Debt Avalanche vs. Debt Snowball: What's the Difference? (2024)

FAQs

Debt Avalanche vs. Debt Snowball: What's the Difference? ›

As you roll the money used from the smallest balance to the next on your list, the amount “snowballs” and gets larger and larger and the rate of the debt that is reduced is accelerated. In contrast, the "avalanche method" focuses on paying the loan with the highest interest rate loans first.

If you went with the snowball method, you could pay off your first balance in six months, compared to the avalanche method, where it would take you more than a year to pay off your debt with the highest APR. If you're motivated by a quick win, then the snowball method is a better choice.

If you are not comfortable with the interest rate you'll receive for your debt consolidation loan, you might want to consider using the debt snowball method instead, which entails paying more toward your debt with the lowest balance while paying just the minimum on all your other debts.

Prioritizing debt by interest rate.

This repayment strategy, sometimes called the avalanche method, prioritizes your debts from the highest interest rate to the lowest. First, you'll pay off your balance with the highest interest rate, followed by your next-highest interest rate and so on.

Disadvantages of using the avalanche debt payoff method

Requires patience: Because repayment may be slower, depending on your balances, it may feel like you're not making any progress toward paying off your debt. This can make it harder to stay motivated and stick to your repayment plan.

In terms of saving money, a debt avalanche is better because it saves you money in interest by targeting your highest interest debt first. However, some people find the debt snowball method better because it can be more motivating to see a smaller debt paid off more quickly.

Pay off your debt and save on interest by paying more than the minimum every month. The key is to make extra payments consistently so you can pay off your loan more quickly. Some lenders allow you to make an extra payment each month specifying that each extra payment goes toward the principal.

If a credit card account remains open after you've paid it off through debt consolidation, you can still use it. However, running up another balance could make it difficult to pay off your debt consolidation account.

If you do it right, debt consolidation might slightly decrease your score temporarily. The drop will come from a hard inquiry that appears on your credit reports every time you apply for credit. But, according to Experian, the decrease is normally less than 5 points and your score should rebound within a few months.

Should I pay off my car or credit card? ›

In general, it's best to pay off credit card debt first, then loan debt, since credit cards often have the highest interest rates. When you prioritize paying off credit card debt, you'll not only save money on interest, but you'll potentially improve your credit too.

There's a good reason to pay off your highest interest debt first — it's the debt costing you the most. Credit cards with higher-than-average APRs can be especially hard to pay off.

A good rule of thumb to follow is to focus on eliminating debt with the highest interest rates first. When deciding whether to pay off your car loan or your credit card first, it's almost always smarter to knock out the credit card debt completely.

High-interest loans -- which could include payday loans or unsecured personal loans -- can be considered bad debt, as the high interest payments can be difficult for the borrower to pay back, often putting them in a worse financial situation.

You may save some money with the "avalanche method," but if the principal is large, the time it may take to pay off debt with the highest interest can be discouraging and make it difficult to stick to the plan. Paying off small debts quickly can feel rewarding.

You'll pay the monthly minimum ($150), plus the $300 you've set aside for credit card debt, plus Card A's former monthly minimum ($100). That comes out to $550 a month on Card B until it's paid off. You repeat this step with cards C and D until you are credit card debt free. That's the debt avalanche.

An Example of the Debt Snowball

$500 medical bill—$50 payment. $2,500 credit card debt—$63 payment. $7,000 car loan—$135 payment. $10,000 student loan—$96 payment.

Let's say you have an extra $300 a month. You'll make the monthly minimum payments on each card, and then pay another $300 on Card A. So, you'll be spending $400 a month on Card A until it's paid off. Once that's settled, you move on to Card B.

The advantage of the debt avalanche method is that it reduces the total interest you pay in the long term. Interest adds to your debts because most lenders use compound interest. The accrual rate depends on the frequency of compounding—the higher the number of compounding periods, the greater the compound interest.