Should You Stop Saving for Retirement to Get Out of Debt?

A Money Girl podcast listener named Heather says, “I work for a nonprofit and contribute 4% to my 403(b)—but I’m also trying to get out of debt. Would it be better for me to stop my retirement contributions until I pay off my debt or to continue investing at the same time?”

Thanks for this great question, Heather! It's critical to save for retirement and to pay off debt. But with only so much money to go around, knowing where to focus your attention can be tricky.

In this post, I'll answer Heather's question and give you a five-step guide to follow when you're not sure how to manage or allocate your money. You'll come away with a clear path to prioritize your precious financial resources so you can build wealth faster.

1. Evaluate your savings

I receive many questions from podcast listeners and readers about paying off debt. There's a lot of confusion about which debts to tackle first, how aggressive to be, and ways to balance paying off debt and saving.

Before you spend too much time agonizing over the details, take a step back, and evaluate your savings. Do you have a cash reserve? How much?

Building some amount of emergency savings should be your number one financial priority. Creating a cash reserve must come before paying down debt or investing, so you're protected from a financial emergency.

Having savings can be the difference between surviving a hardship—such as a large unexpected bill or losing your job—or getting buried under it and going further into debt.

Savings needs vary

The amount of emergency savings you need varies depending on your lifestyle and financial situation. You probably need a more substantial financial cushion if you:

• work in an unstable industry
• are self-employed
• are the sole breadwinner for a large family

A single person with no dependents and plenty of job opportunities wouldn't require as much emergency cash.

Ideally, you should accumulate a minimum of three to six months’ worth of living expenses. Another good rule of thumb is to save at least 10% of your annual gross income. For instance, if you earn $50,000, make a goal to accumulate and maintain a $5,000 emergency fund.

A good rule of thumb is to save at least 10% of your annual gross income.

If you’re starting with zero savings, you could begin with a small goal, such as saving 1% or 2% of your income each year. Or you could start with a small target like $...

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