Is there Good Debt?
Some people think that all debt is bad. But that is not the case. There is some debt that is actually good. Below are some instances where debt would be considered a good thing.
Obtaining a mortgage to purchase your home would be an instance where making a debt would be a good thing. Investing in a home is smart because your home will appreciate so even though you are taking on a debt you are in a position to earn money in the long run.
* Student loans - Getting a college education is a good investment as well. By earning a degree, you put yourself in a position to earn more money over your lifetime.
* Debt associated with starting a business - Starting your own business can be a risky proposition, but it's done with the intention of earning money. However, some of the assets you purchase will depreciate rather than appreciating. But for practical purposes, you can consider this a good debt.
More often we talk about debt that is not so good. Some examples of this are:
Financing a car ? unlike a home your car depreciates rapidly. That means you are not investing your money with the potential for a greater return in the long run. The money you spend is gone.
* Credit card debt - Although credit cards can feasibly be used to purchase things that appreciate, they are in general considered bad debt because of the types of things that are usually bought with them. The overwhelming majority of credit card purchases are things that lose value.
Another bad debt is borrowing money for personal use such as to purchase higher priced items or maybe to fund a much needed vacation. These are at times necessary but will not earn you money in the long run. Since they are not an investment this is not good debt.
Good debt does not mean that it can not be harmful to us if we are not careful. Taking on good debt should be thought out carefully. The lender should not be the only one crunching the numbers to see if the debt is within our ability to pay. We have to take personal responsibility for counting the cost and being sure we will be able to make the monthly payments.
Also, bad debt is not always something to be avoided. To have a reasonable amount of what is considered bad debt is fine. We just want to keep it at a moderate level and not allow it to get out of control. Just like good debt we want to be sure we can handle the payments and only take on bad debt when necessary.
Obtaining a mortgage to purchase your home would be an instance where making a debt would be a good thing. Investing in a home is smart because your home will appreciate so even though you are taking on a debt you are in a position to earn money in the long run.
* Student loans - Getting a college education is a good investment as well. By earning a degree, you put yourself in a position to earn more money over your lifetime.
* Debt associated with starting a business - Starting your own business can be a risky proposition, but it's done with the intention of earning money. However, some of the assets you purchase will depreciate rather than appreciating. But for practical purposes, you can consider this a good debt.
More often we talk about debt that is not so good. Some examples of this are:
Financing a car ? unlike a home your car depreciates rapidly. That means you are not investing your money with the potential for a greater return in the long run. The money you spend is gone.
* Credit card debt - Although credit cards can feasibly be used to purchase things that appreciate, they are in general considered bad debt because of the types of things that are usually bought with them. The overwhelming majority of credit card purchases are things that lose value.
Another bad debt is borrowing money for personal use such as to purchase higher priced items or maybe to fund a much needed vacation. These are at times necessary but will not earn you money in the long run. Since they are not an investment this is not good debt.
Good debt does not mean that it can not be harmful to us if we are not careful. Taking on good debt should be thought out carefully. The lender should not be the only one crunching the numbers to see if the debt is within our ability to pay. We have to take personal responsibility for counting the cost and being sure we will be able to make the monthly payments.
Also, bad debt is not always something to be avoided. To have a reasonable amount of what is considered bad debt is fine. We just want to keep it at a moderate level and not allow it to get out of control. Just like good debt we want to be sure we can handle the payments and only take on bad debt when necessary.
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posted by Debt Consolidation Loan at
11:54 AM
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