What Robert should suggest as the most important part of his friend's personal finance goal is PAYING OFF DEBTS.
Debts usually gather interests and when they are left unpaid for a long time, the total amount to be repaid may become so much that one is not able to repay it again. Beside, having unpaid debts has some disadvantages such as reducing one's financial security and reducing one's credit score. Thus, debts should always be paid off as soon as possible.