Debt snowball or debt avalanche: Which is smarter for paying off debt?

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Which will reduce debt faster?

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You may have heard of the so-called snowball debt strategy, where you pay off your smallest balances first (regardless of the annual percentage rate, or APR). In theory, you can enjoy some easy wins—and build momentum—as you work your way up to bigger balances.

But the allure may be more psychological than financial. Although it seems daunting to tackle higher-APR debt first—and your progress will likely be slower—you can save hundreds of dollars in interest (or more) by taking the so-called “avalanche” route.

Note: The snowball-versus-avalanche debt strategy pertains to consumer debt, not mortgage debt, which is a longer-term proposition with lots of variables such as tax deductions, building equity, and substituting rent payments for mortgage payments.

The snowball method for paying off debt claims that building momentum—like a snowball rolling downhill—is the key to getting out of debt as quickly as possible. And there’s some emotional logic there.

Let’s say you owe $3,500 on a store card at 15.99% APR, $7,000 on a 48-month car loan at 4.5%, and $2,500 on a credit card at 11%. Oh, and you owe your sister $500 for last summer’s family trip (no interest).

Using the snowball method, you’d pay the smallest balance first. That means you’d prioritize paying your sister, making only minimum payments on the other balances until the $500 is cleared away. Then you’d take aim at the next smallest balance—the credit card—while paying only the minimum on the other loans.

As you eliminate each balance, you end up with a bit more money to put toward the next debt—which fuels your momentum.

The advantage of snowballing, in theory, is that the positive reinforcement you get from a couple of early wins can help you stay on track, build momentum, and power through the rest of your debt. But there are good reasons why the snowball strategy is not the only way to go.

The avalanche strategy focuses first on the debt with the highest APR, followed by the next highest, and so on.

In the example above, you’d start by paying down the store card ($3,500 at 15.99%), then the credit card, then the car loan. Your sister would come last (sorry, sis).

The theory here is that when you eliminate high-APR debt first, you stop the clock on the balances where you’re paying the most interest. Remember the old saying that compound interest on savings is like the eighth wonder of the world? Interest on debt payments grows quickly, too, but instead of saving at a growing rate, you’re owing more and more.

The so-called avalanche method stops your debt pile from growing. In the end, it can save you hundreds or thousands of dollars in interest payments.

Given how different the amounts and terms can be for different types of consumer debt (remember, we’re not talking about mortgage debt here), it’s important to run some numbers.

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A basic loan calculator can help you map out a plan that works for you, ideally saving you the most in interest payments while still keeping you marching steadily forward. Want to see for yourself? Use the calculator here to plug in a loan amount, term, and interest rate (say, $10,000 over five years at 15% interest).

Now, change the interest rate field from 15% to 5%. Note that, even with monthly payments, that $10,000 loan goes from over $4,200 in interest at 15% to about $1,300 at 5%.

That’s why it’s so important to pay off those high-interest loans first. The savings might seem small when measured over a month or two, but over a five-year stretch, the savings add up—to $2,900 in this simple example.

If you’re juggling debt and expenses, consider what you could do with an extra $2,900!

This is a micro version of what successful companies do. Part of what makes a company profitable is minimizing expenses. So when it comes to managing debt, the company’s goal is to reduce its weighted average cost of capital (WACC). The “weight” pertains to the amount of interest paid on each chunk of debt. The higher the interest burden on any balance, the more that chunk of debt is costing over time.

The snowball method may feel better, but the avalanche strategy saves more money. So channel your inner CFO and focus on higher-interest debt first.

Here’s how to set yourself up for success in paying down debt:

Step 1. Choose an extra debt payment amount (e.g., an additional $100, $200, or $500 per month, depending on what you can afford to dedicate to debt annihilation).

Step 2. List your debts from the highest to the lowest interest rate. Prioritize the highest-rate balance while you put the other balances on life support (e.g., make only minimum payments).

Step 3. Once the highest-APR balance is paid off, take that payment and turn it toward the next high-APR debt. So, if you were paying a total of $450 per month on the first balance, now add that to whatever you’re already paying on the next debt (e.g., $450 + a $29 minimum payment). When you pay off that debt, move the payment to the third balance, and so on.

Of course, depending on your unique situation, it might be smart to use additional strategies. You can refinance some types of debt. You can consolidate higher balances on a low- or zero-rate credit card (but be careful of playing card games).

Don’t do anything that could put you in a worse position in the future, or that pushes you further from your long-term goals. For example, borrowing from a retirement plan might steer your retirement goals off course. If your nest egg involves building equity in your home, a home equity loan will send you in the wrong direction.

But if those avenues will lower your personal WACC, and you promise to be diligent about paying yourself back in the future, you could consider them as part of an avalanche strategy.

Although logic (and math) points toward using the avalanche method over the snowball strategy, the best strategy for you is the one you’re likely to stick with. The name of the game, after all, is getting to that debt-free finish line.

One more pro tip: Be sure to have a plan for when you do get out of debt, because that will also help guide you toward your other goals. If paying off all your loans will give you an extra $500 per month, say, would you save for a trip? Catch up on retirement savings? Build your emergency fund? All of the above? Put a name to your get-out-of-debt quest, stick it on the fridge, and get going.