Should you pay off a loan or invest it

[Arun Dharan]

So I have 40k saved up and was looking to buy an duplex or triplex in Philadelphia area but not seeing much that the numbers will work out for me. Should I use that money to pay off my MBA loan (23k) and invest the rest in crypto (Bitcoin, etherium, etc)? Or should I wait and buy an property when I find something early next year? Appreciate any advice

[Greg Scott]

You have cash.  Cash gives you options to do lots of things.

You could pay off your loan.  Your "return" on that cash will be exactly the interest rate on your student loans.  I'm guessing that means you will make about 5%.  As an MBA graduate, you should know that is not a great return on capital invested.

You could buy crypto.  Crypto is a completely speculative bet because you really don't know whether it is going to go up or down.  Some people have made billions.  Some will lose their shirt.  In my opinion, get good at poker and go to Vegas.  Your odds will be better.

I still prefer real estate because before I buy, I have a pretty good idea the profits I'm going to make.  Profits are way higher than 5% and there is zero speculation; the results are nearly certain.