Savings and Loans

I know a lot of otherwise inteligent people who keep a savings account while maintaining a balance on their credit cards. What makes sense is that they want to save money. What doesn't is that a savings account is supposed to be a safety fund. But if you think about it, your credit card is a safety fund- you can use it to buy things in an emergency and you can also use it to get cash if you need it. So it makes more sense to pay off the debt you have with 20% interest than to save money in a savings account that pays only 1%.