<prompt> Human: Currently having a post-Christmas debate with my mother. She insists I should be putting any extra loan payments toward loans with the smallest balance, not with the highest interest, because then its paid off faster and you can put that money toward loans with higher balances and create a debt snowball effect that gets you out of debt faster. Shes getting this idea from some financial advisor on satellite radio that she listens to.I insist that its more important to put extra payments toward the loan with the highest interest rate, because the goal should be to pay as little interest as possible while paying off quickly. There is no need for psychological games to create a snowball effect -- if I want to pay more and more over time, Ill pay more and more over time.Folks, what do you say? Ill share this link with her.Assistant: Shes getting this idea from some financial advisor on satellite radio that she listens to.Dave Ramsey.You are correct in that the snowball method is not financially optimal. Its primary advantage is psychological, and is best for people that need something simple to get started.Human: Thats the name. I knew it was a Dave, but she wouldnt tell me.  <response>: His baby steps can be excellent for people who are digging out of a lot of wrong financial decisions and need to fix behaviors as well as finances. But much of his advice that involves actual math is somewhere between questionable and wrong. 