Loans & Debt Articles
Auto, personal and card debt: payoff plans, APR, DTI and balance transfers. Read 10 guides, then run your own numbers with the matching calculators.
Debt Snowball vs Debt Avalanche
Compare the debt snowball and debt avalanche methods, see how each works and choose the strategy you will actually…
Loans & DebtHow Credit Scores Work and How to Improve Yours
Understand the five factors in FICO credit scores and practical steps to raise your score, from on-time payments to…
Loans & DebtHow to Get Out of Credit Card Debt
A practical roadmap to pay off credit cards: build a budget, stop adding debt, pick a payoff order, lower your APR…
Loans & DebtAPR vs Interest Rate
Learn how APR differs from the interest rate, why APR includes fees and how to use it to compare loan offers fairly.
Loans & DebtHow to Finance a Car Smartly
Avoid overpaying for a car loan. Learn how to shop rates, choose the right term, handle trade-ins and know when…
Loans & DebtPersonal Loan vs Credit Card
Compare personal loans and credit cards on interest rates, flexibility, fees and credit impact so you can borrow wisely.
Loans & DebtDebt Consolidation
Debt consolidation combines multiple debts into one payment. Learn the options, the costs and the risks of…
Loans & DebtWhat Is a Good Debt-to-Income Ratio?
Lenders use debt-to-income ratio to judge whether you can afford a loan. Learn how DTI is calculated and how to…
Loans & DebtBalance Transfer Cards Explained
How balance transfer credit cards work, what fees to expect and a step-by-step way to use a 0% intro APR to pay off…
Loans & DebtPayday Loans and Safer Alternatives
Payday loans carry extremely high APRs. Learn how they work and what lower-cost alternatives exist when you need…
Loans & Debt calculators
All calculators →Auto Loan
Car payment, total interest and term comparison
Loans & DebtPersonal Loan
Monthly payment, fees and total cost
Loans & DebtCredit Card Payoff
Time and interest to clear a balance
Loans & DebtDebt Snowball vs Avalanche
Compare two debt payoff strategies
Loans & DebtDebt-to-Income Ratio
DTI ratio lenders use to approve loans
Loans & DebtLoan Comparison
Compare two loan offers side by side
Loans & DebtAPR
True annual percentage rate including fees
Loans & DebtBalance Transfer
Savings from a 0% intro APR transfer