Last updated: March 2, 2026 by Sarah Chen

Snowball vs Avalanche Debt Payoff

Formula

The debt snowball method pays off the smallest balance first for quick wins, while the avalanche method targets the highest interest rate first to save money.

Both methods accelerate debt payoff by rolling freed payments into the next debt.

Common use cases:

  • Creating a debt-free plan
  • Comparing payoff strategies
  • Motivating debt elimination

Frequently Asked Questions

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Sarah Chen

Financial Analyst, CFA

Sarah is a Chartered Financial Analyst with over 8 years of experience in investment management and financial modeling. She specializes in retirement planning and compound interest calculations.

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