Budgeting & debt
A plan for paying off multiple debts
Compare highest-rate-first and smallest-balance-first repayment using the same monthly budget, with payoff timing, interest and a month-by-month balance path.
Work through your optionsFree financial tools
Explore savings, borrowing, purchasing power and cash flow with transparent calculators, stated assumptions and downloadable scenario data.
Start with the next payday
Use the calendar for the day money is needed. For an upcoming annual bill, count the contributions that can clear before it is collected.
Compare & plan
Use the same budget or horizon to compare the trade-offs.
Budgeting & debt
Compare highest-rate-first and smallest-balance-first repayment using the same monthly budget, with payoff timing, interest and a month-by-month balance path.
Work through your optionsSavings & financial mathematics
Compare two loans at a common exit date, or two savings plans with the same deposits and horizon. See the costs, balances and assumptions side by side.
Work through your optionsBalances, deposits & dated targets
Compare the money you contribute, the growth you assume and the deposit needed for a future target.
Savings & financial mathematics
How much comes from deposits, and how much from modeled growth?
Illustrative default scenario
A year-by-year balance and contribution path. Change the rate or monthly deposit separately to compare the effect.
The entered rate is nominal annual interest compounded monthly. Deposits occur at month end. Rates and deposits stay constant; taxes, fees, withdrawals and market volatility are excluded. This is not a return forecast.
Check before comparing: 5% nominal annual interest is not the same as a 5% effective annual return when compounding monthly.
Illustrative default scenario
The required month-end deposit, projected balance and total contributions, using a fixed future-dollar target.
A nominal annual rate compounded monthly, a fixed future-dollar target and constant month-end deposits. The contribution is rounded up to the nearest cent. Taxes, fees and inflation are excluded; the assumed growth rate is not guaranteed.
Check before comparing: A future-dollar target does not automatically preserve today’s purchasing power. Test inflation separately.
Purchasing power & available cash
Examine the real value of savings alongside the cash your monthly budget leaves available.
Savings & financial mathematics
Will nominal growth keep pace with the assumed rise in prices?
Illustrative default scenario
Nominal savings, their value in today’s dollars and the future cost of the starting basket on the same timeline.
User-entered constant annual growth and inflation rates, with annual compounding and no deposits. The opening amount is both the starting savings balance and today’s basket cost. This is a hypothetical scenario, not historical CPI data or an inflation forecast; taxes and fees are excluded.
Check before comparing: The exact real-return formula uses a ratio. Subtracting inflation from growth is only an approximation.
Illustrative default scenario
Monthly net cash flow, projected closing cash and the first month with an unfunded shortfall, if one occurs.
All monthly income and costs are received or paid by month end and remain constant. Intra-month bill timing, interest, borrowing, taxes not entered as expenses and unexpected costs are excluded. A negative balance represents an unfunded shortfall, not an available overdraft.
Check before comparing: A positive month-end balance can still hide a shortage before payday. This model does not track intra-month dates.
Debt service & operating requirements
Translate a borrowing decision into payments, or a business cost structure into a whole-unit sales target.
Illustrative default scenario
Monthly principal and interest, lifetime interest and a full monthly amortization schedule.
Fixed nominal annual interest with monthly accrual and end-of-month payments. The scheduled payment covers principal and interest. Optional fees are paid separately at the start, not financed. Optional extra payments reduce principal each month; no prepayment penalty is assumed. Taxes, insurance and escrow are excluded; the entered rate is not a fee-inclusive APR. Calculations retain internal precision; lenders may round each period differently.
Check before comparing: Optional upfront fees are paid separately. Extra principal assumes no penalty. Insurance and taxes are excluded; this is not a fee-inclusive APR.
Business financial analysis
How many whole units cover costs and the operating-profit target?
Illustrative default scenario
Contribution per unit, required sales volume and revenue and operating cost at that volume.
All costs, sales and the profit target refer to the same period and a single product. Price and variable unit cost remain constant. Capacity limits, taxes, financing and changes in product mix are excluded. The operating profit target is before these excluded items.
Check before comparing: Price must exceed variable unit cost. A calculated target does not establish demand or available production capacity.
A consistent comparison
Read a calculated answer together with the inputs that produced it.
Compare USD with USD, annual rates with annual rates, and monthly cash flows with monthly cash flows. Nominal money and today’s purchasing power answer different questions.
Start with a base case. Change one rate, cost or contribution, then calculate again. Record both sets of inputs; a favorable single outcome is not a risk assessment.
Check taxes, fees, timing and rounding before using an estimate. Download the scenario table to inspect the path, not just the final number.
All sample amounts are hypothetical USD scenarios calculated by these tools. They are not observed returns, current interest rates, personalized advice or guarantees. Each tool includes its formula, limits and background reference.
From the library
Compare overlapping and staggered leave using verified pay, care dates, savings capacity, and the cash cost of a longer unpaid period.
Compare acting with uncertainty against buying information that can change the decision, using explicitly assumed probabilities and an upper-bound perfect-information case.
Compare declining an overflow assignment with subcontracting it, including supervision time, rework, and cash timing.