Finances Center
What borrowing costs once fees are counted, how to pay balances off faster, and what to do if you fall behind.
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Snowball vs. avalanche
Run your own balances through both payoff orders and compare the interest.
Consolidation loan or balance transfer?
Two ways to pay off the same card balance, and the number that decides which saves more.
If you miss a loan payment
What happens in the first 30 days, what happens after, and how recovery works.
Guides by topic
Paying it off
- Are balance transfer cards worth it?
- Negotiating a lower credit card APR
- Good vs. bad borrowing
- Paying off a loan early
- Getting ready to apply for a loan
What borrowing costs
- How origination fees raise your cost
- Personal loan vs. credit card
- Buy now, pay later vs. personal loans
- Reading a loan agreement
- Prequalification
- Pre-approval letters
- Qualifying for a low-interest loan
- Refinancing a personal loan
- Why we say yes to borrowing
Payday and high-risk loans
- The real cost of a payday loan
- Getting out of a payday loan cycle
- Spotting predatory lenders
- Subprime auto loans
- Balloon loans
- Peer-to-peer lending
Falling behind
- Recovering after a default
- When a cosigned loan defaults
- Forbearance vs. deferment
- What a cosigner takes on
Student, auto, and home loans
Calculators
Finances calculator
Compare snowball and avalanche: your payoff date and total interest for each.
Loan cost calculator
Find the real APR and total cost when a lender charges an origination fee.