Of course you need to check the figures for yourself don't go making assumptions as everyone is different. You need to calculate how much paying your credit cards off at the minimum rate will cost you. There are a number of internet based sites that will allow you to put in your figures and will then spit out the answer for you. That should really be no less than five years in spite of any overnight success stories you may have heard. Markets fluctuate and at times they can be very volatile. If you need quick access to your cash you are always going to be at risk of needing to withdraw at the same time as a price crash. That being the case only risk money that you can afford to leave invested. Warren Buffett's approach of "KISS" or "Keep It Simple Stupid" is something that any novice investor can follow. He advocates never placing money into any venture that he doesn't immediately understand such as micro technology. A second guideline for the newcomer to stocks is to do your own checking before parting with any cash. If you are planning to invest in the stock market you will need some serious knowledge of how to select stocks before jumping in. However if you choose to use a financial professional then you just need to make some enquiries to ascertain their track record. Don't assume that because they are a professional that they know everything about each different aspect of investing. If you feel the difference will be worth it for you then start shopping around for the best interest rate and term you can find. It's important that you don't jump in and take the first offer. While it's not the buyers market it was there is still some competition out there and you need to exploit it to your advantage. By shopping around you can usually find some very good deals available from the major lenders. And don't forget to try and haggle down the rate you are offered. Tell them you have a better deal on the table across the street. You'll be surprised just how much things can change with a little bit of competition.