Should you use retirement savings to pay off debt?
Early withdrawals are generally a bad idea. Taxes and penalties can be steep.
5 min read
Mar 14, 2024
Mercedes Barba
Former senior editor, investing
EXPERTISE
- Investing
- Stock analysis
- Retirement
EDUCATION
- Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, California State University, Los Angeles
- Master's degree in News and Documentary, New York University
About the author
Mercedes Barba was a senior editor at Bankrate. Prior to this, she served as a senior editor at NextAdvisor and led the video team at Money.com, where she executive produced a short documentary that received an Emmy nomination. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her son Luke and two pet dogs.
The key to successful investing is to take action and not let fear or over-analyzing prevent you from taking advantage of the benefits of compound interest over time.
— Mercedes Barba
Mercedes's latest articles
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How to write off worthless stock and get a tax break
Here’s how to write off worthless stock and what you need to know
2 min read Mar 12, 2024 -
How to create a retirement budget
Create a budget now, worry less about money in retirement later.
4 min read Feb 28, 2024 -
5 different types of FIRE
There are a lot of different flavors of the FIRE movement.
3 min read Feb 02, 2024 -
What is risk tolerance and why is it important?
Your risk tolerance plays a crucial role in your game plan for growing your money.
5 min read Jan 29, 2024 -
What is the Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE) movement?
FIRE participants try to gain financial independence by amassing wealth and cutting expenses. Here’s how FIRE works.
7 min read Jan 25, 2024 -
Market capitalization: What it is and how to calculate it
Market capitalization is important for making informed decisions, managing expectations and building a portfolio.
4 min read Jan 19, 2024 -
Are financial advisor fees tax deductible?
Here’s how investors can still lower their tax bill.
3 min read Jan 11, 2024