"The Oprah Show" Suzie Orman helps "penniless" woman

I enjoy these financial counselors, I read their articles, books, watch their shows etc. But I do have a major critique. I've never met or seen a counselor who knows how to help people who truly did lose it all.

I was excited initially when I heard the advertisement for this particular Oprah Show where Suze was going to introduce us to a woman who lost "everything".

Yes, her situation was sad , however, she really didn't lose it all in the way that I did, so Suze WAS able to help her. When one truly doesn't have any assets, no car, no place to live, no phone, no family and no close friends, they aren't going to "dig out."

O.K. Here's the situation, in case you didn't see the show. The promo showed Suze asking Sheila: "So you don't even have money to buy milk tomorrow, do you?" Sheila replied "no"

I thought: this should be fascinating, they are finally going to help a penniless person. "Sh." (sheila) came home one day and found that her husband had committed suicide. She has 5 kids. Huge house, they were materially very wealthy. Turned out though, that he was verbally and physically abusive. They had a very traditional relationship and Sh. hadn't had a job in many years. The husband (we'll call him Warren or W.) was spending money on "stuff" instead of on the mortgage, and to be mean, he purposely cancelled the life insurance policy before killing himself.

So, Suze, advised that Sh. and her kids move into a 1 bedroom apt! That did surprise me. S. said that since Sh. and the kids had all been sleeping in the same bedroom for a year, there is no reason why they can't continue. Sh. does own a car. (a huge difference between she and I, the car is the key to getting employment) And Sh. is going to be going back to hairdressing. In the meantime, S. called 12 of Sh.'s family members for a meeting. Told them they are going to have to "gift" her financially, give free childcare, meals, and a monthly grant of 1k for a year. Sh. will be getting 2400 a month, since her husband died, then the 1k a month that S. told family to do for her. Then S. asked her to have an estate sale where she earned 13k in one day.

It was a great show, and always a learning experience, but Oprah asked Suze, "but what if a woman truly has no money at all?" Suze replied: "there is no such thing as running out of money, that's impossible, if a woman says she's run out of money she is lying!"

Oprah said "O.K.aaaaaaaaaaaaaaay"

So, obviously Orman is a bit naieve and has no exposure to poverty at it's worst. I'm still waiting for the day that these "experts" help the poorest of the poor pull out.