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Invest in Your Debt

03/15/07 - 12:11 PM EDT

Jeffrey Strain

Where is the best place to invest your hard-earned money? It's a question that a lot of people spend a lot of time investigating. For many, however, the answer is right in front of them.

When looking at investments, many people disregard one of the best and easiest places to invest their money: their own debt.

Perhaps people simply don't think about it, or maybe they think it's not as glamorous as investing in stocks (most people will be more than a bit reluctant to let everyone at the party know they are getting double-digit returns investing in their own debt). But your credit card debt should be one of the first places you look when you have money you're looking to invest.

You can see why this is a superior investment opportunity by simply taking a look at five general investing questions that you should ask of every investment you make. When you ask them of investing in your debt, the answers are so incredibly favorable that you'll find it difficult to find a better place to invest your money.

  • What is the risk? While almost all investing entails some form of risk, especially when you are referring to investments with double-digit returns, investing in your own debt is an exception to this rule. There is absolutely no risk involved when you put money toward your own debt. Once you pay money toward your debt, it disappears, and you save whatever interest you were paying on it.
  • What type of return can you expect? Unlike most investments that can yield high returns, there is no guesswork when it comes to your investment return. You know exactly what the return on your investment will be -- whatever interest rate you are paying on your credit cards. For most people, that is a double-digit figure and can be as high as 30%.
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Jeffrey Strain has been a freelance personal finance writer for the past 10 years helping people save money and get their finances in order. He currently owns and runs SavingAdvice.com.

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