Debt avalanche calculator

List your debts with their APRs and what you can pay each month. The calculator pays every minimum and sends the rest to the highest interest rate first, the order that keeps total interest lowest, then shows your debt-free date and what you save.

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Debt Sunset turns these numbers into a plan you can follow: every card and loan, real billing cycles, what to pay each month, and progress as balances fall. Free for 30 days, no card needed.

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How the debt avalanche works

The same three debts, paid highest interest rate first. Every freed-up payment rolls into the next debt, so the most expensive balance is always the one shrinking fastest.

  1. Pay this first

    Store card

    Balance
    $2,500
    Interest rate
    29.9%

    $218a month

    $93 minimum + $125 extra

    Paid off! Its $218 rolls on

  2. Next

    Visa

    Balance
    $500
    Interest rate
    22.9%

    $262a month

    $44 minimum + $218 rolled over

    Paid off! Its $262 rolls on

  3. Then this

    Car loan

    Balance
    $8,000
    Interest rate
    7.9%

    $457a month

    $195 minimum + $262 rolled over

Because the most expensive balance shrinks first, less of each payment goes to interest. The trade-off: if your highest-rate debt is also a big one, it can be months before the first debt disappears. The snowball calculator shows the other approach with the same numbers.

Questions

How much can the avalanche save?

It depends on how far apart your rates are. With similar APRs the two methods finish within a month or two of each other; with a 29% store card next to a 7% loan the difference can be hundreds of dollars. The calculator shows your number.

What about a card with a 0% intro rate?

Enter 0% while the promotion lasts, and note when it ends: the rate jumps to the regular APR, usually above 20%. Plan to clear that balance before the deadline. The balance transfer calculator helps with that.

Where do I find my APR?

On your monthly statement, usually in the “Interest charge calculation” box near the end. Use the purchase APR unless the balance is a cash advance or a promotion.

How are minimum payments estimated?

On the high side, on purpose: the greater of $41, 2% of the balance, or 1% of the balance plus that month’s interest, rounded up with a 5% margin. Most statements ask for the same or less. Once you add your debts, Debt Sunset uses each card issuer’s own published rule, still with that margin.

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Estimates assume fixed APRs, no new charges and on-time payments, with interest charged monthly at APR ÷ 12. Card issuers calculate interest daily, so real totals can differ slightly. A calculator, not financial advice.