Money Tips Network

Why Paying Off Your Credit Card Is Like Investing

This article first appeared on U.S. News and World Report Money.

Personal finance writers, whether on the internet, in magazines, in books, or elsewhere, are usually very strong advocates of investing. There’s good reason for that, of course: assuming that you’re in a financially stable position, investing in things such as the stock market or real estate is one of the best possible uses for your money.

The problem comes with that assumption of stability. The average American household carries just shy of $8,000 in credit card debt. In other words, quite a few American families are carrying enough credit card debt that their financial lives are adversely affected. At the same time, the average credit card interest rate hovers around 15%.

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Should You Pay Off Debt or Invest Your Money? Here’s What You Should Think About

Andrew writes in:

My girlfriend and I bought a home last year and qualify for the First Time Homebuyer Credit. When you include my share of this, I will be getting back around $4500 in my tax refund. This is a lot of money to me and I’m trying to decide what to do with it. About half will go toward an engagement ring, but I’m torn between investing the other half or paying off my $2,000 in credit card debt. I currently have a very low APR on the credit card and can pay more than the minimum each month. As a licensed broker, I am very involved with the markets and believe I can make 10-15% a year. If I can get a higher percentage return on the investments than the APR I pay on the card, doesn’t it make more sense to invest?

In essence, Andrew is comparing two rates of return here.

First, there’s his credit card. An investment in paying off a credit card has a guaranteed rate of return – the interest rate on the card.