Saturday, February 6, 2010

There's good debt and toxic debt

Question: I am a single woman with a base salary of $101,000 plus bonuses, which so far have been significant. I divorced three years ago, and I am still digging out of debt. Last year I put all of my bonus toward debt but still have about $20,000 remaining. I will soon get another bonus of $38,000 before taxes and 401(k) contributions.
Is it wise to just pay off all the debt, or should I target the higher-interest-rate loans and put some in savings? I am thinking that I would have just enough to eliminate all my debt except my mortgage.
Answer: Debt comes in three basic flavors: toxic, good and neutral. Toxic debt includes credit card debt, payday loans and other high- or variable-rate borrowing. Good debt includes borrowing that can help you build wealth, such as a moderate amount of mortgage or student loan debt. Neutral debt includes everything that's not actually toxic but that isn't helping you build wealth, such as fixed-rate car or personal loans.

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