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Everyday Money

Debt Avalanche

Also called: avalanche method, highest interest first

The debt avalanche pays off your highest-interest debt first while making minimums on everything else — the cheapest possible route out of debt. On a typical mix of a 24% credit card, a 9% personal loan and a 5% car loan, the avalanche can save hundreds to thousands versus the snowball. Its weakness is motivational: if the highest-rate debt is also the biggest, you can grind for a year with nothing visibly cleared. Choose avalanche if you trust your own consistency, snowball if you don't.

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