Three calculators
Every result here shows total cost and time to payoff, not just a lower monthly number.
Snowball vs avalanche
See whether paying your smallest balance or your highest-rate balance first gets you out of debt sooner and for less total interest — before you consider settlement at all.
Assumptions this uses
- Interest accrues monthly on the remaining balance at the rate you enter.
- Minimum payments stay fixed at the amounts you enter for each debt.
- Your extra monthly amount is applied in full to whichever debt the chosen method prioritizes.
- Once a debt is paid off, its full former payment rolls into the next targeted debt.
- Figures are estimates based on the numbers you provide, not your actual statements.
Limitations: This does not account for changing interest rates, late fees, new charges added to any balance, or months where you can't make the full extra payment.
Runs entirely in your browser.
Write down every balance before you talk to anyone
Before you call a creditor, a counselor, or a settlement company, list every debt with its balance, interest rate and how many months behind it is on one page. It takes about ten minutes and means you'll recognize a fair offer, or a bad one, the moment you hear it.
Consolidation total-cost check
Check whether a lower-rate consolidation loan would beat what settlement would cost in fees, delinquency and tax, once the full term is included.
Assumptions this uses
- Your current rate and payment are applied to the total balance as a simple estimate.
- The new loan is a standard installment loan repaid in equal monthly payments over the term you enter.
- Origination or setup fees are added to the total cost of the new loan, not the balance being borrowed.
- No new debt is added to either scenario during the comparison period.
- Figures are estimates based on the numbers you provide, not a lender's formal offer.
Limitations: This does not account for variable interest rates, prepayment penalties, changes to your credit score affecting the rate you'd actually qualify for, or fees charged by specific lenders.
Runs entirely in your browser.
The Debt Settlement Decision Worksheet
A one-page worksheet to lay out every balance, weigh settlement against the free alternatives, and decide with a clear head.
Get the free guide →Debt-to-income check
See your current debt-to-income ratio, a number nonprofit counselors and lenders both look at when discussing whether settlement, consolidation or a DMP fits.
Assumptions this uses
- Debt-to-income is calculated as total monthly debt payments divided by gross monthly income.
- Housing payment includes rent or mortgage, including any required insurance or association fees you include.
- Other monthly debt payments should include minimums on cards, loans and any other required payments.
- This uses gross (pre-tax) income, which is the standard most lenders and counselors use for this ratio.
Limitations: This does not account for irregular income, upcoming changes to your debts or income, or the specific thresholds any individual lender or counselor uses to make a decision.
Runs entirely in your browser.
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Compare settlement providers
If settlement genuinely fits your situation, this is where to see real programs and fee structures side by side.
See settlement providers →