I first heard Chris Hogan speak at a conference several years ago. At the time, I was already a big Dave Ramsey fan. But recently I went to find Chris Hogan on Dave’s website and he wasn’t there. So, why is Chris Hogan not with Dave Ramsey anymore?
Here’s what I discovered:
Chris Hogan ceased working with Dave Ramsey in March of 2021 as a result of allegations that originally surfaced in 2018 of Hogan’s repeated issues with infidelity and later failing to live up to a “restoration plan” Ramsey designed as an attempt to save Hogan’s marriage.
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Did Dave fire Hogan or did he leave of his own wishes? And did his now ex-wife prove he had cheated? And why did Dave wait more than 2 years before ending his professional relationship with Hogan given Ramsey Solutions’ well-known stance for not tolerating non-Biblical behavior?
Let’s answer all the questions.
Why did Dave Ramsey wait to fire Chris Hogan?
It is unclear if Chris Hogan was fired or if he left Ramsey Solutions willingly. But Hogan left Ramsey Solutions in March of 2021 after allegations from his now ex-wife surfaced accusing him of repeated infidelity.
Specifically, Hogan said:
“I’ve done some things personally that are not in line with Ramsey Solutions.”
On the Dave Ramsey website, under the page for Chris Hogan, it simply says:
Looking for Chris Hogan or The Chris Hogan Show?
Unfortunately, Chris Hogan is no longer with Ramsey Solutions, and we’ve stopped producing The Chris Hogan Show. But we’re still committed to helping you build wealth—just like we have for over 25 years. Check out the resources below!
Melissa Hogan, Chris’ now ex-wife, claimed to have brought the infidelity allegations to Dave Ramsey back in 2018.
Now, obviously, everyone is innocent until proven guilty, so it’s not surprising that Dave didn’t fire Chris immediately.
But it did take approximately 3 years before Hogan parted ways with Ramsey, leading to speculation that Dave Ramsey treats male employees who sin differently than female employees.
But it’s also worth noting that at the time the allegations reached Dave Ramsey, they were just about to publish another of Chris Hogan’s books, “Everyday Millionaires”. And a book tour with Hogan was planned following the release.
So did Dave not take action because of the potential financial loss of firing him right before the book came out?
Instead, in that interim, Dave apparently came up with a “restoration plan” designed to rehabilitate Chris and save the marriage. But for Melissa Hogan, it was not well received and likely too little, too late.
Read details of that restoration plan on Melissa Hogan’s website.
Specifically, in regards to Chris’ apology video, Melissa Hogan has said:
“I note that while his statement generically expresses being sorry for harm, he does not take responsibility for the impact of his actions on his family, people who trusted him, or people whose jobs depended on his role and integrity,”
She then goes on to say:
“He does not acknowledge that his actions profoundly hurt people, including me, our children, my family, and other women he manipulated,” Melissa continued. “He also does not acknowledge the role that Ramsey Solutions and Dave Ramsey himself played in harming and manipulating me, as well as covering up his actions.”
A former employee is suing Dave Ramsey’s business. In the lawsuit, he claims he was fired for not agreeing with Ramsey’s religious views on COVID. https://t.co/TntryreyY0 pic.twitter.com/YZPA8BurLX
— WSMV News4 Nashville (@WSMV) April 20, 2021
Does Dave Ramsey fire people for not following the bible?
Dave Ramsey has fired employees who willingly engage in behavior that goes against Biblical teachings. He calls it his “righteous living” policy. It is not clear, however, if it is instant or if they are given a 2nd chance before being let go.
Specifically that policy states:
The image of Ramsey Solutions is held out to be Christian. Should a team member engage in behavior not consistent with traditional Judeo-Christian values or teaching, it would damage the image and the value of our good will and our brand. If this should occur, the team member would be subject to review, probation, or termination.
In short, as Ramsey likes to say, “Character matters, all the time”. (source)
But is it legal to fire people for moral reasons who show up on time and perform the tasks expected of them?
Well, in a nutshell, yes.
Many states are what are known as at-will states. What that means is that employers can fire anyone at any time for any reason that doesn’t violate federal law. It also means employees can leave at any time with no obligation to give notice.
Tennessee, where Ramsey Solutions is headquartered is indeed an at-will state.
Of course, Federal law protects the following categories of people from discrimination:
- Race
- Color
- Religion
- Gender
- Sexual orientation
- Gender identity
- National origin
- Age (if they are 40 or above)
- Disabilities
- Genetic information
(source)
So while Ramsey can fire someone for not following the Bible, if one of his team decided to come out of the closet and was fired for being gay, Ramsey would probably find himself on the receiving (and losing) end of a lawsuit for discrimination based on sexual orientation.
In total, Ramsey Solutions has fired 8 people for having premarital sex, both men and women, as just 1 example of the policy in action.
And…. here it is. All this time and I’d never been blocked. I called out his lies, hypocrisy, and abuse. Not blocked.
Summarized legal cases? BLOCK pic.twitter.com/PdrITYaWis
— Melissa J. Hogan (@melissajhogan) April 20, 2021
Why did Chris Hogan’s wife divorce him?
Chris Hogan’s wife Melissa divorced him in 2019 after Hogan admitted to several affairs including 1 with a co-worker at Ramsey Solutions.
It is unclear who the co-worker was and if they have also been fired.
Melissa Hogan released the following statement voicing her displeasure with how Ramsey Solutions handled her ex-husband:
“My hope remains that Ramsey Solutions will choose to be transparent about and take responsibility for their role in harming people, show repentance, and change in ways that align with the gospel of Jesus Christ,” she said. “It is a similar hope that my ex-husband can do the same, for the benefit of himself and others.”
(source)
How to Become an Everyday Millionaire with Chris Hogan | BP Money Podcast 148 https://t.co/RxoBscWd7D pic.twitter.com/REcbJc8ZKS
— REI & Home Mortgage Financing (@HomeMortgageNow) October 26, 2020
Can you still listen to Chris Hogan’s podcast?
Chris Hogan’s podcast Retire Inspired has been removed from iTunes and YouTube but is still currently available on Podcast Addict and Soundcloud. In light of Hogan leaving Dave Ramsey’s team, his former podcast has been rebranded to Ramsey Everyday Millionaires.
Check out his back catalog of episodes on Soundcloud – https://soundcloud.com/user-849877986
But I wasn’t able to find it on iTunes although you will find Hogan being interviewed on other people’s podcasts on iTunes.
While his iTunes channel is gone, there are still many videos of him on YouTube including some on Dave Ramsey’s YouTube channel.
Chris still has his 2 books on Amazon, and you can see his Amazon Profile Page by clicking the link.
Debt will affect every area of your life, both professionally and personally. Take it from Mr. Chris Hogan who joined the Selling For Life Podcast! https://t.co/9tBUZmfSAt #DebtFree #DebtRelief #debtslaves #debt pic.twitter.com/QGzIyyqRgd
— SellingForLife (@SellingForLifer) October 9, 2019
What is Chris Hogan doing now?
Chris Hogan’s LinkedIn page lists him as self-employed as a consultant, author, and speaker. But as of this writing, the only other information is “Working on something new.”
Check out his LinkedIn page here – https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachhogan
Aside from updating his employment history to note his departure from Ramsey Solutions, all other info on his page is from a few years ago.
Final thoughts
So goodbye to Chris Hogan, America’s so-called leading voice on retirement.
It’s sad that his marriage ended and it’s sad that his time with Dave Ramsey ended. I’m not perfect enough to say Hogan got what he deserved (Ramsey himself might want to remember the line “let he who is without sin cast the first stone”).
But I’m also not privy to all the details surrounding Hogan’s supposed affairs, and how much ownership he genuinely took, and what steps, if any, he took to address his issues within himself and to make things right with his now ex-wife.
But the one thing that is certain is that his personality, advice, and that booming voice will most certainly be missed.
Photo that requires attribution:
Dave Ramsey by Midnight Believer is licensed under Public domain and was cropped, edited, and had a text overlay added.
As an Amazon Associate I may earn a small comission from qualifying purchases if you click to Amazon from my site and choose to make a purchase. You can read my complete affiliate disclosure for more details.