Debt
Compare debt snowball and avalanche with real interest math. When psychology beats APR, and when 28% cards make the choice obvious.
Updated 2026-09-08 · 8 min read
List every non-mortgage debt with balance, APR, and minimum. Pay every minimum so nothing goes delinquent. All extra cash hits one target.
Snowball: smallest balance first. You collect quick wins. Avalanche: highest APR first. You collect the least interest.
A $1,200 store card at 28% next to an $11,000 student loan at 6% is not a personality test. Kill the 28% first. That is avalanche, and it is also common sense.
Snowball shines when you have five small medical bills and a history of quitting plans. Finishing something is a feature.
Keep a one-month cash buffer so the next surprise does not restart the card. Keep the employer 401(k) match. Everything else can wait until the expensive debt is gone.
Run the numbers: avalanche vs snowball calculator (shareable URL). Hub tab still lives on calculators.
Avalanche (highest APR first) always saves more interest if you stick with it. Snowball (smallest balance first) wins only if it keeps you paying extra at all.
Keep any 401(k) match — that is a 50–100% return. Pause optional brokerage while cards are over ~8–10% APR. Mortgage-rate debt is a different conversation.
A 0% transfer can beat both methods if you can clear the balance before the promo ends and the fee is smaller than the interest you would have paid. Do the math, then freeze the new card.
Educational only. Verify IRS limits and loan quotes before acting.