Suze Orman is a Fool

I have always been lukewarm on Suze Orman. Part of it is because I am disinterested in finances. But mostly she doesn’t appeal to me because I do not like her hair nor her speaking voice. And when I watch her on television I am so distracted by her twang and her coif that I forget to listen to her words.

But today was different. I chose to pay a bit of attention when she was on the Nate Berkus Show. A member of the studio audience stood up and asked her for financial advice. The woman owned a 25 year old lacquer bedroom set and wanted to replace it. But as the woman had 2 kids enrolled in college, to redecorate her bedroom would require sacrificing tuition money. And Suze Orman advised the woman to tell her children to find their own way to finance their education and that she should replace the furniture. My jaw dropped. It was nowhere near what I expected to hear-- nor was it congruous with my personal philosophy.

One of the many things my parents gave me was a good education. And they paid for every penny of it but for my graduate work which was paid for by Westchester County. My father in particular believed that not only was education the ticket to success, he believed that the school one attended influenced the degree of success one would achieve.

And I agree. I believe that anyone who proclaims that it does not matter what university one attends is compensating for the fact that they attended a university pretty low down on the totem pole. And every successful person I have ever known who themselves attended a tier 2 college made sure their children attended a tier one. They understood that the name of your school opens doors. Because while personal productivity is the primary factor in rising up life’s ladder, a piece of paper from a prestigious university provides friends along the way. And no matter how much people try to sugar coat it, people are judged (if not socially) on their diploma.

When I visit a doctor’s office the first thing I do is look at the framed accolades on the wall. I most definitely judge a physician by their medical school and the hospital where they did their training. And while the doctor potentially may have been the dumbest kid at Harvard, he is likely still more intelligent than the smartest kid who attended Ross University.

And I am not too proud to admit that when I am out on the road I read the college stickers on car rear windshields. I not only judge the schools, but I compare them to my own to determine who is the “winner.”  I paid a lot of tuition to “win” against passing cars.

And I also believe that the greatest gift (besides an education) that you can give your children is a debt-free start to life. Which isn’t to say I believe that a parent is required to support their child’s dreams forever; but I do believe that funding a 4 year degree is compulsory. No sacrifice is too great.

So. Suze Orman not only do you have bad hair and an annoying timbre, you are an idiot. No bedroom set is worth the success of your children. No bedroom set is worth putting your child in debt--especially in this economy. Education always propels you forward. And while there are many who achieve great success without a diploma,that is not the norm. Instead of asking Suze Orman for financial advice the woman in the audience should have asked Nate Berkus—how can I make a 25 year lacquer bedroom set look good on a dime? That would likely have gotten a more appropriate response.