Saving and Repaying Debt Key to Good Financial Future
Thursday, January 21st, 2010Financial solutions company Think Money welcomed new research suggesting that nearly a third of 21-to-29-year-olds are making repaying debt one of their highest financial priorities.
The company added that repaying debt and putting money into savings are two of the most important things that people can do to improve their financial outlook for the future, and the two do not necessarily need to compromise each other.
Research from life and pensions company Friends Provident found that 31% of people in the 21-29 age group were prioritising paying off debt over saving for a house deposit (25%) or funding a career break (11%) – possibly suggesting ‘the start of a more financially responsible Britain’.
Nearly half (44%) of this so-called ‘generation Y’ were also paying into a company pension, suggesting that the importance of saving has been ’sinking in’ as the recession has taken hold of the economy. Over a third (35%) said they intended to start contributing to a pension before the age of 30.
The research also suggested improved knowledge about different methods of investing money: 43% intended on using ISAs to store away some of their money, while 35% had considered investment (equity) portfolios to increase their returns.
58% of people in this age group said they did not believe a state pension would be enough to support them by the time they reach retirement age.
A debt expert at Think Money said that the number of people prioritising repaying their debts is encouraging, but added that some borrowers may need to consider other aspects of their financial management, too.
“In the current economic environment, repaying debt is very important. The less debt someone has, the less likely they are to run into problems if their income falls, for example, or if they are faced with any unexpected costs.
“Ideally, repaying debt should be a priority over anything except essential expenses. Some people can afford to repay their debt and pay for non-essentials at the same time, but for people with limited funds, a focus on repaying debt is the most sensible option.