Should You Pay Off Debt or Invest First? The Answer Might Surprise You (Money Q&A)

The Personal Finance Podcast

Andrew Giancola

Entrepreneurship, Investing, Business

4.6 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 29 September 2025

⏱️ 37 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this episode of the Personal Finance Podcast, we are going to do a Money Q&A about should you pay off debt or invest first. Today we are going to answer these questions: Question 1: Should I build my emergency fund to $20,000 first, or start paying down my mortgage and investing at the same time? Question 2: Is my bonus payoff plan the best option, or should I prioritize my 12% personal loan or Roth IRA contributions instead? Question 3: Should I use my $8,000 tax refund to max out my Roth IRA this year, or finish building my 3-month emergency fund first? Question 4: What are the best books and resources for someone getting started with real estate investing, especially in rental properties? Question 5: Should I sell my current home and use the equity for a down payment and student loans, or keep it as a rental — and how does the FHA assumable loan factor in? Question 6: [Placeholder for your next listener question] How Andrew Can Help You: Listen to The Business Show here. Don't let another year pass by without making significant strides toward your dreams. "Master Your Money Goals" is your pathway to a future where your aspirations are not just wishes but realities. Enroll now and make this year count! Join The Master Money Newsletter where you will become smarter with your money in 5 minutes or less per week Here! Learn to invest by joining Index Fund Pro! This is Andrew’s course teaching you how to invest! Watch The Master Money Youtube Channel! , Ask Andrew a question on Instagram or TikTok Learn how to get out of Debt by joining our Free Course Leave Feedback or Episode Requests here. Car buying Calculator here Thanks to Our Amazing Sponsors for supporting The Personal Finance Podcast DELL: Get a new Dell AI PC starting at $749.99, at Dell.com/ai-pc Indeed: Start hiring NOW with a SEVENTY-FIVE DOLLAR SPONSORED JOB CREDIT to upgrade your job post at Indeed.com/personalfinance Acorns: Start investing automatically with Acorns and get a $5 bonus at Acorns.com/PFP Chime: Start your credit journey with Chime. Sign-up takes only two minutes and doesn’t affect your credit score. Get started at chime.com/ Thanks to Policy Genius for Sponsoring the show! Go to policygenius.com to get your free life insurance quote. Shopify: Shopify makes it so easy to sell. Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/pfp Go to https://joindeleteme.com/PFP20/ and Use Promo Code PFP for 20% off! Links Mentioned in This Episode: The 1-3-6 Method For Building & Managing Your Emergency Fund Connect With Andrew on Social Media: Instagram TikTok Twitter Master Money Website Master Money Youtube Channel Free Guides: The Stairway to Wealth: The Order of Operations for your Money How to Negotiate Your Salary The 75 Day Money Challenge Get out Of Debt Fast Take the Money Personality Quiz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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1:00.4	On this episode of the personal finance podcast
1:03.6	Should you pay off debt or invest first,
	...

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