Working really hard to get to a better place financially and hoping for some help. I have $8,300 in private student loans at 6.6% interest rate. We have stocks, HYSA, a bigger investment account. I’m assuming I should just pay these off? Refinancing would get me to 5.21% if I pay off in 5 years. I have about $9k at 3.4% rate so less horrid.

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Yes. Just bite the bullet

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Do not pause investing for 3.4% loans. Pay the minimums until its gone but make sure to INVEST the difference in a brokerage.

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I think I understand how you’re weighing this decision… and correct me if I’m wrong, but you’re looking at paying 6.6% versus achieving a blended 6.6% return on cash…

Here’s where I stand… there are times where making a payment and debt servicing is worth the cash drag… a mortgage is one of them… you’re making payments, but your also building equity and have the potential for price appreciation… it’s a form of leverage…

Student loans are not one of them… if it’s a cash flow drag, it’s better to get rid of it regardless of the interest rate… you’re not achieving any tangible growth by making the monthly payment… there’s no underlying asset that’s appreciating… you can’t sell a piece of your brain to offset the debt and get ahead…

I hope that makes sense… consider taking some gains from your portfolio, offset them with some losses for tax efficiency and pay the loans off… then reallocate the savings back into your portfolio…

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Still… good information for FIRE considerations for OP moving forward…

If I were you I would pay off all my debt first. The weight off of your shoulders is a great feeling and accomplishment.

likesmart

Here is a hot take for you: it doesn't matter much at all, do whatever. This is such a small loan and the interest rate is middling, not that low or high. The difference between the outcomes of one option or a other will be tiny.

If I were in your situation I wouldn't incur taxable gains or reduce tax advantaged contributions to pay off the 6.6% loan, I would just direct new taxable contributions to that instead of taxable until it was gone. But I would accelerate it, not just pay the minimum.

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It doesn’t really matter at that rate & amount what you do with the loans.

What matters the most is creating a budget where you are saving 20%+ of your income each year (ideally 30%+). Everything will work out just fine if you do that.

Ensure you are max’ing retirement accounts, investing in stocks. The tax savings & compounding will work wonders over the decades of your life.

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I always believe that getting out of debt should be the first and highest priority. It's hard to make any reasonable decisions when you're still shackled by debt.

I help educate people on their financial needs. I offer a free financial analysis and can show you the best plan to get out of debt

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