What workarounds did people try for "Should I pay off debt or start investing and saving?"?

Community members documented 140 workarounds: 1. maxing out tax-advantaged accounts before paying extra on the mortgage 2. Prioritizing investing and building a savings buffer first before paying off debts as fast as possible. 3. Keeping emergency cash while aggressively paying off debt over time before moving 4. Delaying moving out to save a larger financial cushion 5. selling stocks in a taxable brokerage account instead of withdrawing from retirement accounts 6. cutting back on spending and increasing work hours to pay off debt from current income 7. selling assets with long-term capital gains or balancing losers 8. paying off the car loan first based on higher interest rates 9. paying down the mortgage to shorten the loan balance 10. Waiting until the end of the month when the credit card bill is due 11. Paying off the credit card balance immediately to avoid interest 12. buckle down, sell stuff, work extra and pay off the debt 13. pay it off out of your income using monthly chunks 14. Using a lump sum from selling an item to choose between options 15. Relying on overall financial budget review or guidelines from community wikis 16. continuing to make minimum payments on the low-rate mortgage 17. increasing retirement contributions past employer matches 18. putting surplus cash into high-yield savings accounts or brokerages 19. Using a hybrid approach by putting a portion of monthly surplus toward the mortgage and the rest into investments 20. Making large lump-sum payments or quick recasts after setting the mortgage 21. Prioritizing full market investing based on pure mathematical return differences 22. paying off the house directly to reduce future monthly costs 23. investing money to pursue higher long-term returns 24. Listening to advice from friends and coworkers to invest extra money in the S&P 500 instead of paying down loan principal. 25. Splitting the difference between extra debt payments and savings 26. Paying off the loan aggressively while keeping the existing emergency fund untouched 27. Maxing out retirement accounts before tackling the auto loan 28. Tackling debt one at a time by going all in on the smallest balance while making minimum payments on others 29. Changing spending habits to free up extra cash for debt repayment 30. trying to reduce other expenses 31. trying to get side work to increase income 32. considering selling the house or travel trailer 33. stopping annual vacations 34. Paying off high-interest debt immediately and placing the remaining funds in a high-yield savings account or investments. 35. Paying down the loan directly to secure a guaranteed return rather than investing in the market 36. paying an extra amount monthly toward the mortgage 37. keeping a large amount of liquid cash 38. Paying the minimum possible towards the student loan and putting the rest into a retirement account 39. Paying off the highest APR card first while making minimum payments on the other 40. Increasing income and reducing expenses 41. Budgeting and sticking to the budget 42. Refinancing private loans 43. Getting a second job to build up savings and pay down loans simultaneously 44. Putting extra money toward private loans when possible 45. paying only the minimum on student loans because the rates are relatively low 46. eliminating debt first before building up savings 47. Keeping money invested in a money market fund while taking a larger auto loan 48. Putting down a larger down payment and reinvesting monthly savings into a Roth IRA 49. Keeping cash in a high-yield savings account for peace of mind and liquidity 50. Allocating a set percentage of income to retirement 51. Reserving a specific amount for 6 months of expenses plus buffer for big purchases and putting the rest toward the mortgage 52. Exploring alternative savings vehicles like I-bonds 53. Seeking professional advice from a fiduciary 54. relying on psychological boosts from clearing debt 55. accounting for tax implications on investment gains 56. paying slightly over the minimum while letting investments ride 57. Prioritizing higher-yielding life goals like retirement investing 58. Allocating extra funds into bond funds like SGOV for higher yields and potential tax advantages 59. Setting normal extra funds into a dedicated account for student loan payments 60. Maxing out tax-advantaged retirement accounts before accelerating mortgage payments 61. Relying on personal risk tolerance and napkin math to compare mortgage interest rates with expected stock market returns 62. Paying the regular monthly mortgage payment while investing the rest in a 60/40 index fund split 63. Directing all spare cash toward paying down the mortgage principal to eliminate interest charges 64. Getting a second job or doing side hustles like DoorDash 65. Cutting expenses such as rent, insurance, and unnecessary spending 66. Taking a 401k loan instead of an early withdrawal 67. Balance-transferring high-interest credit card debt to a promo rate card 68. Liquidating savings and brokerage accounts to pay off credit card debt immediately 69. Living frugally to aggressively attack debt 70. Delaying the car purchase and saving cash while living at home 71. Making pretend car payments into savings to build up a down payment 72. Finding free entertainment options like walking in the park or visiting local libraries 73. Relying on friends for rides 74. Investing the cash in the stock market or high-yield savings accounts instead of paying down the mortgage 75. Aggressively paying off the mortgage for psychological peace of mind and freedom 76. Recasting the mortgage to reduce monthly payments while keeping the low rate 77. Waiting for an end-of-year bonus to cover the debt 78. Reallocating monthly savings to pay down the balance over 6 to 9 months 79. Finding a 0% balance transfer offer or lower interest line of credit 80. Splitting extra money between both a taxable brokerage and extra mortgage principal payments 81. Maxing out tax-advantaged accounts (like 401k, Roth IRA, HSA) first before directing remaining funds to the mortgage 82. Running amortization and expected return math via spreadsheets 83. Paying down the higher APR loan first for a guaranteed untaxed return 84. Knocking out the smaller loan first for convenience 85. Linking to financial wiki pages and past forum threads comparing loan payoff versus investing strategies 86. Comparing loan interest rates against expected market returns 87. Using a 7% rule of thumb as a tipping point between paying debt and investing 88. Throttling up monthly payments instead of doing a lump sum payoff 89. Keeping cash in high-yield savings accounts or liquid emergency funds 90. Minimizing monthly expenses and building larger emergency buffers 91. Putting a portion into a high-yield savings account for an emergency fund while applying the remainder to debt 92. Following community debt payoff strategies like the avalanche or flowchart methods 93. Freezing or canceling credit cards to prevent future accumulation 94. keeping money uninvested or sitting in money market funds while waiting for a market crash 95. splitting funds automatically across multiple accounts without a clear priority order 96. Reading about mortgage recasts to lower monthly payments 97. Looking into high yield savings accounts for cash on hand 98. Splitting extra funds equally between mortgage principal and index funds 99. Shifting retirement contributions from Roth to traditional accounts to use tax savings for extra mortgage payments 100. relying on existing low fixed mortgage rates while continuing historical investment habits 101. waiting to see if rates increase further before changing financial strategies 102. Saving up a larger cash buffer before closing loans to account for prepayment fees and preserve emergency funds 103. Weighing guaranteed interest savings against potential investment returns 104. Splitting extra funds between mortgage principal reduction and taxable investments 105. Paying a fixed small extra amount monthly toward the principal 106. Paying extra principal only until mortgage insurance (PMI) is removed 107. paying off high-interest debt first to secure a guaranteed return 108. holding onto cash to invest in the stock market 109. Paying off debts selectively based on interest rate thresholds 110. Investing the windfall in the stock market or a high-yield savings account 111. Combining existing savings and increased monthly payments instead of waiting for the inheritance 112. holding off on funding accounts while researching strategies 113. saving extra cash in a high-yield savings account for a future home down payment 114. contributing to retirement accounts like 401k and Roth IRAs 115. setting aside automated monthly savings 116. making minimum or paced payments on loans with varying interest rates 117. Letting low-interest debt ride and putting extra income toward retirement and investing 118. Paying off debts with interest rates around 4% first and then redirecting all remaining cash flow to retirement 119. Maintaining standard loan repayment schedules and using extra funds for quality of life improvements or child expenses 120. Keeping the loan and investing the cash to chase higher market returns. 121. Paying off the debt entirely, then redirecting the old monthly payment amount into investments. 122. Making double payments on the loan as a compromise. 123. paying the debt off immediately because the small interest yield is not worth the mental effort 124. Splitting the extra cash to do a bit of both 125. Prioritizing the psychological peace of mind of being debt-free over strictly maximizing financial returns 126. Using mortgage servicer calculators to compare guaranteed interest saved against hypothetical investment compounding 127. Investing only enough to get the employer match, then throwing the rest at debt 128. Following strict math and investing because expected market returns beat the loan interest rates 129. Ignoring the math and paying off the debt entirely for the psychological benefit 130. Keeping cash liquid in a high-yield savings account while making peace with the minimum monthly loan payment 131. Paying off only the highest-interest loans while keeping lower-interest debt and continuing to invest. 132. Calculating the after-tax expected market return and comparing it directly to the loan interest rate. 133. Deciding based on personal psychology (whether they want to maximize net worth or be completely debt-free). 134. Using the mortgage interest rate as a strict mathematical threshold (e.g., invest if under 5%, pay down if over 6%). 135. Building a larger 6-12 month emergency fund before committing surplus cash to either option. 136. Splitting surplus funds to simultaneously invest and make extra mortgage payments. 137. Comparing the loan's interest rate against potential investment returns. 138. Following a financial flowchart to prioritize an emergency fund and 401k match before extra debt payments. 139. Paying only the minimums on low-interest loans and directing extra funds to high-yield savings accounts or retirement accounts. 140. Following standard personal finance flowcharts to determine the order of operations.

Should I pay off debt or start investing and saving?

Splitting limited cash between debt payoff, emergency savings, and life goals like moving out leaves people financially vulnerable and hesitant to empty their accounts. Draining all savings to clear a loan creates a dangerous zero-dollar cushion against unforeseen expenses, making it difficult to balance immediate life milestones with long-term financial security.

Overview

Last updated Nov 3, 2026

People affected79 accounts across 1 forum

Workarounds found140 items attempted

Community agreement159 total upvotes

What the numbers show

Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count

Most of it landed at once — the busiest month was September 2026, with 52 people.

What people tried

Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.

140 items+ Contribute

Found another way around this?

Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.

1
maxing out tax-advantaged accounts before paying extra on the mortgage
2 people mentioned
Did this help you?
2
Prioritizing investing and building a savings buffer first before paying off debts as fast as possible.
Did this help you?
3
Keeping emergency cash while aggressively paying off debt over time before moving
Did this help you?
4
Delaying moving out to save a larger financial cushion
Did this help you?
5
selling stocks in a taxable brokerage account instead of withdrawing from retirement accounts
Did this help you?
6
cutting back on spending and increasing work hours to pay off debt from current income
Did this help you?
7
selling assets with long-term capital gains or balancing losers
Did this help you?
8
paying off the car loan first based on higher interest rates
Did this help you?
9
paying down the mortgage to shorten the loan balance
Did this help you?
10
Waiting until the end of the month when the credit card bill is due
Did this help you?
11
Paying off the credit card balance immediately to avoid interest
Did this help you?
12
buckle down, sell stuff, work extra and pay off the debt
Did this help you?
13
pay it off out of your income using monthly chunks
Did this help you?
14
Using a lump sum from selling an item to choose between options
Did this help you?
15
Relying on overall financial budget review or guidelines from community wikis
Did this help you?
16
continuing to make minimum payments on the low-rate mortgage
Did this help you?
17
increasing retirement contributions past employer matches
Did this help you?
18
putting surplus cash into high-yield savings accounts or brokerages
Did this help you?
19
Using a hybrid approach by putting a portion of monthly surplus toward the mortgage and the rest into investments
Did this help you?
20
Making large lump-sum payments or quick recasts after setting the mortgage
Did this help you?
21
Prioritizing full market investing based on pure mathematical return differences
Did this help you?
22
paying off the house directly to reduce future monthly costs
Did this help you?
23
investing money to pursue higher long-term returns
Did this help you?
24
Listening to advice from friends and coworkers to invest extra money in the S&P 500 instead of paying down loan principal.
Did this help you?
25
Splitting the difference between extra debt payments and savings
Did this help you?
26
Paying off the loan aggressively while keeping the existing emergency fund untouched
Did this help you?
27
Maxing out retirement accounts before tackling the auto loan
Did this help you?
28
Tackling debt one at a time by going all in on the smallest balance while making minimum payments on others
Did this help you?
29
Changing spending habits to free up extra cash for debt repayment
Did this help you?
30
trying to reduce other expenses
Did this help you?
31
trying to get side work to increase income
Did this help you?
32
considering selling the house or travel trailer
Did this help you?
33
stopping annual vacations
Did this help you?
34
Paying off high-interest debt immediately and placing the remaining funds in a high-yield savings account or investments.
Did this help you?
35
Paying down the loan directly to secure a guaranteed return rather than investing in the market
Did this help you?
36
paying an extra amount monthly toward the mortgage
Did this help you?
37
keeping a large amount of liquid cash
Did this help you?
38
Paying the minimum possible towards the student loan and putting the rest into a retirement account
Did this help you?
39
Paying off the highest APR card first while making minimum payments on the other
Did this help you?
40
Increasing income and reducing expenses
Did this help you?
41
Budgeting and sticking to the budget
Did this help you?
42
Refinancing private loans
Did this help you?
43
Getting a second job to build up savings and pay down loans simultaneously
Did this help you?
44
Putting extra money toward private loans when possible
Did this help you?
45
paying only the minimum on student loans because the rates are relatively low
Did this help you?
46
eliminating debt first before building up savings
Did this help you?
47
Keeping money invested in a money market fund while taking a larger auto loan
Did this help you?
48
Putting down a larger down payment and reinvesting monthly savings into a Roth IRA
Did this help you?
49
Keeping cash in a high-yield savings account for peace of mind and liquidity
Did this help you?
50
Allocating a set percentage of income to retirement
Did this help you?
51
Reserving a specific amount for 6 months of expenses plus buffer for big purchases and putting the rest toward the mortgage
Did this help you?
52
Exploring alternative savings vehicles like I-bonds
Did this help you?
53
Seeking professional advice from a fiduciary
Did this help you?
54
relying on psychological boosts from clearing debt
Did this help you?
55
accounting for tax implications on investment gains
Did this help you?
56
paying slightly over the minimum while letting investments ride
Did this help you?
57
Prioritizing higher-yielding life goals like retirement investing
Did this help you?
58
Allocating extra funds into bond funds like SGOV for higher yields and potential tax advantages
Did this help you?
59
Setting normal extra funds into a dedicated account for student loan payments
Did this help you?
60
Maxing out tax-advantaged retirement accounts before accelerating mortgage payments
Did this help you?
61
Relying on personal risk tolerance and napkin math to compare mortgage interest rates with expected stock market returns
Did this help you?
62
Paying the regular monthly mortgage payment while investing the rest in a 60/40 index fund split
Did this help you?
63
Directing all spare cash toward paying down the mortgage principal to eliminate interest charges
Did this help you?
64
Getting a second job or doing side hustles like DoorDash
Did this help you?
65
Cutting expenses such as rent, insurance, and unnecessary spending
Did this help you?
66
Taking a 401k loan instead of an early withdrawal
Did this help you?
67
Balance-transferring high-interest credit card debt to a promo rate card
Did this help you?
68
Liquidating savings and brokerage accounts to pay off credit card debt immediately
Did this help you?
69
Living frugally to aggressively attack debt
Did this help you?
70
Delaying the car purchase and saving cash while living at home
Did this help you?
71
Making pretend car payments into savings to build up a down payment
Did this help you?
72
Finding free entertainment options like walking in the park or visiting local libraries
Did this help you?
73
Relying on friends for rides
Did this help you?
74
Investing the cash in the stock market or high-yield savings accounts instead of paying down the mortgage
Did this help you?
75
Aggressively paying off the mortgage for psychological peace of mind and freedom
Did this help you?
76
Recasting the mortgage to reduce monthly payments while keeping the low rate
Did this help you?
77
Waiting for an end-of-year bonus to cover the debt
Did this help you?
78
Reallocating monthly savings to pay down the balance over 6 to 9 months
Did this help you?
79
Finding a 0% balance transfer offer or lower interest line of credit
Did this help you?
80
Splitting extra money between both a taxable brokerage and extra mortgage principal payments
Did this help you?
81
Maxing out tax-advantaged accounts (like 401k, Roth IRA, HSA) first before directing remaining funds to the mortgage
Did this help you?
82
Running amortization and expected return math via spreadsheets
Did this help you?
83
Paying down the higher APR loan first for a guaranteed untaxed return
Did this help you?
84
Knocking out the smaller loan first for convenience
Did this help you?
85
Linking to financial wiki pages and past forum threads comparing loan payoff versus investing strategies
Did this help you?
86
Comparing loan interest rates against expected market returns
Did this help you?
87
Using a 7% rule of thumb as a tipping point between paying debt and investing
Did this help you?
88
Throttling up monthly payments instead of doing a lump sum payoff
Did this help you?
89
Keeping cash in high-yield savings accounts or liquid emergency funds
Did this help you?
90
Minimizing monthly expenses and building larger emergency buffers
Did this help you?
91
Putting a portion into a high-yield savings account for an emergency fund while applying the remainder to debt
Did this help you?
92
Following community debt payoff strategies like the avalanche or flowchart methods
Did this help you?
93
Freezing or canceling credit cards to prevent future accumulation
Did this help you?
94
keeping money uninvested or sitting in money market funds while waiting for a market crash
Did this help you?
95
splitting funds automatically across multiple accounts without a clear priority order
Did this help you?
96
Reading about mortgage recasts to lower monthly payments
Did this help you?
97
Looking into high yield savings accounts for cash on hand
Did this help you?
98
Splitting extra funds equally between mortgage principal and index funds
Did this help you?
99
Shifting retirement contributions from Roth to traditional accounts to use tax savings for extra mortgage payments
Did this help you?
100
relying on existing low fixed mortgage rates while continuing historical investment habits
Did this help you?
101
waiting to see if rates increase further before changing financial strategies
Did this help you?
102
Saving up a larger cash buffer before closing loans to account for prepayment fees and preserve emergency funds
Did this help you?
103
Weighing guaranteed interest savings against potential investment returns
Did this help you?
104
Splitting extra funds between mortgage principal reduction and taxable investments
Did this help you?
105
Paying a fixed small extra amount monthly toward the principal
Did this help you?
106
Paying extra principal only until mortgage insurance (PMI) is removed
Did this help you?
107
paying off high-interest debt first to secure a guaranteed return
Did this help you?
108
holding onto cash to invest in the stock market
Did this help you?
109
Paying off debts selectively based on interest rate thresholds
Did this help you?
110
Investing the windfall in the stock market or a high-yield savings account
Did this help you?
111
Combining existing savings and increased monthly payments instead of waiting for the inheritance
Did this help you?
112
holding off on funding accounts while researching strategies
Did this help you?
113
saving extra cash in a high-yield savings account for a future home down payment
Did this help you?
114
contributing to retirement accounts like 401k and Roth IRAs
Did this help you?
115
setting aside automated monthly savings
Did this help you?
116
making minimum or paced payments on loans with varying interest rates
Did this help you?
117
Letting low-interest debt ride and putting extra income toward retirement and investing
Did this help you?
118
Paying off debts with interest rates around 4% first and then redirecting all remaining cash flow to retirement
Did this help you?
119
Maintaining standard loan repayment schedules and using extra funds for quality of life improvements or child expenses
Did this help you?
120
Keeping the loan and investing the cash to chase higher market returns.
Did this help you?
121
Paying off the debt entirely, then redirecting the old monthly payment amount into investments.
Did this help you?
122
Making double payments on the loan as a compromise.
Did this help you?
123
paying the debt off immediately because the small interest yield is not worth the mental effort
Did this help you?
124
Splitting the extra cash to do a bit of both
Did this help you?
125
Prioritizing the psychological peace of mind of being debt-free over strictly maximizing financial returns
Did this help you?
126
Using mortgage servicer calculators to compare guaranteed interest saved against hypothetical investment compounding
Did this help you?
127
Investing only enough to get the employer match, then throwing the rest at debt
Did this help you?
128
Following strict math and investing because expected market returns beat the loan interest rates
Did this help you?
129
Ignoring the math and paying off the debt entirely for the psychological benefit
Did this help you?
130
Keeping cash liquid in a high-yield savings account while making peace with the minimum monthly loan payment
Did this help you?
131
Paying off only the highest-interest loans while keeping lower-interest debt and continuing to invest.
Did this help you?
132
Calculating the after-tax expected market return and comparing it directly to the loan interest rate.
Did this help you?
133
Deciding based on personal psychology (whether they want to maximize net worth or be completely debt-free).
Did this help you?
134
Using the mortgage interest rate as a strict mathematical threshold (e.g., invest if under 5%, pay down if over 6%).
Did this help you?
135
Building a larger 6-12 month emergency fund before committing surplus cash to either option.
Did this help you?
136
Splitting surplus funds to simultaneously invest and make extra mortgage payments.
Did this help you?
137
Comparing the loan's interest rate against potential investment returns.
Did this help you?
138
Following a financial flowchart to prioritize an emergency fund and 401k match before extra debt payments.
Did this help you?
139
Paying only the minimums on low-interest loans and directing extra funds to high-yield savings accounts or retirement accounts.
Did this help you?
140
Following standard personal finance flowcharts to determine the order of operations.
Did this help you?

Tried another approach not listed above?+ Share your workaround ↑

In their words

Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.

r/personalfinance79 people · September 2026 – November 2026

“With a kid on the way, I'm trying to decide if paying off the house would be a good idea.”source ↗

“My wife's company had laid off 10% of the company last week. She survived, but I'm guessing it's just round one. I'm in lending, and so that's not looking super hot either.”source ↗

“Go debt free and save the money, or keep the cushion I've built?”source ↗

stl_ball · r/personalfinance · 47 upvotes

“I guess my idea is that it could make more sense to pay of the 7% risk free debt rather than to immediately put all that money into a taxable brokerage. After paying it off I would increase my monthly contributions to investing by my current car payment. Does this make sense?”source ↗

Sad_Salad_3749 · r/personalfinance · 7 upvotes

“Should I be focused on paying off debt first, and leaving my HYSA as is for now? Or should I build that out to about 6 months savings (which in DC area, anticipating being ~$22,000~) to build myself a safety net quickly?”source ↗

IrishBobcat70 · r/personalfinance · 5 upvotes

“Should I sell a portion of my holdings to pay off the credit card debt?”source ↗

“Should I sell or just holdout?”source ↗

Valuable5195 · r/personalfinance · 5 upvotes

“Would it be wise to pay this loan off today so I can put more money towards investing without this higher interest loan in the way?”source ↗

Sad_Salad_3749 · r/personalfinance · 5 upvotes

“I just feel like psychologically, I'd feel so much better and motivated once those student loans are gone and then I have all the time to only invest. BUT I know I could be losing out on money in those 2 years.”source ↗

Famous-Technology994 · r/personalfinance · 5 upvotes

“recently posted a discussion asking if i was behind and people had very different views on if i should be paying off my student debt or putting more money into retirement and it made me even more confused.”source ↗

“So my question is really... should i increase my 401k and roth or focus on paying student debt?”source ↗

IntelligentFan5409 · r/personalfinance · 4 upvotes

“I'm 29 with a $15k loan at 7.7%, i also have $52k in a taxable brokerage. Every. Single. Day I aggressive consider making the withdrawal to just pay off the car, but my gains have been well above 10% so I'm struggling to make the decision.”source ↗

dutterbog · r/personalfinance · 4 upvotes

“Is this the right thing to do or better to do it differently?”source ↗

coolPineapple07 · r/personalfinance · 3 upvotes

“I'm struggling a lot mentally with throwing all my money at debt but I have bipolar type 2. When I was untreated I got myself into this. I feel like I really really need a car. What should I do? I know the debt is the smart thing to optimize for.”source ↗

ButterfreeIcanBe · r/personalfinance · 3 upvotes

“At 6.125% mortgage rate, would you prioritize throwing more money at the mortgage or investments?”source ↗

FamiliarBiscotti5791 · r/personalfinance · 3 upvotes

“Should I use it to pay both the HELOC and student loan off? Or could I make better than 7% in this economy and tuck it away for a while.”source ↗

Big-Ship-1642 · r/personalfinance · 3 upvotes

“Having a difficult time deciding on whether to stop paying into retirement as a 32 year old to pay off car debt.”source ↗

“Will the compounding at 32 be too much to give up to pay off (what I consider) short term debt?”source ↗

cfull_19 · r/personalfinance · 3 upvotes

“As much as I would love to put 100% focus on paying off this loan, I feel like I should have a different approach as to paying it off vs investing.”source ↗

allthewaytothemoon12 · r/personalfinance · 2 upvotes

“I really don't have a lot of savings right now; after some unforseen expenses and totally paying off my credit cards, I only have 3k. But I was kind of considering dumping *all* of it into my car payment then using the next few months to agressively pay it all off so I can move out *without* having to worry about it *plus* the $200 towards school every month. But I also dont want to start rebuilding my savings from $0.”source ↗

“I need to move out ASAP. I've been living with my parents since COVID. They're great and very supportive, but I'm 30yo and its fuckin embarassing. I really wish it wasn't, but it is.”source ↗

Mrrykrizmith · r/personalfinance · 2 upvotes

“I’m wondering if I should dip into my savings to pay that off now or wait till the end of the month when it’s due.”source ↗

SeaworthinessOk687 · r/personalfinance · 2 upvotes

“I’m trying to understand where people draw the line between investing extra money and putting it toward a mortgage.”source ↗

“I understand stocks probably have a higher expected return over a long period, but 6.5% guaranteed also seems pretty hard to ignore.”source ↗

net_walker_1 · r/personalfinance · 2 upvotes

“Say I have 4K left in student loans and 6k left on a car loan and very little if any other debt. Is it worth it to focus on eliminating debt to free up cash flow for investments sooner or, is it a better idea to pay debt off in time and focus on building investments now.”source ↗

DazedAndConfused628 · r/personalfinance · 2 upvotes

“I'm currently in a lot of debt. I have about $42K in personal debt and I've been drowning for years and unable to get my life together.”source ↗

“I'm just not sure if it'd be worth it to make the nest egg or to eliminate the debt as much as possible.”source ↗

legendofzelda13 · r/personalfinance · 2 upvotes

“If you wanted to prioritize investing over paying off 5.9% debt because you believe the ROI of investing > 5.9%, that's fine too.”source ↗

AvocadoBeforeToast · r/personalfinance · 2 upvotes

“My mortgage is at 6.5%. I’m maxing all available tax advantaged accounts, and then I’ve decided to split extra amounts between my mortgage and a taxable brokerage.”source ↗

FriendlyCoat · r/personalfinance · 2 upvotes

“My student loans are around there I remember I had the $20k to pay them off which were sitting in a HYSA and just thinking “Man, I rather keep the $20k for a rainy day and just keep investing”.”source ↗

BarnacleEddy · r/personalfinance · 2 upvotes

“I would, but I feel a great sense of shame from living at home. I know it's a pretty common thing these days, but I really want to find a partner and just don't feel at all confident anybody would ever love me while I'm living at home.”source ↗

Mrrykrizmith · r/personalfinance · 1 upvotes

“I was thinking it’s just cash so why not use that instead of selling stock that will make money.”source ↗

Infamous-Reception54 · r/personalfinance · 1 upvotes

“what’s better, to pay off the car loans or cut the current mortgage by about 30k?”source ↗

SteakandFork · r/personalfinance · 1 upvotes

“I’m wondering what the logistics would be of pulling out of my PERSI (Idaho Public Employee Retirement) to pay off some debts that I have.”source ↗

“I know they take out 20% plus the early fee of about 10%, which cuts out a fair chunk, but if I were to take it out would that screw me over in the long run for retirement?”source ↗

tjastronaut · r/personalfinance · 1 upvotes

“I’m still trying to figure out the retirement side of employment (I never learned it growing up, go figure lol), and I can reasonably pay this debt off in the monthly chunks (as I have been doing)”source ↗

tjastronaut · r/personalfinance · 1 upvotes

“Should I focus on paying off my Auto Loan $3800 remaining balance at 7.62% or focus on maxing my Roth for 2026?”source ↗

buyticketsfromme · r/personalfinance · 1 upvotes

“Woulda coulda shoulda sold instead of refinancing during the pandemic. 😖”source ↗

Feisty_Display9109 · r/personalfinance · 1 upvotes

“Not saying 230k is negligible, but neither is 13 more years of weight on my shoulder”source ↗

Climbing-to-FI · r/personalfinance · 1 upvotes

“I understand it may cost me a bit in long term investment opportunity but the feeling of keeping nearly all my after tax earnings is wonderful. I’d make that trade 100 out of 100 times.”source ↗

Chaseingsquirels · r/personalfinance · 1 upvotes

“I am trying to decide between putting the $1000 every month in my emergency fund and make my $417 payments as normal, or putting it towards paying off the car faster and would appreciate any input.”source ↗

Mr_McCoolGuy · r/personalfinance · 1 upvotes

“I did this. I had 3 yrs to pay off my loan. 1 year in, the company laid us all off.. and I ended up taking a tax penalty for the remainder of the loan.”source ↗

keegorg · r/personalfinance · 1 upvotes

“Yes, it was due to being in a lease for an apartment and my partner not having a job due to medical reasons. We got pretty screwed so I took out these loans to get us through the lease.”source ↗

snoops1230 · r/personalfinance · 1 upvotes

“Lately with a small decrease in income from a job change I had to make and the just general increase in cost of living, for the first time in a long time we are feeling the pinch and know we need to do something different.”source ↗

“My thought is to use savings pay off one or more of the 3 vehicle loans but my husband is anxious about losing a big chunk of our emergency fund.”source ↗

Amazing_Operation_62 · r/personalfinance · 1 upvotes

“Is it more beneficial to keep a bigger cash amount available to me or to wipe out debt completely??”source ↗

Lucky-Reference-7667 · r/personalfinance · 1 upvotes

“How can I determine the optimal monthly split between HELOC principal payments and investing?”source ↗

Personal_Aerie5842 · r/personalfinance · 1 upvotes

“I'm trying to help my girlfriend choose a student loan repayment plan since her forbearance has come to an end.”source ↗

“Just looking for some advice on how she should approach her student loan debt. Should she be prioritizing investing into an IRA and an ETF, or should she prioritize paying off the debt?”source ↗

derek614 · r/personalfinance · 1 upvotes

“My two options are: 1) take an auto loan for all $10000, with a 4.5% interest over 3 years, use 2k of my savings, and put a 8k down payment 2) take an auto loan of $4000, with a 4.5% interest over 3 years, and put a 14k down payment”source ↗

Ajg2122 · r/personalfinance · 1 upvotes

“She wants it for peace of mind, I’ve explained how it’s not optimal long term but her mentality is it’s better to have access to the money now than locking it away for 30 years.”source ↗

Corrsta · r/personalfinance · 1 upvotes

“Couldn’t that happen anyway even if I shift investment? Are you recommending selling off my stocks to pay off debt? I was more so considering redirecting investments from additional stocks toward my loan”source ↗

Nearby_Lifeguard_295 · r/personalfinance · 1 upvotes

“As the title states, I'm unsure if I should pay off my truck or keep that money in my emergency funds which will put me at 6 months of emergency funds.”source ↗

“I will have the money to pay it off next weekend and by the end of the year when I get laid off I will only have 3 months in my emergency funds.”source ↗

slumpboygary · r/personalfinance · 1 upvotes

“Completely a question of risk tolerance.”source ↗

dien4382 · r/personalfinance · 1 upvotes

“I constantly debate this in my head. I might come out ahead investing but the thought of paying off my home is a level of satisfaction I really want.”source ↗

TheDumbEnd · r/personalfinance · 1 upvotes

“If you're committed to paying off the house ASAP, (which it altars you are with the 15yr and that pmt), you should go all in to pay off the house.”source ↗

Chruisser · r/personalfinance · 1 upvotes

“Basically I am wondering if I am an exception to the 'You should NEVER liquidate your 401k to pay off credit card debt' rule.”source ↗

“Should I use my 401k to pay off credit card debt?”source ↗

Key_Sky5310 · r/personalfinance · 1 upvotes

“I would never pay off a 1.9% rate mortgage any faster than required.”source ↗

GeorgeRetire · r/personalfinance · 1 upvotes

“I am in a near identical spot as you, my friend. I'm aggressively investing, rather than paying it off...even though I really, really want to pay off the house.”source ↗

edthecat2011 · r/personalfinance · 1 upvotes

“It's a tough one. I have the funds to do it (and it would feel great), but as another person mentioned, even just leaving that pile of cash in a proper HYSA is the correct mathematical move.”source ↗

edthecat2011 · r/personalfinance · 1 upvotes

“Selling now would trigger short term capital gains, which would eat into your profit.”source ↗

Princenomad · r/personalfinance · 1 upvotes

“The interest rate on the credit card will most likely be high enough to justify selling your investments in your individual .”source ↗

Nearby_Evening_8012 · r/personalfinance · 1 upvotes

“At the beginning each $1000 towards principal was saving us about $10k in interest throughout the life of the loan.”source ↗

732 · r/personalfinance · 1 upvotes

“Even though the market would have outperformed that rate, we have ZERO regret. Feels fantastic no longer writing that monthly mortgage.”source ↗

cds4850 · r/personalfinance · 1 upvotes

“My question is, investing in something like VOO a better option with the proceeds versus paying off the debt even if the return rate is worse than the interest on the debt?”source ↗

4fingerriot · r/personalfinance · 1 upvotes

“Do I change up my strategies and pay off my student loan before trying to aggressively invest? I keep fearing that the stock markets about to crash hard so I've been kind of waiting to buy anything.”source ↗

Open_Bat7757 · r/personalfinance · 1 upvotes

“Hello, young couple looking for advice with investments and opinions on best ways to pay off debt.”source ↗

“I have recently read about mortgage recasts, would this be wise to put some of the cash I have on hand into the principal of my mortgage in order to lower my monthly payments? If not what are some high yield savings accounts that are recommended?”source ↗

Relative_Astronaut_6 · r/personalfinance · 1 upvotes

“I’d probably invest, and I’ve just signed a 5.75% mortgage so I’ve been thinking the same”source ↗

notajeweler · r/personalfinance · 1 upvotes

“I don't think there's a right answer. I would probably pay the mortgage, but it's close”source ↗

RealKenny · r/personalfinance · 1 upvotes

“So, for the past year or so, I've been throwing extra money at the mortgage.”source ↗

Relative_Hyena7760 · r/personalfinance · 1 upvotes

“As for me I’m enjoying my 3.25% rate from 2021. But I also paid the highest amount for a townhouse in my community to that date and it’s appreciated maybe 20k in 5 years.”source ↗

UngratefulChinaman · r/personalfinance · 1 upvotes

“Their is a 3 % part payment fee and 18% GST over that fee so if you are suggesting to not invest that money maybe i can save 80k more and than close the loan and also have emergency fund other than this money”source ↗

Famous_Reserve4578 · r/personalfinance · 1 upvotes

“Why not do a bit of both?”source ↗

raliegh_ · r/personalfinance · 1 upvotes

“Unless your student loans are due to be forgiven soon, pay them off as soon as possible. Same with the HELOC. I would suggest using a combination of savings and larger monthly payments rather than waiting for your inheritance.”source ↗

Philosopher2670 · r/personalfinance · 1 upvotes

“The interest rate on the HELOC is on the higher side but SPY has averaged 10% over past 100 years. With investing there's obviously added risk and capital gains so I'd call that one a wash whether you pay it off or not.”source ↗

Whatever801 · r/personalfinance · 1 upvotes

“Part of me wants those loans gone as soon as possible, but if I pay them aggressively I will be in a super tight budget and not save much for a few years.”source ↗

“Part of me wants to pay less each month so I can enjoy my life (I would still make sure I'm denting the principal each month, not just the interest).”source ↗

“Looking for any perspectives on why I should pay my loans off as quickly as possible or pay less for a longer time period!”source ↗

cozy_hugs_12 · r/personalfinance · 1 upvotes

“I'm trying to figure out the best order of operations for the next couple of years: pay down debt faster, or start building assets while the debt is still there.”source ↗

“My main questions are whether I should throw all extra money at the 4.00% loan first or build up a bigger emergency fund before making extra payments”source ↗

“whether I should keep contributing to a Roth IRA at 19 while I still have this debt or put every extra dollar toward the loans at these rates”source ↗

Fun-Progress770 · r/personalfinance · 1 upvotes

“I want to get pay off $4,000 in credit card debt. Should I just take out $4k in cash from my Roth IRA (I put in that much a few years ago) or should I sell stocks (have about $150k in BA, CXT, JPM, L, CAT)? What makes more sense long term?”source ↗

Infamous-Reception54 · r/personalfinance

“Should we just dump more into retirement? Both of us are saving at 18% + employer matches… pay down our house faster?”source ↗

“We’d love to upgrade our house but w 7% rates, we feel locked out and can’t afford anything better than what we have.”source ↗

Feisty_Display9109 · r/personalfinance

“I go back an forth on what I want to do with investing compared to paying off debt.”source ↗

Kylec36 · r/personalfinance

“Instead of putting extra in the principle, friends and coworkers say that I could get more by “putting the money to work” such as put the principle to s&p 500 which would give better return.”source ↗

CanIClockOutNow · r/personalfinance

“So I have $30k in personal loans, $10k at 13% and $19k at 17%. I also have an auto loan $8k at 6%. I’m taking out a $17.5k 401k loan to pay off some of this.”source ↗

snoops1230 · r/personalfinance

“Does it make sense to just stop Roth 401k contributions and pay direct to the mortgage? For me, I want the peace of mind and in case SHTF and I end up unemployed.”source ↗

Tricky_Let2806 · r/personalfinance

“My main question is: how should I actually pay them off?”source ↗

“I’m especially interested in hearing how people would approach this given that I currently don’t have stable employment..”source ↗

RAREAIR-F4 · r/personalfinance

“I guess my question is should I focus on investing and saving while I’m living rent free at home or should I focus on paying off that private loan?”source ↗

blue__capybara · r/personalfinance

“I’ll welcome any advice on what we should do.”source ↗

“My wife wants to leave it all in a HYSA but I would like to either pay down some of the mortgage or contribute more to our retirement or the 529.”source ↗

Corrsta · r/personalfinance

“Not sure if my initial reasoning has sound logic, hoping for some advice on what the smartest play is here.”source ↗

Nearby_Lifeguard_295 · r/personalfinance

“My checking/savings account interest rate is higher than my student loans”source ↗

“Liquid, risk-free accounts like checking/savings having a higher interest rate than debt gives me no incentive to pay anything over the minimum payments.”source ↗

YukihiraJoel · r/personalfinance

“Did we make the right choice?”source ↗

Dear_Counter3840 · r/personalfinance

“What do I do?”source ↗

“I’m afraid if I liquidate my savings, I will need to buy something expensive and be screwed going back into debt.”source ↗

bigchungus420710 · r/personalfinance

“A lot of debate about paying extra to pay a home off vs. investing that money.”source ↗

ctrlaltdecide · r/personalfinance

“What would you do to maximize a nest egg while also lowering monthly bills.”source ↗

serus3936 · r/personalfinance

“I wanted your help in understanding whether i shoild use my savings to part pay the loan Or should i use them to invest somewhere”source ↗

Famous_Reserve4578 · r/personalfinance

“Is the optimal strategy really to stop all contributions to a taxable account, and instead use 100% of any available funds to make extra loan payments, for years and years until I have completely paid off the loan?”source ↗

el_extrano · r/personalfinance

“Debating investing, debating paying down my loan and could use some advice.”source ↗

“Would it better for me to throw all my money into it, and bring the balance to zero… or would it be smarter to hang on to it and invest my money with the height we’re at right now?”source ↗

Leading_Day5465 · r/personalfinance

“Is it wise to do investing right now or pay my loan first?”source ↗

Own_Detective_8028 · r/personalfinance

“Any advice would be greatly appreciated as we are nearing our 30’s and want to make sure we’re on the right track. We want to prioritize our investments as well as debt payoff. What would you do in our shoes?”source ↗

hockeythis · r/personalfinance

“I will very shortly here have enough to pay off the loan in full but with the grace period is it worth it to hold off a little on paying it off?”source ↗

PristineMushroom5276 · r/personalfinance

“The flowchart everybody recommends suggests aggressively paying down any debt above 4%. My mortgage is above that (5.625%), and I'm just trying to understand how to handle this financially.”source ↗

“If I have an additional $500 at the end of a cheaper month, what percentage of that should be invested and what percentage should be applied to mortgage principal to pay that down a little faster?”source ↗

Ok-Wind3215 · r/personalfinance

“Having cash available feels reassuring, especially with a large mortgage. But also the large mortgage is what is stressing me out, even though now it is only 40% of our joined income.”source ↗

Optimal_Common_7358 · r/personalfinance