Guides that explain the maths
Each guide answers one question people often get wrong, works through real numbers, cites official sources and links to the calculator that does the sums for you.
- Paying off debt · 10 min readDebt avalanche vs debt snowball: how each method works and what it costsHighest rate first or smallest balance first, worked through month by month.
Calculators: Debt payoff, Debt avalanche, Debt snowball, Minimum payments
- Credit cards · 9 min readCredit card minimum payments explained: the slow way out of debtHow minimums are set, why they barely dent the balance, and the real cost of paying only the minimum.
Calculators: Minimum payments, Card payoff, Card interest, Debt payoff
- Consolidation · 10 min readDebt consolidation loans explained: when one loan beats manyHow consolidating works, what it can save, and the fees and habits that decide if it pays off.
Calculators: Consolidation, Balance transfer, Debt-to-income, Debt payoff
- Credit cards · 11 min readHow credit card interest works: APR, daily interest and grace periodsThe maths behind your card balance, and why the advertised rate is rarely the whole story.
Calculators: Card interest, Card payoff, Minimum payments, Balance transfer
- Borrowing · 10 min readDebt-to-income ratio explained: the number lenders look atHow DTI is worked out, what counts as income and debt, and what a good ratio looks like.
Calculators: Debt-to-income, Consolidation, Debt payoff
How we write guides
Guides are written by the DebtWren team and checked against official publications: financial regulators and consumer bodies. Every worked example is recalculated with the same engine the calculators use, and the sources are listed at the end of each guide. Guides explain how things work; they don’t tell you what to do with your money. If something looks out of date, the contact page explains how to tell us, and corrections are dated in the changelog.