Most financial consultants advise clients to reduce their debt before they start investing in any kind of investments. While I agree with this to a certain extent, I feel that you really should invest and reduce your debt. Although advisors will tell you to minimize your debt before you invest, these same people will tell you that you should pay yourself first.
If you want to eliminate the amount of debt that you are carrying, then there are a couple of ways to do this. If you are in serious debt, then the task will not be easy at first but over time you will see positive results. Here are a couple of strategies that you could implement starting today. Keep in mind that it is important that you have a goal, a plan, and the discipline to follow through.
First and foremost, try to develop a cash only policy. If you can’t pay for it using cash, then you shouldn’t buy it. What you will find by implementing this strategy and sticking to it is that you will begin to be more attentive with your purchases. You will often ask yourself do I really need this. When we have credit cards at our disposal we tend to become impulsive when it comes to making purchases. As result, we build up massive debt.
Moreover, you should make an effort to reduce the balances of your high interest credit cards first. Financial experts and credit counselors refer to this as debt stacking. One thing that I do not advise is canceling your credit cards as this would effect your credit score negatively. More often than not, people who are in over their heads in debt, will start mindlessly canceling their credit cards. Do not make this mistake. Simply pay down your balances, especially on high interest cards, and your credit score will begin to improve because the amount of debt you are using has significantly decreased.
After college I was going through a financial hardship and made the mistake of ignoring my creditors. Of course this turned out to be a very dumb decision on my part. As a result of this, my credit score suffered terribly mainly because I didn’t speak to my creditors. If you are going through some type of hardship then it is best to be proactive and call your creditors to make them aware of your situation. Many creditors will work out special arrangements for you. You would be surprised at the type of arrangements that can be worked out with creditors if you are upfront with them.
Finally, establish a plan and come up with a financial budget. Make a list of all of your expenses which would include debt payments like credit cards, car note, and house mortgage. In addition to that, list all of your income sources. Once you have a list your income sources and expenses, you will have a clear view of your actual financial situation. Then you need to figure out ways that you can increase your income and decrease your expenses. Most importantly, from all of this info you will be able to establish a budget.
Once you have paid down your debts then you should look into putting some of that extra money into investments. I prefer investing in stock because of the potential of high returns on my investment. That is my preference, however. Other investments that you could consider are mutual funds, savings bonds, certificate of deposit, or money market accounts.
Be prepared to invest after your debt is paid and begin to learn stock market basics.