MIDYEAR REVIEW OF INVESTMENTS AND PERSONAL FINANCE : Personal Best

We publish advice and insights from all sorts of investment and personal finance experts--much of it contradictory. So to find out what works in real life, we went to the source, asking our readers to recount their all-time best financial decisions. From hundreds of letters, faxes and e-mailings, we’ve selected a few of the most interesting to publish or excerpt. Thanks to everyone who contributed.

Paying Off Nagging Debt

I decided to put off investing and to concentrate all my resources on my debts, with special dedication to the high-interest credit cards. For me, the crucial realization was that even the best investors are hard-pressed to get a consistent 18.9% return. Since that was the rate on my most egregious credit card, I suddenly understood the wisdom of paying off that debt before I invested any more money.

KEN KURSON

Los Angeles