Net Worth
$385KTop 42%PeakWorth
$4.2M+$182KNet Worth
$385KTop 42%PeakWorth
$4.2M+$182KFI Age
50y 1m-11moMinimum payments are designed to keep you in debt for decades. See exactly how many years (and dollars) extra payments save you.
Avg credit card APR (2026)
~22.9%
Min payment payoff (typical)
20–30 years
0% balance transfer fee
3–5% of balance
Promo periods
Usually 12–21 months
Payoff time
4y 1m
Total interest
$4,158
Total paid
$12,158
Effective APR
24.36%
| Year | Payments | Principal | Interest | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $3,000 | $1,373 | $1,627 | $6,627 |
| 2 | $3,000 | $1,707 | $1,293 | $4,920 |
| 3 | $3,000 | $2,123 | $877 | $2,796 |
| 4 | $3,000 | $2,641 | $359 | $156 |
| 5 | $158 | $156 | $3 | $0 |
Estimates only. Excludes fees, escrow changes, and tax effects. For educational purposes — not financial advice.
Most card minimums are ~2% of balance + interest. On a $5,000 balance at 23% APR, the minimum is around $115/mo and it would take ~28 years to pay off — costing over $7,000 in interest. Doubling the payment cuts that to under 5 years.
A 0% balance transfer with a 3% fee is almost always a winner if you can pay the balance off during the promo period. Just three things: don't transfer to a card you'll keep using, set up an autopay schedule that clears it before the promo ends, and don't apply for a transfer if your credit is already maxed.
Avalanche (highest APR first) saves the most money. Snowball (smallest balance first) builds momentum and is more likely to be completed. Both work — pick the one you'll actually finish.
A calculator alone tells you the payment. PeakWorth tells you what that payment costs your retirement — and how every change ripples through the next 30 years of your finances.
Minimum payments: ~30 years. $300/mo: ~4 years. $500/mo: ~2 years. The payment is the lever.
Almost always, if you'll pay it off during the 0% promo period and the fee is 3–5%.
Usually no — keeping them open helps your credit utilization ratio. Just don't use them.
Learn guides, true-cost calculators, and audience playbooks across the PeakWorth network.
Cost of
Your daily coffee, in retirement years
$5/day. 30 years. The FI Age cost of a daily latte.
Cost of
The true cost of avocado toast
Settle the meme. With math. And your own salary.
Decision guide
Should you tap your home equity?
HELOAN vs HELOC vs cash-out — the FI Age trade-off.
Decision guide
Should you open a HELOC?
Draw period, variable-rate payment, and the real risk.
Built for
PeakWorth for physicians
Late start, high income, six-figure debt — modeled together.
Compare
PeakWorth vs Monarch
Tracking the past vs modeling the future.
PeakWorth includes every loan calculator above — connected to your real income, expenses, and goals. Every number you change updates your live FI Age and lifetime projection.
