Pay Off Debt or Invest?
Every debt payment is an investment with a guaranteed return equal to its rate. Enter yours and see which door the money should go through.
- Credit cards
- 22.15%
- Used-car loans
- 11.43%
- 30-year mortgage
- 6.71%
- New-car loans
- 6.39%
US averages, September 2026. Stocks since 1926: 10.47% before inflation, 7.29% after
Your plan
Put the $750 on Credit card first. It pays 22.15% guaranteed; the market's 8% is a hope.
- Send $750 a month to Credit card (22.15%). Gone in month 9.
- Invest $935 a month at the 8% you expect.
Net worth over 10 years
| Pay debt firstRecommended | Invest, pay minimums | Split 50/50 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Net worth at the end | $151,973 | $133,147 | $150,196 |
| Interest paid | $551 | $8,406 | $989 |
| Debt-free | Month 9 | Not within horizon | Month 16 |
Email me this plan
The verdict, the steps, and a link that reopens these exact numbers.
How it decides
Paying a debt is a guaranteed return equal to its rate. Investing is an expected return that some years is negative. So a debt at or above the return you expect gets paid first, no contest.
A debt within three points below your expected return is a toss-up. The market's average edge is small, and it is not guaranteed. Splitting the money is a fine answer; paying the debt is fine too if the guaranteed return lets you sleep.
Two things come before either: one month of expenses in cash, so a surprise doesn't go back on the card, and any employer match you are leaving on the table, which is an instant 50% to 100% return.
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