Which Debts Should You Pay Off First — Credit Cards or Student Loans?

Ideally, you’ll start paying more toward personal loan debt and other unsecured debts after all credit card debt is entirely paid off, although you should make at least the minimum payment on all your bills throughout the entire process. While you’ll want to eliminate credit card debt and other high-interest debts as quickly as you can, even if you have to stop saving and investing for a while, you can pay down student loan debt and secured debts at a slower pace while saving and investing for the future along the way. Focusing on credit card debt and other unsecured debts first always makes sense, since these debts aren’t secured by an asset and tend to charge much higher interest rates.