How Long Will It Take to Pay Off $30,000? (2024)

FAQs

How Long Will It Take to Pay Off $30,000? ›

If you only make the minimum payment each month, it will take about 460 months, or about 38 years, to pay off that $30,000 balance. And, you'll pay a staggering $54,359.80 in interest charges along the way, which means the interest you pay will be well above the original principal balance you started with.

It will take 41 months to pay off $30,000 with payments of $1,000 per month, assuming the average credit card APR of around 18%. The time it takes to repay a balance depends on how often you make payments, how big your payments are and what the interest rate charged by the lender is.

Credello: Studies show that Millennials often have debt. The average amount is almost $30K. Some have more, while others have less, but it's a sobering number. There are actions you can take if you're a Millennial and you're carrying this much debt.

You can get a $30,000 personal loan from banks, credit unions, online lenders and peer-to-peer lenders. Eligibility requirements vary by lender, but for a loan this size, you'll likely need a good credit score and a high enough income to qualify for the best rates. Prequalifying is key to finding the best offer.

What's the smartest way to get out of debt? ›

Pay off your most expensive loan first.

Then, continue paying down debts with the next highest interest rates to save on your overall cost. This is sometimes referred to as the “avalanche method” of paying down debt.

The idea behind the debt snowball method is to pay off your debts, one at a time, from smallest to largest. You make the minimum payments on all of your credit cards, but pay more to the card with the smallest balance. Once the first card is paid off, you move on to the next smallest balance, and then the next.

Generally speaking, a good debt-to-income ratio is anything less than or equal to 36%. Meanwhile, any ratio above 43% is considered too high. The biggest piece of your DTI ratio pie is bound to be your monthly mortgage payment.

The average American owed $103,358 in consumer debt in the second quarter of 2023, the latest data available, according to credit bureau Experian.

The monthly payment on a $30,000 loan ranges from $410 to $3,014, depending on the APR and how long the loan lasts. For example, if you take out a $30,000 loan for one year with an APR of 36%, your monthly payment will be $3,014.

Avoid Debt

It's quite possible to live well on $30,000 per year if you're debt-free, but what if you have debt? I would recommend trying to pay it off as quickly as possible with the debt snowball approach. Cut your expenses as much as you can and put the amount you save toward debt each month.