Debt Calculators
The same math behind every Short and breakdown on the channel. Each page answers one question with a worked example, then lets you put in your own numbers.
Credit Card Payoff calculator
How long will your credit card take to pay off?
Your balance, your APR, your payment: how long until it is gone, and what it costs on the way.
Minimum Payment calculator
How long does paying only the minimum take?
Paying only the minimum feels safe. Here is how long it really takes, and the one habit that shortens it most.
Extra Payment calculator
How much does paying a little extra each month save?
What a fixed extra amount on top of the usual payment does to the payoff date and the interest.
Avalanche vs Snowball calculator
Does the debt snowball cost more than the avalanche?
Same debts, same monthly budget, two orders. See which one costs less for your numbers, and by how much.
Balance Transfer calculator
Does a balance transfer actually save money?
A promo rate is not free: there is a fee, and a clock. See what transferring saves once both are counted.
Debt Consolidation calculator
Does a debt consolidation loan actually save money?
A consolidation loan swaps card APRs for one fixed rate and a fixed end date. See whether the fee and the rate actually come out ahead.
Penalty APR calculator
What does one missed card payment really cost?
One late payment can move a card to its penalty rate. See what that costs over the months that follow.
Loan Cost · worked example
What does a loan really cost next to a card?
What a car or personal loan really costs, fees included, next to putting the same amount on a card.
Pay Off or Invest · worked example
Pay off debt or invest: which comes out ahead?
Send a monthly amount to a debt or to investments: what each choice costs and earns over the same months.
Investing instead? Compound interest calculator
Credit card guides
The same math, worked through on the blog
- Debt avalanche vs snowball: which saves more money
- How a 0% balance transfer becomes 26% after one missed payment
- The 22% card vs the 6% car loan: which to pay first
- Paying off a car loan early: $1,100 saved, or a cost?
- Why your credit score drops when you pay off a card
- Medical debt over $2,500: the negotiation script
Educational content, not financial advice.
Next step
Free download
The Debt Payoff Tracker spreadsheet
List every debt, compare the avalanche and the snowball, and track each month's payments.
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Your next moves
Find your real numbers
Your latest statement shows the balance, the APR and the minimum payment. Every calculator here starts from those.
Only paying minimums?
Start with the minimum payment page: it shows the habit that shortens the payoff most.
Minimum payment