Old-School Money Advice You Shouldn't Follow Anymore
Old-School Money Advice You Shouldn’t Follow Anymore
These old-school rules could hurt you financially.
By Valencia Higuera December 10, 2020
If you don’t know much about money, you don’t have to look far for advice. You can always learn from personal finance articles, books and videos or from money-savvy friends and family. Although there’s no short supply of guidance, money rules can shift over time. For that matter, some old-school advice should be taken with a grain of salt. Here’s what the experts said is some of the worst money advice.
Pay Off Your Mortgage Early
Most people need a mortgage to purchase a home. However, financing a house entails paying thousands of dollars in interest. To reduce interest charges, some borrowers come up with a plan to pay off their mortgages early by making extra payments. This advice isn’t bad in itself, but according to Paul Moyer, the founder of SavingFreak.com, this advice doesn’t make the same financial sense in our current low-interest environment as it did when mortgage rates were higher, like 6% to 8%.
“Those extra payments can do more work for you by being placed in other investments,” Moyer said. “Even if you only get 6% over the life of the investment, you will beat the interest you are paying on your home mortgage.”
You Can Buy a House You Can’t Afford — Just Get Roommates
Taking in a roommate or two can be a financially savvy way to save money, but never purchase a home if you can’t afford to make the mortgage payments yourself. Roommates come and go, so you can’t rely on them to pay off your home loan. And defaulting on a mortgage will ruin your credit and could result in foreclosure, making it hard for you to take out loans and buy another home in the future.
Prioritize Saving For Your Child’s Education
Some parents believe it’s their responsibility to pay for their child’s college education. The problem, however, is that some people save for their child’s college education at the expense of saving for their retirement. Rather than sock all your money away for college tuition, David Walters, a certified financial planner with Palisades Hudson Financial Group, encouraged prioritizing retirement.
“I often need to remind (parents) that you can finance your child’s education with college loans and other funding sources, but you can’t finance your retirement, so a balance is needed,” said Walters. “This is even more important for parents with children at or close to college age, as their time horizon for retirement is much shorter.”
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