Being debt-free means you don't owe any outstanding debt. However, carrying no debt other than your mortgage payment or a credit card you pay in full each month could make sense.
Debt can come in different forms, such as a credit card, mortgage, or a car loan. It can be useful for various purposes, from an emergency purchase to helping you pursue your dream business or buy your first home.
“Shark Tank” investor Kevin O'Leary has said the ideal age to be debt-free is 45, especially if you want to retire by age 60. Being debt-free — including paying off your mortgage — by your mid-40s puts you on the early path toward success, O'Leary argued.
So, when you hear about people who have absolutely no debt, live on less than they make, and have a stash of cash for emergencies, you might think they're . . . weird. But living a debt-free life isn't only for a special group of people. It's something anyone can do with hard work and some special characteristics.
The ones who are living debt-free may seem like a rarity, but they aren't special or superhuman, nor are they necessarily wealthy. What distinguishes them from people who still have debt is their willingness to utilize the resources they have, financial or otherwise, to pay off debt or avoid it altogether.
A millionaire is somebody with a net worth of one million dollars. It's a simple math formula based on your net worth. When what you own (your assets) minus what you owe (your liabilities) equals more than a million dollars, you're a millionaire. That's it!
According to that same Experian study, less than 25% of American households are debt-free.
Generally, it's smart to start funding your emergency savings before paying off debt. But once you have some money in an emergency fund, you may want to start paying down high-interest debt while continuing to fund your savings.
Key takeaways. Debt-to-income ratio is your monthly debt obligations compared to your gross monthly income (before taxes), expressed as a percentage. A good debt-to-income ratio is less than or equal to 36%. Any debt-to-income ratio above 43% is considered to be too much debt.
Debt might also be considered good if it helps you build credit. But remember: Part of what separates good debt from bad debt is how it's managed. This means using credit responsibly, like making monthly payments on time. Loans and credit cards can help open new doors and opportunities, but there are no guarantees.
If you're like most people, paying off your mortgage and entering retirement debt-free sounds pretty appealing. You should aim to have everything paid off, from student loans to credit card debt, by age 45, O'Leary says. Paying off your mortgage early means foregoing adding more to your investment portfolio today.
Those between the ages of 40 and 49 hold an average of about $7,600 in credit card debt — the highest of any age bracket, per TransUnion data provided to CNBC Make It.
Loan Payments
This includes the payments you make each month on auto loans, student loans, home equity loans and personal loans. Basically, any loan that requires you to make a monthly payment is considered part of your debt when you are applying for a mortgage.
According to Experian, average total consumer debt in 2022 was $101,915. That's up nearly 10% from 2020, when average total consumer debt was $92,727.
Overall, a mortgage should build your credit, but it may cause a decrease at first. When you apply for a mortgage, the lender will check your credit to determine whether to approve you. This triggers a hard credit inquiry, which can temporarily lower your credit score by a few points.
Many people would likely say $30,000 is a considerable amount of money. Paying off that much debt may feel overwhelming, but it is possible. With careful planning and calculated actions, you can slowly work toward paying off your debt. Follow these steps to get started on your debt-payoff journey.
$20,000 is a lot of credit card debt and it sounds like you're having trouble making progress,” says Rossman.
But just because a $15,000 balance isn't rare doesn't mean it's a good thing. Credit card debt is seriously expensive. Most credit cards charge between 15% and 29% interest, so paying down that debt should be a priority.
Generally speaking, try to minimize or avoid debt that is high cost and isn't tax-deductible, such as credit cards and some auto loans. High interest rates will cost you over time. Credit cards are convenient and can be helpful as long as you pay them off every month and aren't accruing interest.
Key takeaways
If the interest rate on your debt is 6% or greater, you should generally pay down debt before investing additional dollars toward retirement. This guideline assumes that you've already put away some emergency savings, you've fully captured any employer match, and you've paid off any credit card debt.
Generally, it's fine to save and have some debt as long as: you're keeping up with your mortgage payments. you're paying off your credit card bill each month. you don't have other loans or credit commitments that are costing you more in interest than you could earn on your savings.
The United States has the world's highest national debt at $31.4 trillion.
In terms of raw dollars, the country with the highest debt in the world is unquestionably the United States, whose national debt is more than twice that of any other country.
Here's the average debt balances by age group: Gen Z (ages 18 to 23): $9,593. Millennials (ages 24 to 39): $78,396. Gen X (ages 40 to 55): $135,841.