Build a debt inventory checklist for repayment decisions
The goal is not a shame list. It is a cash-flow and risk map that supports better decisions.
Read this guideUse a private debt inventory and APR comparison tool
This comparison shows
Calculate total debt, required monthly payments, weighted APR, and an illustrative highest-rate-first comparison in your browser.
Current snapshotNot a payoff schedule or credit pull
Enter statement facts, then review risk. Use current balances, APRs, and required payments. Past-due essentials, collateral, taxes, legal deadlines, or expiring terms can matter more than the displayed rate order.
Build the comparison ledger
Use one row per obligation. The board updates as the balance, APR, or required payment changes.
DebtBalanceAPRMinimum
Priority is more than APR
The displayed order is a mathematical starting point. Past-due essential bills, secured collateral, expiring promotions, deferred interest, taxes, and legal consequences may deserve priority.
Use current source documents
Enter the current balance, actual APR, and minimum from each statement. Do not rely on memory or a credit report alone.
Compare payoff methodsHow to build and read a debt snapshot
Use current statements to compare total balances, required payments, and borrowing cost without losing sight of collateral or delinquency risk.
Total balance
The sum of the obligations entered, using the dates on their source statements.
Required payments
The listed minimum monthly cash-flow burden, not the amount needed to finish by a chosen date.
Weighted APR
A summary of rate exposure that gives larger balances more influence. It is not the rate charged to every debt.
This is an inventory, not a payoff forecast
The tool totals balances and payments and compares APRs. It does not calculate a month-by-month finish date.
- Enter current statement figures.
- Check fixed and variable terms.
- Review urgent risks before rate order.
Priority check: A high APR matters, but housing, collateral, court, and basic-needs risks can matter more.
From statement rows to a reviewable order
- Use one statement periodEnter each current balance, annual percentage rate, and required payment from source documents dated as closely together as practical.
- Include every obligationAdd cards, loans, lines of credit, medical balances, taxes, family loans, and other commitments relevant to the household decision.
- Review the suggested orderThe tool sorts by APR as an illustrative avalanche starting point; it does not evaluate every contractual or legal consequence.
- Override the math when risk requires itPast-due essentials, pledged collateral, expiring promotions, deferred interest, taxes, and legal deadlines may need attention first.
What the debt metrics show
Required monthly payments show the listed minimum cash-flow burden. The balance-weighted APR summarizes rate exposure but does not predict an exact payoff date or total interest cost.
The avalanche order assumes extra payment goes to the highest APR while other minimums continue. Fees, changing rates, promotions, and payment rules can alter the result.
Gather complete terms with the complete debt-record checklist. If a statement and bureau file disagree, resolve the mismatch through the credit-report reconciliation process before trusting the totals.
Questions about APR order, weighted rates, and payoff timing
Is the highest APR always the first priority?
Not always. Bring urgent essential obligations and serious collateral, legal, or delinquency risks into the decision before optimizing interest.
Why use a balance-weighted APR?
It summarizes how much of the total debt sits at each rate. It is descriptive, not the rate charged to every balance.
Does the tool calculate a payoff schedule?
No. It provides a current snapshot and illustrative ordering, not a month-by-month amortization plan.