Debt Consolidation Calculator
$
All cards and loans combined
%
Balance-weighted average
$
%
years
Result
Enter your values, then select Calculate.
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When consolidating debt makes sense
Consolidation swaps several high-rate balances for one fixed-rate loan. It helps when three things hold: the new APR is meaningfully below your current weighted average, the term is not so long that cheap rates stretch into more total interest, and the behavior behind the old balances changes. The comparison above measures the first two; the third is up to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What average APR should I enter?
A balance-weighted average: multiply each balance by its APR, add the results, and divide by the total balance. That correctly reflects which balances dominate your interest bill.
Does consolidation hurt my credit score?
Paying off cards with an installment loan often helps utilization immediately; the new loan inquiry is a small, temporary dip. The larger risk is re-charging paid-off cards, which doubles your debt load.