There are nearly as many investing strategies as there are investors, and even more concerns and fears.

When I was first thought of investing my money, I immediately talked myself out of it. The only topic covered in finance classes in high school was the stock market, and we all know how volatile that can be. I was afraid of putting my money into a stock, and losing it all. Surely a savings account was a safer option.

Secondly, I had gotten the idea somewhere along the line that only "rich" people invested their money. I suppose I had some vague idea that investing was the territory ...

Ok!! You have arrived at the toughest and most rewarding step on the road to debt recovery - paying it down!!

By now you should have a pretty good idea of how much debt you have, what your monthly expenses are, and what your short- and long-term goals are.

So, what's the fastest way to pay it down?

Back when I first started trying to pay down my debts, I made a HUGE error. I thought "Hey, I'll be smart, and pay a little extra on everything every month, and it'll all come down faster!"

Now, this sounds like good advice. Especially when the credit card rates are crippling, and the principal on the mortgage is sooooo high even after three years, and the faster the car is paid off, the sooner your insurance ...