<prompt> Human: Hi PF. I have 18,000 left on my student loan that Ive been paying off for the past 12 years. The loan sits at 3.7 interest. I came into some money, where I have the opportunity to pay the loan off now instead of paying it over the next 8.5 years at my current rate. Should I pay off the loan, or invest the money elsewhere? I already have a emergency savings fund, and a healthy depending on the market 401k.  <response>: This is a riskreward question. If you put the money in an index fund you can expect a 7 return over the long haul. Now as we all know you could have down time where you make a negative amount. But 7 is better than the 3.7 you are paying. 