How to clear credit card debt faster
- Pay more than the minimum. Minimum payments are designed to keep you in debt for years — most of each payment goes to interest.
- Target the highest rate first (the "avalanche" method) to pay the least interest overall.
- Consider a lower-rate option — a line of credit or consolidation loan can cut a 19.99% card to single digits.
FAQ
Why does paying only the minimum take so long?
At 19.99%, a large share of a small payment is just interest, so the balance barely moves. Raising the payment even a little dramatically shortens the payoff and cuts total interest.