Sunday, October 20, 2024

MoneyWalk 271 The Best Way To Pay Off Debt

This program will help you undo financial bondage. 

Paying your debts off starting with the one with the lowest total balance is the best method for people who need to see quick victories in debt elimination in order to be motivated to keep going down the road to total debt elimination. After that bill is paid off, you would move to the next lowest total balance and put all your discretionary income (after making minimum payments on all other bills and expenses) toward eliminating that debt. You need to keep doing this until all your non-mortgage debts are paid off. Also, refuse to take on more debt in order for your financial situation to turn around and take you into the land of financial freedom. Some studies have surmised that a far higher percentage of people stick with debt elimination using this snowball model because a quick victory or two keeps their excitement and motivation for financial freedom at a very high level.

The top-down bill payment method (avalanche) is a mathematically sound way to pay debts off for those who will remain motivated to become debt-free because it allows you to minimize (to the lowest possible level) the amount of finance charges you pay creditors. Using this model, you pay only the minimum due on each bill except the one with the highest finance charge. Put all extra discretionary income with the minimum payment for this account each month until it's paid off. Then the minimum payment you used to pay for this account plus all extra discretionary income is available to pay down the account with the next highest finance charge. Continue this process down the ladder of accounts with next higher percentage finance charges until each creditor is paid off.

If you have more than one account with the same finance charge and the same or different outstanding balances, pay off the one with revolving credit that you’ll be able to use at many different retailers, if absolutely necessary in case of an emergency. If both accounts let you do this, it doesn’t matter which one you pay off first. Then, use all of your discretionary income to pay off the one with the lowest outstanding balance so you can more quickly reduce the number of creditors you owe.

An extra step that could help you eliminate debt faster when using either of these methods is, for debts that would take you more than a year to pay off, to shop a number of financial institutions to find an account with a finance charge that’s much lower than what you’re paying now. Make sure it has no pre-payment penalties and no closing costs or fees that the lower payment will not make up for within a few months after opening the account. Then, refinance by transferring the balances on higher interest accounts to this account to give you a lower payment and finance charge each month. Now, continue to use all your discretionary income to pay off your next debt. In your budget, replace the old higher minimum payment with the new lower minimum payment and thank the Lord for helping you understand the snowball and avalanche debt payment methods that can help you reach financial freedom much faster than otherwise possible.

Deuteronomy 28:12-14, Proverbs 22:7, Luke 16:8, Romans 13:8

Please pray for this ministry and email questions to parlor@ameritech.net and share the links below with others who need guidance. May the LORD bless you richly as you follow His plan!

Share https://kminfo.org/ministries/financial-freedom weekly with family and friends so these bondage-breaking articles and other financial information can help them gain helpful insight! @everyone

The book at the link below provides principles and practical steps that help you use the Power to Get Wealth. By 1992, we had $135,000 of debt and a negative $35,000 net worth. Financial bondage and turmoil led me to seek principles and a process for employing good stewardship. As a result, we became constructively debt-free in 1998, mortgage free January 2004, millionaires in 2012, multi-millionaires shortly thereafter, and retired in 2018 in my mid-fifties from public servant jobs while giving abundantly to fund the gospel of our LORD Jesus Christ. The same power is available to you!

https://www.amazon.com/Power-Get-Wealth-Randy-Parlor-ebook/dp/B08QCH5MVH/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=Randy+Parlor&qid=1638336718&s=books&sr=1-2

You can find books authored by Randy and Karen Parlor at www.Amazon.com.

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