Pay Off Debt Before Saving
Credit Card Marketing Report
#18 Pay
Off Debt Before Saving
Though economists may wish differently, humans are far
from rational. This is the biggest reason why so many people contribute to
savings accounts while they still have debt.
Consider it Rationally.
The most important thing to understand is that there are
very few savings accounts which offer comparable interest to credit cards. Take
this example: if you have $10,000 in a savings account earning 5% per year and
$5,000 on a credit card at an interest rate of 20% per year, your net worth
after five years is zero.
While your savings will grow by $2,500, your
debt has grown by $7,500, due to the difference in interest rates. This leads to
the fact that it's always better to
pay off debt if the interest rate on it is higher. Though you may want to keep
the savings so that you can keep your pride, realize that will cost you in real
money.
Saving Just ‘Feels Better.
There's no denying that it feels better to save. Saving
feels like building a foundation for your future, which is a far cry from simply
paying off debt. You may envision any savings you have as for the kids
education, or for improving your house, or whatever else – and it's in an
account earning a good rate of interest. However, this strategy will only cost
you if you've got high-interest debt.
Be
Financially Healthy.
As stated earlier, having money to pay off debt and
keeping the debt is highly irrational. Debt is for people who don't have the
money, and need to borrow it. If for example you keep your savings in the same
bank where you have a credit card, then you are in effect paying for the
privilege of borrowing your own money from them. This can only hurt
you.
There are more positive reasons for paying debt which
aren't only related to the difference in interest. First, you'll be less
stressed about your debts. Second, your credit report will be better because you
were able to pay everything back. This has the added effect of getting you a
much better interest rate if you ever need to go into debt
again.
While
all of this can be difficult to stomach, it really is wiser to pay off debt
first. Though you may get the feeling that you're spending away your savings and
thus your future, understand that the debt you have means you already did that.
So, do the next smart move and reduce your debt, even if it takes away most or
all of your savings.
If you're a real estate
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