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Get out of credit card debt — see your real numbers.
If you’re only making the minimum payments, you could be paying for decades without realizing it. See exactly where you stand and what your options are — in plain English, with no sign-up, no sales pitch, and nothing you enter ever leaving your browser.
If you’re carrying a balance, you’re far from alone
Credit card debt is one of the most common money problems there is. Admitting it is the hardest part — and the first real step out. There’s a clear path forward, and it starts with seeing the numbers.
Why minimum payments keep you stuck
Minimum payments are designed to be small. On a $10,000 balance at about 24% APR, paying only the minimum can take about 25 years and cost more in interest than you originally borrowed — roughly $18,900. Most people are never told this, so the balance just… lingers, year after year.
A fixed payoff date changes everything
A fixed-rate personal loan replaces revolving balances with one set monthly payment and a real end date. Put it on autopay and you don’t have to rely on willpower every month — the change happens on its own. Average personal-loan rates (11.4%) tend to run well below the average rate on carried card balances (21.5%).
The catch that matters: it only works if you don’t run the cards back up. Treat the payoff as a fresh start, not extra room to spend.
Figures are illustrative and current as of Q1 2026; the minimum-payment example assumes a 1%-of-balance plus interest minimum and no new charges. A consolidation loan isn’t always cheaper — your rate (roughly 7%–36%) depends on your credit, so always check the math. Sources on our methodology page.
What a consolidation loan can do
One simple payment
Replace several card bills and due dates with a single fixed monthly payment you can plan around.
A real payoff date
An installment loan has a set term, so you know exactly when you’ll be debt-free — instead of paying minimums for years.
Potentially less interest
If your loan rate is lower than your cards’ APRs, more of every payment goes to the balance instead of interest.
Run your own numbers in 30 seconds
Enter what you owe, your interest rate, and what you pay each month. The calculator shows your payoff timeline as it is today, then lets you compare it to a consolidation loan at any rate and term — so you can see the real difference for yourself.
Open the calculatorYears of payments, much of it interest
One fixed payment, a clear payoff date
Illustrative only. Your results depend on your actual rate and term.