Debt Consolidation Calculator
Don't know your exact rates? Pick a debt type and we'll estimate. Then see three honest paths — minimums, consolidate, and consolidate-and-reinvest — with the lifetime cost, not just the lower monthly payment.
Relief now, cost over time
Three honest paths
Pay minimums forever, consolidate, or consolidate AND reinvest the freed cashflow. The reinvest row is the disciplined way out — it only works if you actually redirect the money.
| Path | Payoff time | Total interest | Monthly |
|---|
Balance over time
The minimum trap, the consolidate-only path, and the reinvest snowball, overlaid.
Consolidated HELOC schedule (no reinvest)
The interest-only draw rows carry no principal — that's why staying in the draw is its own trap.
| Mo. | Phase | Payment | Interest | Principal | Balance |
|---|
How to read this
Paying the minimum on a credit card means paying a percentage of a shrinking balance — so the payment shrinks too, and the payoff stretches across decades while interest piles up. (If a flat minimum falls below the monthly interest, it never pays off at all.)
Consolidating into a HELOC lowers the rate and the monthly payment — but a long interest-only draw plus a stretched repayment can pile up more total interest than the trap you left. The number that decides it is lifetime interest, not the monthly.
The reinvest snowball is the way out: take the cashflow consolidating frees up and redirect it to principal during the cheap draw, re-amortizing off the smaller balance. It only works if you actually reinvest — so we keep the don't-reinvest path right beside it.
And the structural risk doesn't show up in any payment: consolidating turns unsecured debt into debt secured by your home.
Inputs explained
- Debt type — pre-fills a typical APR (editable); the minimum follows the rule you chose.
- Minimum-payment rule — how the status-quo minimum is set on the declining balance.
- HELOC terms — variable rate, plus the interest-only draw and amortizing repayment lengths.
- Reinvest % — how much of the freed cashflow you redirect to principal during the draw.
Educational estimates only — HelocPilot is not a lender and does not provide individualized advice. Type-based APRs and minimums are estimates; correct them to your statements.
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- Independent
- Numbers-first
- Sources cited
- No lender ownership
Estimates only — for general information, not individualized financial advice. Actual rates, payments, and terms depend on your lender and circumstances.