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Payoff methods
When snowball and avalanche give the same order
The case where your smallest balance is also your highest APR, so snowball and avalanche tell you to pay the same debt first.
Money decisions, made clearer.
Payoff methods
Compare repayment approaches with clear assumptions and worked examples.
Payoff methods articles
46 articlesPayoff methods
The cash flow payoff method: free up minimums first
How the cash flow payoff method ranks debts by minimum payment freed per dollar paid off, and who tends to benefit from it most.
Payoff methods
When a custom payoff order beats a formula
When a promo deadline, a co-signer or the emotional weight of a debt is a better reason to reorder your payoff plan than any formula.
Payoff methods
The debt snowflake method: small irregular payments
How to send small, irregular amounts of found money straight at a debt, and how to log them so they actually move your balance.
Payoff methods
Debt consolidation vs. a payoff plan: what changes?
What a consolidation loan actually changes about your debt, what it doesn't, and how to decide between consolidating and following a payoff order.
Payoff methods
How to check whether a consolidation loan saves money
A step-by-step way to compare the real total cost of a consolidation loan against keeping your current debts, including fees and term length.
Payoff methods
Balance transfer vs. personal loan for card debt
How a 0% balance transfer and a fixed personal loan actually compare in cost and discipline required, with the arithmetic shown.
Payoff methods
Do biweekly payments pay off debt faster?
Why splitting a monthly payment into two biweekly halves can add up to an extra payment a year, and how to confirm your lender applies it correctly.
Payoff methods
How much faster is paying $50 above the minimum?
A worked example showing how an extra $50 a month changes a payoff timeline and total interest, with the month-by-month math shown.
Payoff methods
Rounding up payments: small, steady and measurable
How rounding a payment up to the nearest $25 or $50 compares to paying the exact minimum, shown with real month-by-month numbers.
Payoff methods
What one extra payment a year does to a loan
How a single extra payment applied once a year changes an installment loan's payoff timeline, and how to make sure it hits principal.
Payoff methods
Where collection accounts fit in a payoff order
How to decide where a collection account belongs in your payoff order, including validating the debt first and checking whether it still accrues interest.
Payoff methods
Car loan or credit card: which to pay off first?
Why the interest rate, not the balance size, usually decides whether a car loan or a credit card deserves extra payments first.
Payoff methods
Student loans or credit cards: which comes first?
How to compare student loan rates against credit card rates, and why federal protections matter even when the math favors the card.
Payoff methods
Medical debt or credit cards: which comes first?
Why a 0% hospital payment plan usually belongs behind a high-rate credit card, and how to verify a medical bill before paying it.
Payoff methods
Where 0% debt belongs in your payoff order
The difference between true 0% financing and deferred-interest offers, and how to treat each one in your payoff order before a deadline hits.
Payoff methods
Should your mortgage be in your payoff plan?
Why most people separate a mortgage from a consumer debt payoff plan, and when including it actually gives you a clearer picture.
Payoff methods
Lump sum or monthly extra: which helps more?
Why applying a windfall as a single lump sum usually beats spreading the same amount out monthly, shown with matching totals compared.
Payoff methods
What to do when debt payoff stalls in the middle
How to diagnose why a debt payoff plan slowed down, whether it's new charges, a smaller payment, or a rate increase, and adjust it.
Payoff methods
Where tax debt fits in a payoff order
How to think about federal tax debt alongside credit cards in a payoff order, and why an IRS payment plan needs its own attention.
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