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Personal Debt Strategy

Debt Snowball vs. Avalanche Payoff Planner

Same debts, same extra payment, two different orders to attack them in. See exactly what the choice between motivation and math actually costs.

Reading This Tool

How To Use This Calculator

Enter up to four debts with their balance, interest rate and minimum payment, plus any extra you can put toward them.

The snowball method pays minimums everywhere and throws every extra dollar at the smallest balance first, quick wins for motivation. The avalanche method throws that same extra dollar at the highest interest rate first, mathematically optimal. Both eventually clear all four debts, the chart shows how differently they get there.

Your Debts

Debt 1

Debt 2

Debt 3

Debt 4 (Optional)

Set a debt's balance to $0 to exclude it. Extra payment is applied on top of every debt's own minimum, directed by whichever strategy is running.

Head-To-Head Result

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Snowball, Debt-Free In

0 mo

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Avalanche, Debt-Free In

0 mo

-

Interest Saved With Avalanche

$0

Total Remaining Balance Over Time

Snowball (Smallest Balance First) Avalanche (Highest Rate First)

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Assumes fixed rates, no new charges added to any balance, and that the full minimum plus extra payment is made every month without fail. Real revolving credit (like credit cards) can have more complex minimum-payment formulas than modeled here.

Carrying a mortgage alongside these debts?