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Did you know that your savings can keep your finances from flying apart? In fact, you can use savings to pay off debt. These are only a few of the reasons why this is such an important part of your financial life. In fact, some experts are saying that you cannot be a financial success unless you have some form of savings to your name.
While we are all aware of the importance of savings, sadly, this is a difficult goal for a lot of Americans to reach. According to an article published on Mint.com, the ideal saving rate is 10% to 20% of consumer’s income. However, a report from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis reveal that the current savings rate in the country is actually 4.2% only. That is not even half of what the saving rate should be. The article also mentioned why it is so difficult for consumers to save. It is because they have too much debt.
But if you think about it, that is not the only issue that we have about savings. While it makes sense to get rid of debt first, a lot of people are actually struggling to decide if it is a good idea to use savings to pay off debt. After all, this is already money that you have. Some experts will frown at the idea but if you do the math, you will be losing more if you keep your savings intact and your debt accumulating. Looking at the interest rate alone, debt has a higher rate compared to your savings account. It makes more sense to pay off debt first because you will be saving more in terms of the interest amount that you are paying.
However, that decision is harder to make than you think. Some people need the security of a savings – that is why they opt to keep it intact. But if you find yourself right in the middle of saving or paying off debt, there are a couple of questions that you can ask yourself to help you decide.
Ask yourself these questions before you pay your debts with savings
If you are torn between using your stashed cash to get rid of your debts, there are 5 simple questions that you can ask yourself.
Where will you get the savings from?
There are a lot of savings that you can use to finance your debt payments. According to WashingtonPost.com, debt has a high effect on our retirement savings. In fact, a study done by the Employee Benefit Research Institute revealed that 74.8% of their respondents cashed out their retirement savings after leaving their jobs to pay off debt. Whether you are leaving your job or not, it is never a good idea to use your retirement savings for anything other than your retirement expenses.
Do you have sufficient emergency savings?
Unless you have your emergency fund intact, you should never use savings to pay off debt. This is one of the requirements that you need to have. In case you do not have this yet, you need to save up for sufficient emergency savings. Anything in excess can be used for your debts. This emergency fund can actually help you sustain your debt payments. In case something happens, your reserve fund will allow you to continue paying off what you owe while taking care of that additional unexpected expense.
How much is your debt and the respective interest rate?
In case of multiple debts, list all of them down and take note of each interest rate. In case the interest rate is more than 7%, then you will end up saving more money if you pay off your debts first with your savings. But if you mostly have mortgage or student loans that have less than 7% of your debts, then to use savings to pay off debt is not really that beneficial. The best scenario to finance debt payments through your savings is when you have mostly credit card debt – a debt that can reach up to 36% of interest rate.
Are you expecting any extra money in the near future?
Another question to ask yourself is this: will there be any extra money in your near future? This should be something guaranteed like a commission that is already being processed, a confirmed holiday bonus or your tax refund. If you have this extra money, you can go ahead and use your savings and just replace it with the money that is coming your way.
Is it in line with your financial goals?
The last question that you should ask yourself is whether this move is in line with your financial goals. Smart money management requires you to set goals and that also means your decisions should be aligned with your goals. If you are saving up for a downpayment of a new home, then it might not be a good idea to use your stashed money to lower your debt. But if you need to lower your debt level to have better chances at a low interest home loan, then go ahead and use savings to pay off debt.
Other options to pay back your debts without touching your savings
In case the answer to the 5 questions point you towards not using your savings to pay off your debts, then that is okay. There are other means for you to eliminate debt without touching your savings.
PIOnline.com published a survey that revealed how more than half of Americans set saving goals. But when it comes to retirement, less than half are able to save through their employer’s saving plans. The current survey revealed that the number of Americans saving is basically slipping – that is why you may want to opt not to use savings to pay off debt. Use other options that will allow you to get out of debt while still adding to your savings.
Here are some of your options:
- Debt Consolidation Loan. This debt relief program involves you borrowing a bigger loan that can help you pay off all or most of your existing debts. What will happen is you will consolidate your old debts under one low interest loan. That should make things easier to pay off.
- Debt Management. This is also a form of consolidation – but this time, you get the help of a credit counselor. For a maximum fee of $50 a month, you can enjoy their service that includes a careful analysis of your debts and the creation of a Debt Management Plan or DMP. This plan contains your proposed lower monthly payment plan that stretches it over a longer period. That means you get a lower monthly payment requirement.
- Debt Settlement. In case you are in need of debt reduction, this is a debt solution that can work for you. The whole idea is to convince your creditor or lender that you are in a financial crisis. Then, you will offer them a lump sum money that can pay for a percentage of your debt. You will ask them to accept this lump sum and have the rest of the debt forgiven (at least anything that this big payment cannot cover).
These are only a few of the debt relief programs that you can use to achieve debt freedom. If you do not want to use savings to pay off debt, then make sure you know your other options.
