Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Savings vs staying on cards
$4,538
New monthly payment
$501
Total cost of the loan (fee + interest)
$6,062
Interest if you keep paying cards
$10,600
Card payoff at current payment
52
Total repaid on the loan
$24,062
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How to use this
- 1Enter total balances to consolidate ($).
- 2Enter blended current apr (%).
- 3Enter what you pay now ($/mo).
- 4Enter consolidation loan apr (%).
- 5Enter loan term (months).
- 6Enter origination fee (%).
- 7Read your savings vs staying on cards on the right — it updates as you type.
- 8Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Consolidation is a rate-and-structure trade, not a magic reduction. You swap several revolving balances at variable rates for one instalment loan at a fixed rate and a fixed end date. That usually lowers total interest and always removes the temptation of a minimum payment, but origination fees and a longer term can quietly make the total worse even when the monthly payment falls. This calculator adds up your current balances, compares the interest you would pay attacking them directly with the total cost of the consolidation loan including origination fee, and shows monthly payment, total repaid, and true break-even.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Total balances to consolidate: 18000 $
- Blended current APR: 22.5 %
- What you pay now: 550 $/mo
- Consolidation loan APR: 12.9 %
- Loan term: 48 months
- Origination fee: 4 %
Results
- Savings vs staying on cards: $4,538
- New monthly payment: $501
- Total cost of the loan (fee + interest): $6,062
- Interest if you keep paying cards: $10,600
- Card payoff at current payment: 52
- Total repaid on the loan: $24,062
What each field means
Inputs
- Total balances to consolidate ($)
- The total balances to consolidate used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 18000 $ so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–500000 $.
- Blended current APR (%)
- The blended current apr used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 22.5 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–40 %.
- What you pay now ($/mo)
- The what you pay now used in the calculation, measured in $/mo. Starts at 550 $/mo so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–20000 $/mo.
- Consolidation loan APR (%)
- The consolidation loan apr used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 12.9 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–40 %.
- Loan term (months)
- The loan term used in the calculation, measured in months. Starts at 48 months so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 6–120 months.
- Origination fee (%)
- The origination fee used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 4 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–12 %.
Results
- Savings vs staying on cards
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- New monthly payment
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Total cost of the loan (fee + interest)
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Interest if you keep paying cards
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Card payoff at current payment
- Returned as a whole number. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Total repaid on the loan
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Why can a lower rate still cost more?
Because of term and fees. Stretching an 18-month payoff into a 60-month loan can add interest even at half the rate.
Does consolidation close my cards?
Not automatically. Keeping them open with zero balance usually helps utilization, but only if you do not re-run them.
Will applying hurt my score?
A hard inquiry and a new account typically cause a small temporary dip; on-time instalment payments and lower revolving utilization often help later. Not guaranteed.
Is this the same as debt settlement?
No. Consolidation repays the full balance at a new rate. Settlement negotiates a reduced payoff and generally carries far larger credit and tax consequences.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Debt Consolidation Loan Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/debt-consolidation-loan-calculator
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/debt-consolidation-loan-calculator" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Debt Consolidation Loan Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Debt Consolidation Loan Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/debt-consolidation-loan-calculator) (2026).