---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: First, pay off your high-interest-rate…"
description: "\"First, pay off your high-interest-rate debt. If you have student loan debt - that's low interest rate; that has a tax benefit - you can leave that out...."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2a/sallie-krawcheck-4304_credit_first-pay-off-your-high-interest-rate-de_670306.png"
---

#  First, pay off your high-interest-rate debt. If you have…

![“First, pay off your high-interest-rate debt. If you have student loan debt - that's low interest rate; that has a tax benefit - you can leave that out. A mortgage can be an OK one. Credit card debt is poison. That needs to be paid off right away.” quote by Sallie Krawcheck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2a/sallie-krawcheck-4304_credit_first-pay-off-your-high-interest-rate-de_670306.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2a/sallie-krawcheck-4304_credit_first-pay-off-your-high-interest-rate-de_670306.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a2a/sallie-krawcheck-4304_credit_first-pay-off-your-high-interest-rate-de_670306.png)

> “First, pay off your high-interest-rate debt. If you have student loan debt - that's low interest rate; that has a tax benefit - you can leave that out. A mortgage can be an OK one. Credit card debt is poison. That needs to be paid off right away.”

[Sallie Krawcheck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sallie-krawcheck/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Prioritize eliminating high‑interest debt, especially credit cards, before tackling lower‑interest obligations.

**In simple terms:** Pay off costly debt first.

Key Takeaway

Eliminate high‑interest liabilities.

Themes

finance debt prioritization

Mood

practical encouraging

Type

advice instructional

When to use this quote

- personal budgeting
- loan consolidation
- credit repair
- financial planning

Key Concepts

interest rates financial health budgeting

Questions to Reflect On

- Which debts cost you most?
- How will you restructure your payments?

A Different Perspective

Some low‑interest debts may still be burdensome despite tax benefits.

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[Credit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/credit/) [Credit card debt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/credit-card-debt/) [Customer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer/) [Interest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interest/) [Poison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poison/) [Student loan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/student-loan/)

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