Understanding Different Types of Debt: Good vs. Bad

Understanding types of debt is crucial. Good debt is debt that you have that pays for itself. For example, a rental property or business that you own pays for the loan you took out for it; your money is not going into it. This is the defining line. Bad debt is just about any debt that most of us have and includes credit cards, mortgages, loans for school (contrary to what some of us may have been told), cars, etc. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t take out loans for school or a house but just that it’s bad debt and should be paid off quickly. For years banks have marketed mortgages and educational loans as good debt in order to make money off of you. Do you know if you take a mortgage on a $200,000 house at 6% for 30 years that you will pay an extra $200,000 in interest? So in 30 years, you’re house is hopefully worth $400,000 which means you made NO return on your investment, you broke even. If you don’t believe me, look at a loan amortization schedule. A better plan is to pay it off as soon as you can to save on the interest. How can you do this? Pay an extra one or two payments a year towards principal or larger lump sums. This will decrease the loan period from 30 to 15 years or less. Let’s think about it for a second. Let’s say your monthly payment is $1,500 month. As you pay your mortgage, you pay down your principal with the extra payments. As you pay the loan down, more of your money goes towards the principal and less to interest. After 15 years making one extra payment per year, you would pay an additional $22,500 towards your house. That means you gain an additional $22,500 in equity AND save in interest payments by paying off your loan sooner. Say you also save $45,000 in interest payments. That means you just made 200% on your money! I know it’s hard to grasp but it’s true. By doing some simple math, you can find out for yourself how the numbers line up. This is a powerful tool for you to realize. Banks never want you to pay your mortgage off early; it costs them their huge profits from interest. Take this advice and you’ll be one step ahead of the game. Imagine what will happen when you pay off your house in 15 years and invest the money that would have gone towards your mortgage into other areas! I go into more detail on this in my subscribers area to show you how to really make this work in your favor. There are also personal finance planning documents there to help you plan a strategy to start moving towards your goals. This is the road to financial freedom: cash is always king.