Skip to content

Coaching waitlist · Spots are full

Coaching Built Around Your Money Type

Coaching spots are full right now. Join the waitlist and you’ll hear first when the next Executive cohort opens and when Foundation enrollment reopens.

Join the waitlist See the programs

Free to join the waitlist · No card required

  • Strategist
  • Spender
  • Saver
  • Scrambler

Coaching spots are fullJoin the waitlist

Priceless Tay
Find My Money Type
← All tools

Free calculatorMost helpful for Scramblers

Debt vs. Invest Calculator

Compare extra payments on debt with investing the same money.

Debt or invest

Extra money each month

$300

Debt interest rate

18%

Expected investment return

8%

Years

5 years

Paying the debt wins

$10,864

Interest you would avoid: $10,864. Investment growth on the same money: $4,043. Capture any employer match before extra debt payments.

Interest avoided (pay debt)Growth (invest)
Over 5 years, paying the debt saves about $10,864 in interest and investing grows about $4,043.

Side by side

Same $300 a month for 5 years, two ways to use it.

You put in
$18,000
Either path
Pay the debt
$10,864
Interest avoided at 18%
Invest it
$4,043
Growth at an assumed 8%
Debt path ahead by
$6,821

Where the break-even sits

Your debt costs 18% and you expect 8% from investing. Investing would need to earn more than 18% a year to beat paying the debt, which is 10 points above your assumption.

Break-even return
18%
Equal to your debt rate
Your assumed return
8%
Gap
10 points
In favor of the debt

What if returns came in different?

Your debt rate stays put. Returns are assumptions, not promises.

Which path wins at different investment returns
ReturnInvestment growthWinnerWins by
4% return$1,890Pay debt$8,975
6% return$2,931Pay debt$7,933
8% returnYou$4,043Pay debt$6,821
10% return$5,231Pay debt$5,633
12% return$6,501Pay debt$4,363
18% (same as debt)$10,864Tie$0

What if your debt rate were different?

Your assumed 8% return stays put.

Which path wins at different debt rates
Debt rateInterest avoidedWinnerWins by
8% debt rate$4,043Tie$0
13% debt rate$7,168Pay debt$3,125
18% debt rateYou$10,864Pay debt$6,821
23% debt rate$15,245Pay debt$11,202
Year by year comparison
Debt or invest year by year
YearPut inInterest avoidedInvestment growthAhead
Year 1$3,600$312$135Debt by $177
Year 2$7,200$1,390$580Debt by $810
Year 3$10,800$3,383$1,361Debt by $2,022
Year 4$14,400$6,470$2,505Debt by $3,965
Year 5$18,000$10,864$4,043Debt by $6,821

Your next step

Same numbers, different next move

Two people can get this exact result and need totally different first steps. Your Money Type tells you which one is yours.

  • Strategist“My plan works. I just want it to grow faster.”
  • Spender“The money is gone before I think about it.”
  • Saver“I save it. Then it just sits there.”
  • Scrambler“Every payday I’m guessing what gets paid first.”
Find my Money TypeFree, about 2 minutes
Already know yours?

How It Works

  1. 01

    Enter the extra money you have each month.

  2. 02

    Add your debt interest rate and an expected investment return.

  3. 03

    Choose the years to see which path comes out ahead.

The 4 Money Types

The Math Is the Same. Your Next Move Isn't.

Spenders, Savers, Scramblers, and Strategists each need a different first fix. The free quiz tells you which type you are, so you know what to do with this number.

Find My Money Type

Common questions

When the debt rate is higher than the return you can reasonably expect, paying it down is the stronger guaranteed move. High-interest credit cards usually fall in that bucket.

Capture the full 401(k) match before extra debt payments. That match is separate from this comparison.

More Free Tools

See all 12 tools