Where to put $5,000 now

What would you do with a million bucks? That's easy. But what about five grand? With a handful of broad goals in mind, here are Money Magazine's picks.

By Asa Fitch and George Mannes, Money Magazine

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Goal: Building wealth

Best return with no risk: Pay off
your highest-interest credit-card debt

If you just pay the minimum due on credit card bills, you'll barely cover the interest you owe, to say nothing of the principal. The return on your investment is the interest you no longer have to pay.

"That's a no-brainer," says Rob Oliver, a financial planner in Ann Arbor, Mich.

The average household credit-card debt is nearly $10,000. It will take you years to pay off your balance, and you could end up spending thousands of dollars more than the original amount you charged.

The rate on a typical credit card: 13.9 percent.
Interest savings on paying off
a $5,000 balance over 2 1/2 years: $857

What would you do with $5,000?

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