Drowning in Debt? Dave Ramsey's Advice for Lightening the Load

June 3, 2010 — -- Dave Ramsey is a high-octane personal finance guru who advises people on how they can get out of debt.

His advice is simple: Come clean, cut up your credit cards and take back your life.

In a segment that aired this morning on on "Good Morning America," the radio talk show host revisited nine people who had gotten his straight-talk advice about their debt troubles last year, checking up on them to see how they were doing.

When Ramsey met with them in January 2009, he learned that they collectively owed more than $260,000 -- not including their mortgages.

Inspired by Ramsey's advice, they've paid off more than $140,000 of their debt -- despite divorce, illness and the daily challenges of sticking to strict budgets in a tough economy.

Ramsey shared additional tips for people who want to get out of debt:

Click HERE to see Ramsey's answers to six viewers' questions about how to handle their finances.

Put all your available resources into paying off debt. People in debt should keep an emergency fund of about $1,000. All other extra funds should be devoted to paying off debt, Ramsey said.