Debtless
Loans & bills
What a Bad-Credit Loan Actually Costs
NerdWallet estimates 33.03% APR for recent bad-credit pre-qualified offers. Compare actual loan terms and a fictional $6,000 payoff example.
Money decisions, made clearer.
The Debtless Journal
Debtless is a 100% free debt payoff app for iPhone. Practical ways to get out of debt, one decision at a time. Clear examples, useful routines and a free app to put your plan into practice. The Debtless Journal is a free debt blog of practical articles on payoff methods, credit card interest, loans, collections, budgeting and privacy, written for anyone deciding how to pay down what they owe. It turns reading like this into a plan, drawing on 442 articles in this library.
The Debtless Journal articles
442 articles
Loans & bills
How to Pick a Personal Loan Lender
A personal loan lender is a bank, credit union, or online lender. Credit unions average 10.64% APR, banks 12%, and online lenders under 6% to almost 36%.
Payoff methods
Debt Management Plan vs. Consolidation Loan
A debt management plan needs no credit check and can beat a consolidation loan's rate. Here's the credit, cost and timeline differences, side by side.
Budget & cash flow
Should You Pay Off Debt or Save Money?
Capture your employer 401(k) match and build a small cushion before aggressively paying off debt. Here's a decision table for which comes first.
Loans & bills
What Is a Good Debt-to-Income Ratio?
A good debt-to-income ratio is 36% or lower. Here's the self-check table lenders use, and what to do if yours lands higher.
Credit card debt
What a Lower Credit Card APR Actually Saves You
A credit card APR is the yearly interest rate on any balance you carry, and a phone call to your issuer can sometimes lower it.
Loans & bills
Does Paying Off a Car Loan Early Hurt Your Credit?
Paying off a car loan early can change your credit score; it may fall, rise or stay about the same depending on the rest of your credit file.
Loans & bills
How to Get a Personal Loan: A Step-by-Step Guide
A personal loan is a fixed amount you borrow from a bank, credit union or online lender and repay in equal monthly installments.
Loans & bills
Car Payment Calculator: What to Check Before You Sign
A car payment calculator is a tool that turns the amount financed, the APR and the loan term into one fixed monthly payment.
Loans & bills
Bank Loan Payment Calculator: Common Mistakes
A bank loan payment calculator estimates your monthly principal-and-interest payment from the loan principal, annual interest rate and term in months.
Loans & bills
Amortization Repayment Calculator: Loan Types Compared
An amortization repayment calculator is a tool that splits a fixed loan payment between interest and principal over the life of the loan.
Loans & bills
Mortgage Payoff Calendar: A Checklist
A mortgage payoff calendar is a month-by-month schedule that turns your loan's payoff date into milestones you can check against your statement.
Loans & bills
Mortgage Payoff Estimator: Common Mistakes
A mortgage payoff estimator gives a payoff date and an interest total from four numbers: balance, rate, remaining term and extra payment.
Loans & bills
Mortgage Payoff Calculator: Simple vs. Full Plan
A mortgage payoff calculator is a tool that projects a payoff date, and a basic one changes only one input at a time. Here's how three compare.
Loans & bills
House Payoff Calculator: A Plain-English Explainer
A house payoff calculator turns your current balance, rate, remaining term and extra payment into a new debt-free date. Here is what each input means.
Loans & bills
Mortgage Calculator Pay Down: A Worked Example With Numbers
Using a mortgage calculator to pay down a loan faster works two ways: steady extra payments or a lump sum. A worked example on a $310,000 balance shows both.
Loans & bills
Mortgage Payoff Calculator: A Biweekly Payment How-To
A mortgage payoff calculator can model a biweekly schedule by treating it as one extra payment a year. Here is how to set it up and what it saves.
Payoff methods
Home Loan Payoff Calculator: A 6-Point Checklist
A home loan payoff calculator can be off if you enter the wrong balance, rate or payment type. Run this six-item checklist before you trust its payoff date.
Credit card debt
The Fed Rate Right Now: Common Debt Payoff Mistakes
The Fed raised rates to 3.75%-4.00% on September 16, 2026. Here are common debt payoff mistakes right after a Fed move, and what to check instead.
Loans & bills
Car Loan Payoff Calculator: Payoff Date and Interest
Enter a current car-loan balance, APR and payment to estimate the payoff date, total interest and savings from a recurring extra payment.
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