paying off credit cards

I would strongly advise against this, unless you are behind on all your expenses and debt, getting shutoff notices and collections threats. If you can learn from MY mistakes, hindsight, and current knowledge, don't make the same mistake. I sold a batch of mutual funds several years ago to pay off debt. Looking back, it was one of the worst money mistakes I ever made. If I had just stuck with a payment plan, I'd be out of debt AND still have those funds plus hundreds (if not thousands) in returns.

Of course, it also depends on when you bought the stocks, what kind of stock it is, and how much they were worth. If you just bought it recently and haven't lost much on it, maybe you have less to lose. But if you bought higher and you just happen to be losing money on your stocks at the moment, this is the worst time to sell.

The whole point is to buy low and sell high. Unless you are truly in dire need of this money, leave it alone until the market picks up... unless it looks like the particular stock you bought will bottom out and you'd lose it all.

And in the future, instead of buying stocks, invest your money in a regular savings account where you are guaranteed some interest. At this point, stocks are a long-term investment. And given the present market, you're also better off investing with a reputable company in diversified stocks and/or mutual funds.