Debt payoff guides

No gimmicks, no debt settlement pitches — just how interest works and how to get to zero faster.

• Best Debt Payoff Apps: An Honest Comparison

  Four ways to plan your way out of debt, compared without the hype: web apps, mobile apps, spreadsheets, and where our own planner fits (and where it doesn't).

• Debt Avalanche Calculator: Pay the Least Interest

  Paying the highest APR first costs the least interest. Here's how much it saves on three credit cards, and when the snowball is still the better call.

• Your Debt Payoff Plan in 5 Steps

  Five steps from a messy pile of bills to a written plan with a debt-free date, with a worked example and what each extra $100 is worth.

• Free Debt Snowball Calculator (with a Month-by-Month Plan)

  Enter your debts and what you can pay on top of the minimums to see your payoff date, total interest, and how the snowball rolls month by month.

• Debt Snowball Spreadsheet vs. App (Free Template)

  A free debt payoff spreadsheet for Google Sheets or Excel, how to fill it in, and an honest look at where a spreadsheet stops being the easy option.

• Extra Payment Calculator: What +$100 a Month Really Saves

  The same $100 a month saves very different amounts on a mortgage, a car loan and a credit card. Here are the numbers and how to make sure the extra counts.

• How Long Does It Take to Pay Off a Credit Card (and How to Cut It in Half)

  Paying only the minimum on a $5,000 card at 24% takes about 19 and a half years. Here's the math behind it and how a fixed payment changes everything.

• Should I Pay Off Debt or Save First?

  Paying off debt and building savings compete for the same dollars. Here's a simple order of operations and the math on three ways to split $600 a month.

• How to Pay Off Student Loans Faster

  An extra $150 a month takes a 10-year, $35,000 student loan down to under 7 years. Here's how to make extra payments count and what to check first.

• Which Debt to Pay Off First: Highest Rate, Smallest Balance or Something Else?

  The cheapest order and the most motivating order aren't always the same. A worked example, the special cases that break the rules, and a quick checklist.