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Calculator Disclaimer
The calculators provided on this website are for educational and estimation purposes only. Results are based on the information you enter and may not reflect actual loan terms, payments, or outcomes. Smart With Debt makes no guarantees as to accuracy or applicability and is not responsible for errors, omissions, or financial decisions made based on these results. Please consult with a qualified financial professional before making financial decisions.
Start Here: Reposition Your Debt, Then Pay It Down
When it comes to paying off debt, most people jump straight into the Snowball or Avalanche strategy. Those work, but there’s a faster first step for many families:
Reposition your high-cost debt into better, lower-cost debt—then start your payoff plan.
Why? Because if the interest rate drops first, every dollar you pay after that hits the principal harder. And that can cut years off your payoff and lower your monthly stress today.
What Does “Repositioning” Mean?
It’s not more debt.
It’s moving the same balance from bad debt to better debt, like:
- A fixed-rate home equity loan (HEL)
- A HELOC used wisely
- A reputable 0% intro APR card (with a plan to finish before the promo ends)
- A simple personal loan with a lower rate
You’re swapping 24% pain for single-digit calm (or 0% promo), then attacking the balance.
Why it Works
Lower interest = more principal paid.
Example: $10,000 at 24% costs about $200/month in interest.
At 12%, it’s about $100/month. That extra ~$100 can go straight to principal.
Lower payments mean you can live today while still paying debt down faster.
Snowball/Avalanche get supercharged.
Reposition—now it moves much quicker.
When This Helps Most
- You carry credit cards or other high-rate balances.
- You want lower payments now without quitting your payoff plan.
- You like simple math and real results—not extreme budgets and guilt.
If your rates are already low, your numbers may show little benefit. Great—you can go straight to Snowball or Avalanche with confidence.
Try It With Our Calculator (2 minutes)
1. Enter your current debts (balances, rates, and payments).
2. Test a reposition (HEL/HELOC/0%/personal loan—whatever fits).
3. Compare time to debt-free and total interest paid.
If the bars shrink and the timeline drops, you found your shortcut to enjoying more that life can offer.
Bottom line: entertain the idea.
Test a reposition first. If it helps, you’ll save time and money.
If not, no worries—go straight to Snowball or Avalanche.
Either way, you’ll know you chose the best path for you.
Run your numbers now and see the difference.
Your exact savings depend on your numbers—that’s why we built the calculator.
Contact us with any questions you might have at info@smartwithdebt.com.