Main content

Martin Lewis: 'Is it good or bad debt?'

Martin Lewis asked listeners if getting into some forms of debt, such as a car loan, can be an enabler for you in the future

Martin Lewis asked listeners if getting into some forms of debt, such as a car loan, can be an enabler for you in the future

Long: Martin Lewis has invented a "good debt / bad debt" test for 15 year-olds where he gives different scenarios on when lending is acceptable.

One scenario is: "I lost my job six months ago, I live in the city and it's been a real struggle to find a new one. I've found a new employer but we're going to have to move to the countryside. My work is six miles in one direction and my kid's school is six miles in the other. The cheapest car I can find costs £2000, but I don't have a good credit score and the cheapest loan I can find is 20% APR. If I don't get the car, I can't have the job. If I get the job, I'm on a three month probation period and if they don't extend after that - getting this car will send me bankrupt. Should I get the car?"

Martin asked Adrian Chiles if this was good or bad debt.

"The official Martin Lewis answer is its grey debt. It's not good or bad. If you are willing to take the risk it's good debt, if you're not then its bad debt. That's right for you. If you didn't make a rational plan weighing up the pros and cons - that is the wrong answer. In life we do not have certainty."

"This is why I get frustrated when people say 'just don't spend more than you've got' - well in this scenario, arguably for some people getting into debt and taking the risk of bankruptcy is the right thing to be an enabler for their future. This question is far more symbolic of the reason people get into debt problems than just overspending."

This clip is originally from 5 live Daily on Monday 23 January 2017

Release date:

Duration:

4 minutes

This clip is from

Featured in...