Here's my take on the 'should I pay off my student loans or invest?' question with actual numbers.

My situation 5 years ago: $38,000 in student loans at 5.5% average interest, $55k income, 401k match of 4% captured, zero other investments.

Option A: aggressively pay off loans (minimum 24 months)
Option B: invest in Roth IRA and brokerage while paying loans on standard schedule
Option C: split — half additional cash to loans, half to investments

I ran the math and chose Option C. Here's why:

The 5.5% loan rate is in the ambiguous zone. The expected investment return (7%) is higher but not guaranteed. Splitting hedged the uncertainty while not sacrificing either goal entirely.

Five years later: loans paid off 18 months ago. Investment accounts have $52,000 — meaningfully ahead of where I'd be if I'd paid loans first and then invested.

The 'right' answer depends on your interest rate, time horizon, and psychological need for debt freedom. For rates below 5%, I'd lean invest. Above 7%, I'd lean pay off. In between, splitting is reasonable.