Children are worth more than any amount of money, so if you want to be a parent and you and your spouse are ready in every other way, don't let debt stop you. A child isn't going to derail you on your journey to financial peace.
Financial Responsibility
Generally, it's sound financial sense to eradicate your credit card debt before having a baby. But, unless you've consulted with financial experts who strongly advise against it, it's perfectly acceptable to start a family even if you carry credit card debt.
You will rarely be able to earn more on your savings, than you'll pay on your borrowings. So, as a rule of thumb plan to pay off your debts before you start to save.
Debt eases for those between the ages of 45-54 thanks to higher salaries. For those between the ages of 55 to 64, their assets may outweigh their debt. However, many still owe more than they have saved and must delay retirement as a result.
Our recommendation is to prioritize paying down significant debt while making small contributions to your savings. Once you've paid off your debt, you can then more aggressively build your savings by contributing the full amount you were previously paying each month toward debt.
One of the most common percentage-based budgets is the 50/30/20 rule. The idea is to divide your income into three categories, spending 50% on needs, 30% on wants, and 20% on savings. Learn more about the 50/30/20 budget rule and if it's right for you.
One guideline to determine whether you have too much debt is the 28/36 rule. The 28/36 rule states that no more than 28% of a household's gross income should be spent on housing and no more than 36% on housing plus debt service, such as credit card payments.
35—49 year olds = $135,841
Primarily because of home mortgages, older millennials in this generation maintain a higher average debt, according to Experian. Credit card debt is the next main source of debt, followed by education and auto loans.
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.
In 2019, these were the average debt balances by age group, including mortgages: Gen Z (ages 18 to 23): $9,593. Millennials (ages 24 to 39): $78,396. Gen X (ages 40 to 55): $135,841.
High-interest loans -- which could include payday loans or unsecured personal loans -- can be considered bad debt, as the high interest payments can be difficult for the borrower to pay back, often putting them in a worse financial situation.
A possible drawback is that you may end up paying more in interest as you're tackling debts according to outstanding balance and not interest rates. It depends on the type of debts you have, how much you owe, and their interest rates.
Less Stress and More Happiness
Not to mention the extra money you're paying in interest that you could be putting to better use. When you pay off all your debt or even one credit card, you will be happier because of less debt-related stress. Think about how much you dwell on not having enough money while you have debt.
A deceased person's debt doesn't die with them but often passes to their estate. Certain types of debt, such as individual credit card debt, can't be inherited. However, shared debt will likely still need to be paid by a surviving debtholder.
Having adequate savings can set your new family up for financial success. Usually, this takes the form of an emergency fund, which financial experts suggest should consist of anywhere between three to six months of living expenses. Add a baby into the equation and that can be more than you needed before.
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.
Being debt-free — including paying off your mortgage — by your mid-40s puts you on the early path toward success, O'Leary argued. It helps you free yourself from financial obligations at a time when your income is presumably stable and potentially even growing.
People ages 30 to 38 account for nearly $4 trillion of total household debt in the U.S. For millennials, that's a 27% increase in debt compared to 2019 — a steeper hike than any other generation, Yahoo Finance reporter Akiko Fujita told CBS News. Millennials are racking up debt due to soaring inflation, Fujita noted.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), mortgages come in at just over 56% of the total. A considerable rise in owner-occupier loans has driven this. The ABS has also estimated that Australian households contend with an average mortgage of $595,568.
Household Income and Wealth, Australia
Three in four (75%) households had debt in 2019–20.
According to data on 78.2 million Credit Karma members, members of Generation X (ages 43 to 58) carry the highest average total debt — $61,036. In this study, debt includes the following account types: auto leases, auto loans, credit cards, student loans and mortgages.
“That's because the best balance transfer and personal loan terms are reserved for people with strong credit scores. $20,000 is a lot of credit card debt and it sounds like you're having trouble making progress,” says Rossman.
How much debt does the average American have? The same 2021 study from Experian shows that the average American has a consumer debt balance of $96,371, up 3.9% from 2020.