Your Options5 min read · 5 sections
Snowball vs. Avalanche: Picking a Payoff Order
Two proven ways to order your payoff — one built for momentum, one for math — and how to choose the one you'll actually stick with.
Section 1 of 5
Both strategies start from the same place: you pay the minimum on every card, every month, no exceptions. That keeps every account in good standing and protects your credit.
The question they answer is what to do with whatever is left over — even if it's only $25 a month. Where should that extra dollar go?
- The snowball says: put it toward the smallest balance.
- The avalanche says: put it toward the highest interest rate.
That's the entire difference. Everything else — the discipline, the minimums, the "roll the freed-up payment into the next card" mechanic — is identical.
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