Money Girl Should I Stop Investing for Retirement to Get Out of Debt?
Jan 30, 2026
A clear four-step plan for balancing saving and debt paydown. Why employer matching is treated as free money and worth grabbing. The role of an emergency fund before aggressive debt repayment. How to prioritize high-rate debts and compare paying low-rate deductible debt versus investing. Practical retirement contribution targets to keep long-term goals on track.
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Never Skip Employer Match
- Always contribute enough to your workplace retirement plan to get the full employer match.
- Skipping the match is like taking a guaranteed pay cut and loses an immediate 100%+ return on contributions.
Prioritize An Emergency Fund
- Build an emergency fund before aggressively paying down debt or investing.
- Keep it in an FDIC-insured savings account and automate transfers to avoid tapping retirement accounts in crises.
Attack High-Interest Debt First
- Attack dangerous, high-interest debts first, such as payday loans and credit cards.
- Use the debt avalanche (highest rate first) or snowball (smallest balance first) — pick the method you can stick with.