How Long Will It Take to Pay Off $20,000? (2024)

FAQs

How Long Will It Take to Pay Off $20,000? ›

It will take 47 months to pay off $20,000 with payments of $600 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.

Keep in mind that at 0% interest, you would need to pay over $550 per month to pay $20,000 off in three years. Moreover, balance transfer credit cards typically come with transfer fees.

A $20,000 loan at 5% for 60 months (5 years) will cost you a total of $22,645.48, whereas the same loan at 3% will cost you $21,562.43. That's a savings of $1,083.05. That same wise shopper will look not only at the interest rate but also the length of the loan.

“That's because the best balance transfer and personal loan terms are reserved for people with strong credit scores. $20,000 is a lot of credit card debt and it sounds like you're having trouble making progress,” says Rossman.

Apply for a Debt Consolidation Loan

If you have good credit, you may be able to get a debt consolidation loan, which is a personal loan used to pay off credit card debt. Some personal loans charge higher interest rates than credit cards, but their rates are lower on average.

This means they'll want to see your credit score, income level and DTI ratio. Requirements vary by lender, but most lenders require borrowers to have a credit score in the good to excellent range — meaning a score of at least 670.

You can use a $20,000 personal loan to cover almost any large expense, such as a home improvement project, a wedding or a medical bill. But before you borrow such a significant amount of money, you should figure out whether it's the right move for you.

Payments would be around $377 per month. According to the results, it will take you 60 months, an interest rate of 5% of $2,645, to fully pay your $20,000 car loan. However, the monthly cost of a $20,000 car loan will depend on your repayment period and the annual percentage rate (APR).

Is the average 22 year old in debt? ›

Debt is part of the average American's life, and you can start to accumulate it as young as your 20s. New findings from Experian's 2020 State of Credit report show that the average Gen Z consumer (ages 24 and younger) has about $10,942 worth of debt, not including mortgages.

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.

Let's say you have a balance of $20,000, and your credit card's APR is 20%, which is near the current average. If your card issuer uses the interest plus 1% calculation method, your minimum payment will be $533.33. That's quite a bit of money to pay for your credit card bill every month.

It will take 47 months to pay off $20,000 with payments of $600 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.

The best banks for personal loans are Discover, American Express, Wells Fargo and Citibank. These banks are great for personal loans because they provide the most competitive terms on the market, including low APRs, $0 origination fees, large loan amounts, long payoff periods and more.

#1 Refinance Your Car Loan

Refinance auto loans offer you the opportunity to get a new interest rate and new loan term. If you can afford higher payments, you may be able to secure a refinancing loan with a lower interest rate and shorter term.

The credit score needed for a $20,000 loan varies by lender. Generally, you'll need a good to excellent credit score — 670 or higher — to qualify for a $20,000 loan. The higher your credit score, the better your chances of qualifying for a loan and securing a lower interest rate.