PaymentMath

Mortgage & money

Consolidating $20,000 of credit card debt

Quick answer: At the Federal Reserve’s average 11.9% personal loan rate, $20,000 over 36 months is $663.33 a month and $3,880 of interest. Paying the same amount on a 22.36% card takes 3 yr 9 mo and costs $9,647.

  • Standard finance formulas · rates you enter
  • Updated
  • Reviewed by Alex · How we calculate

At the Federal Reserve’s average 11.9% personal loan rate, $20,000 over 36 months is $663.33 a month and $3,880 of interest. Paying the same amount on a 22.36% card takes 3 yr 9 mo and costs $9,647.

Where do these numbers come from?

How we calculateCorrectionsChangelogAbout PaymentMath

Loan payments on $20,000 at 11.9%

TermMonthly paymentTotal interest
24 months$940.54$2,573
36 months$663.33$3,880
48 months$525.70$5,233
60 months$443.88$6,633

Paying $20,000 on the card at 22.36%

Monthly paymentTime to pay offInterest
$40012 yr 2 mo$38,139
$6004 yr 5 mo$11,542
$6633 yr 9 mo$9,655
$1,1441 yr 10 mo$4,427

Balance transfer

To clear $20,000 plus a 3% fee in an 18-month 0% period you would pay about $1,144.44 a month. If that is out of reach, the rate after the intro applies to what is left.

Rates shown are Federal Reserve national averages for comparison, not offers. Your APR depends on credit; transfer offers need good credit and a new card limit large enough for the balance.

Sources and assumptions

Related

Frequently asked questions

What is the monthly payment on a $20,000 debt consolidation loan?

About $663.33 over 36 months or $443.88 over 60 months at 11.9%.

How long to pay off $20,000 in credit card debt?

At 22.36% APR, 4 yr 5 mo paying $600 a month.