Answer a few quick questions and we'll estimate whether consolidating could actually save you money, and roughly how much. No signup, and we never pull your credit.
Pick your credit and we fill in an example rate. If you have a quote, enter its interest rate (not the APR) and its fee.
Estimates are for educational purposes. The starting rates are examples you can edit, not market data or a real loan offer. Lendifi is operated by Apex Lead Group LLC and is not a lender. Any savings shown are estimates and not guarantees of approval, rates, or results. Your actual rate is set by the lender based on your full credit profile. See our Ad Disclosure.
When you pick a credit band, we fill in a starting rate so the calculator works before you have a quote. These are example assumptions, not market data and not a quote. Replace them with a real rate when you have one.
| Credit band you pick | Example starting rate |
|---|---|
| Excellent (720+) | 9.0% |
| Good (670 to 719) | 13.5% |
| Fair (580 to 669) | 21.0% |
| Poor / rebuilding (below 580) | 29.0% |
| Not sure | 18.0% |
For context, the Federal Reserve's average rate on 24-month personal loans at commercial banks was 11.90% in August 2026, and the average credit card APR was 22.36% for accounts charged interest (G.19). The rate a lender offers you depends on your credit, income, and the lender.
$10,000 is about the balance our founder carried. The rates and payments below are sample numbers, not his actual loan, which we do not have the details of.
Say the card charges 22.36% APR and you pay $286 a month, the calculator's own estimate of a typical minimum. At that pace it takes 58 months and $6,330.66 in interest, $16,330.66 in total. Now compare a loan at a 15% interest rate with a 5% origination fee. To clear $10,000 you borrow $10,526.32.
| Card at $286/mo | Loan, 36 months | Loan, 60 months | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly payment | $286.00 | $364.90 | $250.42 |
| Months to zero | 58 | 36 | 60 |
| Total paid | $16,330.66 | $13,136.34 | $15,025.22 |
| APR (fee included) | 22.36% | 18.67% | 17.35% |
| Total saved vs the card | $3,194.32 | $1,305.44 | |
| Break-even interest rate | 31.17% | 18.85% |
Two lessons. First, the 60-month loan has the lowest payment and saves the least. Its break-even rate is 18.85%, so a quote a few points higher would cost more than staying on the card. Second, be fair to the card: if you paid the same $364.90 a month on the card itself, it would be gone in 39 months with $4,126.03 in interest. The 36-month loan still wins, but by $989.69, not $3,194.32. The rest of the gap comes from paying more each month. For a row by row guide to your own results, see how to read your calculator results.
I noticed the origination fee at the signing table and signed anyway. Put the fee in here before you get there.
No. A longer term can lower the payment and still raise the total you pay, because interest runs for more months. In our worked example, a 60-month loan has a lower payment than the 36-month version but costs $1,888.88 more in total. Compare total cost, not just the payment.
Most origination fees come out of the loan, so less money reaches your debts than you repay. To clear the same balance you have to borrow more, and the APR rises. A $10,000 loan at a 15% interest rate for 36 months has a 15.00% APR with no fee and an 18.67% APR with a 5% fee taken from the loan. Enter your fee so the calculator can include it.
It is the highest interest rate, at your fee and term, where the new loan still costs less in total than staying on your current path. If the rate you are quoted is above it, consolidating at that fee and term costs you more.
Sometimes. If you can clear the balance before a 0% promotional rate ends, a balance transfer can cost less, even after the transfer fee. A loan fits better when the payoff will take longer than the promotion. Our guide on consolidation loans vs balance transfers runs the numbers.
A calculator cannot predict that, and no one can promise it. Applying usually means a hard inquiry, and a new account lowers the average age of your accounts. Paying cards down lowers your utilization, but only while they stay paid down. Your result depends on your full credit file.
Usually not. Moving federal student loans into a private loan means giving up federal benefits such as income-driven repayment. Leave them out unless you have decided that trade is worth it.
A consolidation loan is for debt you can keep paying. If you are already behind, a nonprofit credit counselor may be a better first call than any lender.
No. It runs in your browser, there is no signup, and it does not pull your credit. If you later ask a lending partner for options, that partner or a lender may check your credit under its own terms.