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What to do: pay off the credit or invest for passive income?

Pay off the credit or invest for passive income?

I saved a certain amount of money and I manage to keep saving month by month, what do I do? Do I pay off my credit or invest to generate higher income in the future?

Probably many of you have at least one mortgage loan and/or one or more consumer loans (if you read this article) and at the same time you have started to accumulate some financial reserves and may have thought or even started to put the money to work. In this context, you may also think about the fact that interest rates may rise, a crisis may occur at any time and at the same time you can see the good profits that have been made and are made from real estate investments, stock exchange, cryptocurrencies and business.

In all this context, it is normal for the answer to the question to pay the credit or invest the money to be complex, with many variables and uncertainties, but also so important. Basically the answer can guide your financial strategy for several years.

Let’s begin!

Before I should ask myself if I pay the credit or invest, there are some things we have to check:

  • If there are debts from credit cards and overdrafts with interest rates above 15% -20%, those should be paid before we think about investments;
  • Consumer debt, car etc. – we should focus on them and pay them in advance before investing;
  • We fail to save constantly – focus first on building this habit;
  • Reserve fund to cover living costs for a period of 6-12 months.

Before you have all the above checked, you should not even think about starting investing.

Any consumer credit used for the acquisition of liabilities should be paid as a priority. Real estate and investment loans (those used to purchase assets) are the ones we can doubt whether we will pay them in advance or not.

We will talk specifically about real estate loans, to simplify and make the analysis relevant, but we can have the same analysis process in the case of a non-real estate investment loan.Well, now the question that remains is: Do I pay the real estate loan or do I use my future reserves and savings for investments?

Economically speaking

From an economic point of view, we will compare the actual effective interest rate of the loan with the expected net return on investments.

For example, we have an interest of 5% on the mortgage loan and

a  return estimated by us of 10% of the investment in shares (historical average yield)

or

we find an apartment at a very good price and with a rent yield of 8%

or

bonds with 9% interest

and so on….

So we have on one hand a 5% safe interest vs. a yield estimate of 10% or 8% or 9%.The decision may seem obvious – at such a yield differential, in 20-25 years you pay the property 2 times.

But the decision is simple just at first sight and it becomes more complex when we go deep. Why? Because the interest rate on credit is safe (if it is 5%, it is 5% no matter what I do) while the return on investments is always an estimate.

Estimate because:

  • The stock market may no longer perform in the next 10 years as in the past or you catch a very weak interval;
  • The yield on the rental property may decrease, or it may not be at all, unless you have a tenant or you find a structural problem of the construction;
  • The issuer of the bond can go bankrupt and you lose all the money.

There are risks that you must take into account to adjust the returns on investments with the percentage of risk. Professionals always calculate their adjusted return on an investment. The calculation is very complex and has many variables. But for the sake of simplification we can estimate a differential for the degree of risk. For example: -1.5% for a very good real estate, -2.5% for small and medium-sized companies bonds and -3% for blue chips shares.Thus, we now have a comparison between + 5% credit payment and (10% – 3% = 7%) for shares; (8% -1.5% = 6.5%) for real estate and (9% -2.5% = 6.5%) for bonds.

Now it’s a little clearer. We know that up to a loan interest rate of 6.5% or 7% we can invest without problems, but if the interest exceeds these levels it becomes more profitable to pay the credit.

Of course, the calculation is relevant depending on how well we made our estimate of future profits.

Many investors and business owners maintain their long-term loans, knowing that they can generate higher long-term returns with the same amount of money. This is the case of many smaller or larger entrepreneurs, it is the case of those who invest professionally or even those who invest passively in the long term.

Obviously, a solution would be to make more risky and / or more active investments that can bring higher returns, but in this case you really should know what you are doing.

Important is to make your calculations as well as you can, because, after all, nobody knows the future.

Psychologically

The need for survival/safety is lower (and stronger) on Maslow’s pyramid than aspirational needs. From here comes a degree of stress that will make you quite conservative in investments when you have unpaid loans.

Emotions are not good in investments.

To make a decision:

  • Do your calculations – see economic analysis above;
  • Calculate your risk profile;
  • What decision would make you unable to sleep at night?;
  • How would you feel about paying off your debts? But what if you didn’t pay them?
  • How would you feel if you invested in passive income? But what if you didn’t invest?
  • How would you feel if you paid your credit with 5% interest and the stock would have a 50% yield that year, which you would not benefit from? But if you did not pay your credit and invest in the stock market, and the stock market would fall by 50% that year? Which of these 2 options would most disturb you?

When choosing whether to pay your credit or invest/accumulate reserves you must take into account both the economical and psychological aspects. Both are important, but more important are the psychological ones, because they have the power to sabotage you.

Finally, if you are still not cleared how to proceed, you can choose the middle way and use the amounts saved according to the formula: Invest = (10 – Credit interest rate) and with the rest pay the credit. That is, if the credit interest is 4% and you save 1000 EUR per month, you pay in advance (or you set aside to pay in advance) 400 EUR and you invest 600 EUR.

Simple, right?

From savings to investments

Many people confuse the terms saving and investing. To save is to create a reserve of money that is kept at a risk as low as possible, even close to zero, while investing means putting the money saved to work in your favor to increase their value and to help you reach your financial goals more easily.

Savings to be affordable and to conserve their value are usually kept in financial instruments with increased liquidity and low risks, such as bank deposits or treasury bonds, these instruments being characterized by low returns. Earnings of savings are in the form of interest and the aim is to cover at least the inflation rate.

The qim of investments, on the other side, is the achieving of high returns by increasing the value of the invested capital and making profit, assuming an acceptable risk. Thus, the financial instruments used are from the least risky ones, such as bonds with a relatively low risk, medium risk (shares and peer-to-peer lending), and derivatives that have a high degree of risk and which are especially addressed to professional investors.

In short, the purpose of savings is to preserve capital at low risk and low returns, while the purpose of the investments are to increase the value of the capital invested in variable risk and return conditions depending on the financial instruments chosen.

The capital market is a dynamic way to invest the saved money. If you do not have the necessary knowledge to start investing on your own, you can contact a specialist. Before you start investing, you need to go through some essential steps:

– First of all you need to start your financial education. You can not start investing before understanding how the financial markets work and what are the characteristics of the financial instruments you want to invest in;

– You need to know what your risk appetite or maximum risk level is, according to which you will choose the right investments for your risk profile;

– You need to set your investment goals, including the time frame for which you want to invest, in order to create a diversified portfolio that meets your needs;


And last but not least, you need to determine what liquidity you want, so you can have access to your money when you want it.

Choosing the right investments may seem like a difficult process due to the multitude and variety of available tools, but having a trustworthy partner with you, as it wants to be for you my-passive-income.eu, investments can become accessible to anyone who wants to become an investor .

The best way to make savings in 6 simple steps

Making savings is not at all a common activity in our “modern” times …
On the contrary, most people are only interested in buying the things they want as quickly as possible, and for this purpose they often resort to credits. They thus end up paying much higher amounts for objects whose value decreases continuously from the first day and which they will soon want to replace with new ones.
This way of thinking is very wrong.

On the other hand, putting some money aside, making some savings, and ONLY THEN buying those things is a more responsible and effective way to act. Plus, having some savings available – as they say, those “white money for black days” – is a very useful thing in this times of uncertainty that we are crossing. Because those who make savings on a regular basis will be less concerned about any unforeseen events and will be able to cope more easily with such negative circumstances.
The problem, however, is that even if they want to make savings, many people would not be able to do so in an efficient way, because the vast majority of them apply a wrong method: they want to save what is left after they have finished spending on a month. This is a mistake, because there is usually nothing left to save, as spending is at least as high as income.

So what do you have to do?

Here’s the best way to make savings in 6 easy steps:

Well-known investor Warren Buffett, one of the richest people in the world, strongly believes in the habit of saving, although he has a fortune of several tens of billions of dollars. He says, “Do not save what is left after spending, but spend what’s left after you’ve saved.”

And Robert Kiyosaki, a successful investor, author and speaker, who became famous thanks to the bestseller “Rich dad, Poor dad”, advises us in his direct way: “First Pay Yourself!”

So the best way to make savings can be implemented as follows:

1. Know yourself.
First of all, write down your earnings and spending in recent months carefully and analyze them to really understand what your money is doing.

2. Make a plan.
Set realistically a certain amount you want to save each month. Many specialists generally recommend 10% of revenue, but may be more or less depending on your personal situation.
Even if you save only 2% or 3% of your income, you will see that in the long run you are MORE gained than not doing anything.

3. Savings FIRST.
The first thing after you earn the monthly income, put those savings into a separate account that you do not touch. Now there are banks that can automatically do this for you, with the amount you set.
Try to “forget” this savings account, in order to avoid the possible temptations that may arise …

4. Make the spendings only AFTER the savings
Carefully plan the costs you have to do to fit the amount you have left. Try to get used to the idea that these are the only money you can spend.

5. Be consistent.
Follow your plan every month. In this way, your savings account will grow and you will be more motivated to continue.

6. INVEST!
Making savings is extremely useful. But if you want to become truly prosperous and, in the long run, even financially independent, then this is not enough.
You have to find more profitable ways than bank deposits to place your savings. That means you have to invest.

So, first informe yourself about your risk profile, because there are plenty of opportunities to get better returns than bank deposits. For example bonds, properties renting, peer-to-peer lending. Not to mention investment in capital markets.

The most important thing is to make it a habit to constantly look for serious and profitable investment options, because in the long run, only they will help you build a more prosperous future.

20 easy ways to help you save money

We all have the temptation to see the pessimistic side of personal finances. We say that we do not get enough money, but we never think about the expenses we make and whether or not they are justified.

I can not manage with the salary I receive! I’d like to save some money, but I can not do it! After I pay the rate to the bank, I only have money for the strict necessity! What is your secret, how do you save money?”

Let’s make a “battle plan” together. Below I made a check-list with ways you can save. You can check the things you already do. Those left unchecked, you can test them to see if they work for you.

Therefore:

The first thing you have to do is plan your monthly budget. Make an Excell document to include your spending over a month.

On a column, you can pass on utilities – maintenance, electricity, cable TV and internet, mobile and fixed telephony, etc.
Another column belongs to the current expenses:
– food;
– baby related expenses: milk, diapers, clothes, medications, kindergarten expenses, school etc.
The third column is assigned to occasional expenses: city exits, wardrobe renewal, household goods acquisitions, etc.
A fourth column is for travel expenses: fuel costs, car maintenance, public transport subscriptions.

After a month, you’ll be able to see exactly what your salary is doing and if you have had extravagant spending.

20 easy ways to save money

1. Always make at home a shopping list when you go to the market! Even it may be tempting to “derail”, try to stick to the plan.

2. Never buy more than you can eat! Did you know that up to 48% of all food purchases go to the trash?

Translation: There are real chances of wasting up to half of your food budget, if you loose yourself on the waves of shopping!

3. Hunt Hypermarket Offers! Very seriously: did you know that big stores have every day serious discounts on different foods? You can benefit from price reductions of 25-30% if you carefully look among the shelves. If you go shopping in the evenings, you can find even 80% discounts for foods whose stock is in the end or that did not sell well throughout the day.

4. Go to the market for vegetables and fruits! Usually, prices are much lower than those in the Supermarket. In addition, from April to October, buy seasonal fruits and vegetables. It’s cheaper and healthier to eat vegetables and fruits in the hot season than to buy them in the Hypermarket at winter at exorbitant prices.

5. Cook in the house with your loved ones. Besides the obvious financial benefit (it costs more to eat at the restaurant, fast food or in the cafeteria), you will spend quality time with family and have fun.

6. I know it’s not a novelty – you probably heard this: try to save water, close the light in the rooms you do not stay in, do not let the air condition go without need, and during the winter, do not waste the heat.

7. During the week, prepare your lunch pack from home. Avoid eating at the cafeteria or restaurant or ordering take-away.

8. Consult online shop offers if you plan to purchase electonic products. You will find out where you can get the best price for the desired product. In addition, you’ll find plenty of reviews about it and find out how well it fits your needs. At the same time, you can find more suitable alternatives, offered by users like you, who have tested them before you.

9. Do not use a credit card! It’s a product that just gives you the illusion that you can buy more. Finally, the maturity will come and the amount will have to be covered in some way. And interest can also reach 25-30% per year. In addition, any credit card has a fairly steep annual administration fee.

10. You can make a debit card, through which you can get various discounts on shopping. However, it is a good idea to make your calculations before: this product has administration costs. Thus, if the total value of discounts does not substantially exceed that of administration costs, just abandon the idea.

11. Use discount sites to buy vouchers for various entertainment in town. With a little attention, you can save each month an important amount and, at the same time, you will have a rich social life.

12. If you want to renew your wardrobe, go shopping during rebate periods at season change. You can save, even 50% of the price of the product. I recommend that you carefully study the market in advance to get a real benefit from your purchase.

13. If you have small children, try – as much as possible – to borrow cribs, trolleys, toys and clothes from friends or relatives who had small children or buy them second hand on websites where you can see exactly what the status of the product is. By the age of 12, children change clothes every season, so you will waste a lot of resources if you buy new clothes every 3 months.

14. Discard your fitness subscription, reduce car journeys and walk more or use a public transport. You will save gasoline, will make more movement and thus you will also gain in Health. If you still have to drive, I recommend that you try to solve more things in one trip.

15. Choose to go on holiday at the beginning or end of the season. It costs considerably less than a full season stay. Early book your holidays – you can pay 40% less if you book your tickets from November or December for the next summer! You can also opt for a last minute offer, but here you have to know that you will not always be able to choose the destination of your dreams. In addition, if you notice that a particular hotel has too many available places at the last moment, it may be that the offer hides some problems.

16. Quit smoking! You will literally win years of life, health, and a pack of cigarettes in minus a day will bring you considerable savings.

17. Try to prepare your coffee at home and avoid coffee machines.

18. If you are addicted to gadgets, make a serious calculation of the expenses that this custom generates over a year. You may have an unpleasant surprise …

19. Optimize your bank charges! If you have active accounts with multiple banks, you can choose to close those that are not absolutely necessary. Ideally, you can stay with one account, from which to handle by internet banking all operations, including paying utility bills. Any additional account opened with another bank will incur administrative fees.

20. Do not make personal loans unless it is absolutely necessary. In addition to interest, you will also have to pay a whole series of commissions and, instead of saving, you’ll spend.


Try to save money through the above methods and it is very possible to discover that you will be able to purchase the desired product or make an investment only from your savings.

 

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