couple’s net worth is tied up in a business her husband co-owns. However, her husband isn’t on the board of directors and has no control over redemptions of shares. The board has been restrictive about redemptions, Ashley said, and the couple can’t freely access the money.

But that still leaves $10 million, Ramsey pointed out, so what’s the deal? Ashley revealed $4 million had been tucked away for retirement. She says that the remainder, and her husband’s estimated $400,000 in annual income, is not enough to support their lifestyle.

What type of lifestyle were they living? Apparently, the kind that includes maintaining two homes, house staff, a horse farm, chartered yachts and private jets. Ashley also alluded to alimony payments being made to an ex-wife. She admitted the couple spent upwards of $1.5 million in a year.

Ramsey said the answer to their problems, rather than borrowing money, was for the couple to learn to live within their (substantial) means.

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