Debt payoff planner

Add each debt, with the credit limit on each card, then pick a method and any extra you can put in each month. You'll see when your card utilization drops, when you're debt-free and what it costs.

Free. No account. Nothing you type leaves your browser. Rules checked October 12, 2026.

Debt-free in

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What this does to your utilization

Payoff order

Methods compared

Total balance over time

Your planMinimums only

Month by month

Open a year to see where each month's money goes.

Tips to stick with the plan

Keep paying every minimumThe extra goes to one debt at a time, but every account still needs its minimum on time. A late payment can cost a fee and a penalty rate.
Automate the rolloverWhen a debt is paid off, move its payment to the next one the same day. That rollover is what makes the plan speed up.
Find the extra in the budgetEven $50 a month on top of the minimums shortens the plan. Put windfalls like a tax refund on the debt at the top of the order.
Ask about lower ratesA lower APR on the biggest balance helps any plan. Call the issuer, or compare a balance transfer or consolidation loan.

How the math works

Each month: Every debt collects balance × APR ÷ 12 in interest, then gets its minimum
The rest: The extra, plus the minimums of debts already paid off, goes to the first unpaid debt in the order
Minimums only: Each debt gets its own payment and nothing more, with no rollover. That's the baseline for interest saved.

Utilization

Only debts marked as credit cards count, and every card needs a limit. Loans are judged against their original amount instead, so they never enter this ratio. A card with a $0 balance still adds its limit to the total.

Each month: Total card balance after that month's payments ÷ total card limits
Under 30% and under 10%: The first month the ratio, rounded to one decimal place, reads below the mark
All cards at $0: The first month every card balance is paid off

The plan assumes no new charges and treats the balance after each month's payment as the one that reports. The 30% and 10% marks are common reference points, not official cutoffs: VantageScore suggests staying under 30%, myFICO says its data doesn't show scores dipping right at 30%, and myFICO has said keeping utilization below 10%, with on-time payments, can help. Neither company publishes point values, so the planner shows ratios and dates, never a predicted score.

Questions about this tool

How does paying off debt change my credit utilization?

Utilization counts credit cards only: the card balances that report divided by your card limits. As the plan pays the cards down, the ratio falls, and the planner shows the month it first reads under 30% and under 10% and when every card reaches $0. Loans are judged separately and don't enter that ratio.

Avalanche or snowball: which is better?

Avalanche, highest APR first, never costs more interest. Snowball, smallest balance first, clears whole accounts sooner, which some people find easier to stick with. The planner shows the dollar gap so you can decide if the quicker wins are worth it.

What does the extra amount do?

It goes to the first debt in your payoff order every month. When a debt is paid off, its payment rolls over to the next one, so the amount working on your debt never shrinks.

Should I close cards once they're paid off?

Closing a card removes its limit from your utilization and can raise the percentage that reports. Keeping a paid-off card open with no balance is often the safer move for your scores.

Why does it say a debt never pays off?

Its payment is less than or equal to the interest it collects each month. Raising that payment, or adding extra, gets the balance moving.

Guides behind the math

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