Frequently Asked Questions

Yes — completely free, ad-supported. No subscriptions, no daily limits, no signup walls.

No — and we do not take affiliate commissions for card sign-ups. Our calculators show you the math; the choice of card is yours.

Mathematically: avalanche (highest APR first) saves the most interest. Psychologically: snowball (smallest balance first) gives faster wins and momentum. Use snowball if you tend to give up on long-term plans; avalanche if you can stick with it for 2-3 years.

Use the Balance Transfer Calculator. The transfer wins if (current APR × promo months) > transfer fee, AND you can clear the balance before the promo ends. Otherwise the post-promo APR can wipe out the savings.

Because the minimum is calculated as a small percentage of the balance — usually 1-3%. As the balance drops, so does the minimum. The interest compounds against a slowly shrinking principal. Most cardholders pay 2-3x the original balance over the life of minimum-only payments.

Sometimes. Closing reduces your total credit limit (raising utilization) and shortens your average account age. Generally keep old cards open with small recurring charges (a streaming subscription) to preserve length and limit.

Yes — the math almost always wins if you have the discipline to clear it during the promo. Set the required-monthly amount on autopay and forget about it.

1-10% is the sweet spot for FICO scoring. Above 30% starts to drag the score; above 50% is significant damage. Note: per-card utilization matters too — do not max out one card even if your total is low.

Sometimes. Consolidation only wins if (a) the new loan APR is meaningfully lower than your card average, AND (b) you do not run the cards back up. The latter is the harder part. Close or freeze the cards after consolidating.

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