If you went with the snowball method, you could pay off your first balance in six months, compared to the avalanche method, where it would take you more than a year to pay off your debt with the highest APR. If you're motivated by a quick win, then the snowball method is a better choice.
The primary advantage of the snowball method is the psychological boost. When you see debts disappearing, it can increase your motivation to continue paying off debt. And even if you've only paid off a small balance, your confidence in the progress you're making grows.
Paying off small debts quickly can feel rewarding. If you prefer to see progress quickly and work your way up, then the "snowball method" may be a better fit for your debt management goals.
In terms of saving money, a debt avalanche is better because it saves you money in interest by targeting your highest interest debt first. However, some people find the debt snowball method better because it can be more motivating to see a smaller debt paid off more quickly.
The best way to pay off $3,000 in debt fast is to use a 0% APR balance transfer credit card because it will enable you to put your full monthly payment toward your current balance instead of new interest charges. As long as you avoid adding new debt, you can repay what you owe in a matter of months.
It will take 47 months to pay off $20,000 with payments of $600 per month, assuming the average credit card APR of around 18%. The time it takes to repay a balance depends on how often you make payments, how big your payments are and what the interest rate charged by the lender is.
Does not save maximum interest: The debt snowball method is not necessarily the best choice for saving money on interest. Because you're prioritizing balances over interest rates and only making minimum payments on debts that are low on the list, you could end up paying considerably more in interest over time.
The truth about the debt snowball method is it's a motivational program that can work at eliminating debt, but it's going to cost you more money and time – sometimes a lot more money and a lot more time – than other debt relief options.
You can use the debt snowball to achieve quick wins, build up momentum and improve your money-management skills as you pay down debt. The significant downside of this approach is the interest you could incur by not focusing on the most costly debts first.
In order to pay off $6,000 in credit card debt within 36 months, you need to pay $217 per month, assuming an APR of 18%. While you would incur $1,823 in interest charges during that time, you could avoid much of this extra cost and pay off your debt faster by using a 0% APR balance transfer credit card.
Paying off smaller balances first (debt snowball method) gives you motivation to keep going. Paying off higher-interest debt first (debt avalanche method) can save you more money. Paying off debt is good for your financial and mental health. What matters most is that you choose a method and stick with it.
Avalanche method: pay highest APR card first
Paying off your credit card with the highest APR first, and then moving on to the one with the next highest APR, allows you to reduce the amount of interest you will pay throughout the life of your credit cards.
With the debt avalanche method, you order your debts by interest rate, with the highest interest rate first. You pay minimum payments on everything while attacking the debt with the highest interest rate. Once that debt is paid off, you move to the one with the next-highest interest rate . . .
With the debt snowball method, you pay off debts in order from smallest to largest, which can help you rack up some quick wins for motivation.
If you were to make only the minimum amount due on all of your debt, it would take about five years to become debt free. In contrast, using the debt snowball method by paying an extra $100 a month on your smallest balance, you'd be out of debt in about three years and save nearly $1,800 in interest.
The stacking method works the same way as the snowball method, but you prioritize your debts differently in this method. Rather than listing them from smallest to largest, list them from highest interest rate to lowest interest rate regardless of the dollar amount. You then pay each as described in the snowball method.
The debt avalanche is a systematic way of paying down debt to save money on interest. Individuals who use the debt avalanche strategy make the minimum payment on each debt, then use any remaining available funds to pay the debt with the highest interest rates.
Because you are starting with the largest loan first (mortgages are not included), this method takes longer than others (we'll talk about the snowball debit reduction plan in a moment).
$5,000 in credit card debt can be quite costly in the long run. That's especially the case if you only make minimum payments each month. However, you don't have to accept decades of credit card debt. There are a few things you can do to pay your debt off faster - potentially saving thousands of dollars in the process.
The 20/10 rule follows the logic that no more than 20% of your annual net income should be spent on consumer debt and no more than 10% of your monthly net income should be used to pay debt repayments.
The average amount is almost $30K. Some have more, while others have less, but it's a sobering number. There are actions you can take if you're a Millennial and you're carrying this much debt.