Loans - Good or Bad Debt?


When borrowing money it is usually because we lack the cash to make a large purchase, such as for a car, home or education. However, an important question to ask yourself when borrowing is if the purchase you would like to make is creating good debt or bad debt.

Good debt is considered borrowing for something that will go up in value over time. For example, real estate, a business or for education purposes. Education loans can be considered good debt because it should increase your income.

Bad debt is debt used to fund something that doesn't hold its value. Some examples would be car loans, personal loans for vacations and use of credit cards for consumable products.

Additionally, loans for bad debt are not generally good for your financial well-being because they usually have higher interest rates and are not tax deductible. Good debt loans on the other hand are frequently tax deductible and carry lower interest rates.

Ideally having no bad debt is the best. However, in some cases a certain amount of bad debt may be ok and unavoidable.

Some financial professionals claim that it is acceptable for 10-20% of your annual income to consist of loans for bad debt. But, going over 25% is getting into a danger zone that may be difficult to get out of. Once you get into this high debt range, the amount of interest paid becomes so high that it results in a cycle that cannot be reversed.

So, just remember to take into consideration the type of debt (good or bad) you are incurring prior to getting a loan. This advice can go a long way toward helping you be a financially savvy borrower.

Jill Kane helps you find loans for all of your financial needs at Low Rate Loans







Related News



Commercial loans straining Minnesota banks - Minneapolis Star Tribune

CBS News

Commercial loans straining Minnesota banks
Minneapolis Star Tribune, MN -39 minutes ago
But bank watchdogs who spoke in Bloomington on Wednesday warned that the list already is growing longer -- thanks to loans going bad in a hurry. ...
'Marketplace' Report: Broke BanksNPR
FDIC Weighs Tapping Treasury as Funds Run LowWall Street Journal Blogs
Red all around for Florida banksBizjournals.com
MSNBC - Graphic Online
all 1,094 news articles

Money site hit by low demand for loans - Financial Times

Money site hit by low demand for loans
Financial Times, UK -2 hours ago
By Tim Bradshaw, Digital Media Correspondent Faltering demand for loans and mortgages has dragged down revenues at Moneysupermarket.com's personal finance ...

SF lender to students is clearing out - San Francisco Chronicle

SF lender to students is clearing out
San Francisco Chronicle,  USA -47 minutes ago
It is one of many lenders that have stopped making certain types of student loans in recent months, in part because they can no longer sell them to ...
Student debt: What a pain!San Bernardino Sun
all 2 news articles


A Wake-Up Call on Home Equity Loans - Washington Post

A Wake-Up Call on Home Equity Loans
Washington Post, United States -3 hours ago
Exceptions include situations in which the borrower fraudulently got the loan or failed to repay according to the terms of the loan. ...

Auto Makers to Make Public Push for Loans - Wall Street Journal

Auto Makers to Make Public Push for Loans
Wall Street Journal -19 hours ago
They are expected to soon give a more concrete figure to Washington in terms of what size of a loan package is needed, they said. ...
Automakers to Seek More Money for Retooling Vehicle PlantsNew York Times Blogs
US auto companies said to be seeking $50 billion in loansInternational Herald Tribune
Editorial: Fairness requires federal help for US auto industryDetNews.com
St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Sydney Morning Herald
all 27 news articles

Delinquencies, Losses Continue to Rise On Loans Backing ... - Wall Street Journal

Delinquencies, Losses Continue to Rise On Loans Backing ...
Wall Street Journal -4 hours ago
By LAUREN POLLOCK Delinquencies and losses on pools of loans backing US residential mortgage-backed securities issued in 2006 and 2007 continued to weaken ...
Moody's Reviewing All 2006, 2007 Jumbo Mortgage Bonds (Update1)Bloomberg
Many mortgage bonds weakened in 1st half -Moody'sReuters
all 4 news articles

More Trouble in Savings & Loan Industry - Wall Street Journal Blogs

More Trouble in Savings & Loan Industry
Wall Street Journal Blogs, NY -12 hours ago
The Treasury Department’s Office of Thrift Supervision released its quarterly review of the savings and loan industry Wednesday. Some key points: There were ...
US Savings & Loans Institutions Post Second Largest Loss EverAHN
Thrifts Posted $5.4 Billion Loss in Second Quarter (Update2)Bloomberg
US Thrifts Lost $5.4B in Second QuarterTheStreet.com
Reuters - International Herald Tribune
all 309 news articles

Housing fix backfires - CNN

New York Times

Housing fix backfires
CNN -12 hours ago
A new law was supposed to make it easier for buyers in expensive markets to get affordable loans. Instead, rates are going up for everyone. ...
Fannie, Freddie shun NY subprime loansInman.com (subscription)
Higher Fees for MortgagesNew York Times
Freddie pares mortgage commitments; Fannie to buy moreMarketWatch
CITY A.M. - Bloomberg
all 24 news articles

Fitch Takes Various Rating Actions on CBA 2006-2 - MarketWatch

Fitch Takes Various Rating Actions on CBA 2006-2
MarketWatch -12 hours ago
The downgrade and Rating Watch placement is the result of additional specially serviced loans and increased loss expectations since Fitch's last rating ...
Fitch Affirms LB Commercial Mortgage Trust 1999-C2Business Wire (press release)
Fitch Ratings Affirms BACM 2007-2MarketWatch
all 23 news articles

Former HUD Secretary Cisneros Cites Housing Decline as ... - MarketWatch

Former HUD Secretary Cisneros Cites Housing Decline as ...
MarketWatch -3 hours ago
His data determined that while the majority of sub-prime loans went to non-Hispanic whites, there was a much higher concentration of sub-prime loans to ...