DEBT TO ASSET RATIO DOWN SINCE SEPTEMBER 2016!

Money has been running a little tight since I bought a newer car, so I decided to do a comparison of debt from September of last year to September of this year.  While some account balances dropped dramatically, others remained about the same.  That in itself was depressing enough, but it was even more alarming to discover my total debt had increased by 24% in one year.  

However, total investment assets had increased during that same time span by a whopping 94%!  So while total debt increased, my debt to assets ratio dropped from 3.77 to 2.45.  Since I continue to pay the balances down as much as possible each month and add to my investments at every opportunity, this should continue to improve.  But to hurry that along some, I've decided to do the "debt snowball" and pay extra on my lowest balance until it's payed off.  Then I'll take the money I was paying them and add it to the next lowest balance until it's eliminated.  By continuing this process, I should be able to be debt free before I retire in 5 years!  

Even though I'm still not happy about the debt, having a plan to eliminate it, puts a positive spin on an otherwise depressing scenario.  It's also nice to know that my debt to assets ratio continues to improve on a monthly basis.  (To figure debt to assets ratio, divide total debt by total assets.)