Will Paying off Debt Help Finances?

I think that most of us ask ourselves this question from time to time. Will paying down loans help us in the long run? Of course, almost everybody I know would be very happy to be debt free, and owe nothing to anybody! But for most of us, paying off credit cards, car loans, and mortgages will certainly deplete the cash reserves we need for emergencies.

There is probably not one right answer for everybody. But rather than flipping coins or consulting the I-Ching, you can actually do some hard analysis on these questions. It is not that hard to figure out how you will benefit from paying down loans, and if it will be worth the risk.

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While I was hanging around on Yahoo Finance watching my stock portfolio bottom out, I did notice an article that looked encouraging at first glance. It said that US consumer debt has dropped a bit for the first time on record. i.e. for the first time, since they started tracking consumer debt, it has dropped. Now this should be good news that Americans are finally realizing that the future pain that debt gives them is not worth the quick satisfaction of a 50 inch TV set or something.

Is Declining US Debt Always Good News?

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Ok, here we are approaching the holiday season while the economy sags all around us. The good part of this is we can find lots of deals out there as the stores compete for business. The bad part, of course, is many of us find we have a lot less money saved or invested, less credit at a more expensive price, higher costs for monthly bills like groceries, and possibly, less income.

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Well, now there is no doubt about the fact that the US, and the world, is enduring an economic downturn. We have been watching financial leaders and politicians deny if long enough, but even they are admitting it now. However, as much as we are all struggling to watch our expenses and keep our savings, we do find that some people do ok during a recession, and some people even prosper! What is the difference between those that can barely survive the crisis, and those that make out ok? I think the difference is being, just like a Boy Scout, prepared!

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You Can Prepare For a Job Loss

A good friend of mine had been a very productive team member at his job for years. In fact, his team even got recognized for a couple of patents, and he was certain that his company valued the contribution he made. A few short months after he brought home his certificate and bonus money, the company decided to outsource his group. He arrived at work on Friday and was told he would not need to report in on Monday. Needless to say, he was unprepared for the job loss, financially or emotionally, and it was a devestating event in his life.

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We haven’t been getting very good news about employment in the US lately. And of course, all economic news, with the bailout of the mortgage giants, is pretty grim. In fact, home foreclosures hit a record in the 3rd quarter of this year. And if you think that the bailout will help the situation, you might want to read this article: who does the mortgage giant bailout help?

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