Calculator
Should I pay off debt or invest?
Run the numbers.
Compare your effective debt cost against expected investment returns to see which move wins.
Enter your numbers below to see the verdict.
How this is calculated
If your interest is tax-deductible, the effective debt rate = APR × (1 − marginal tax rate). Otherwise, the effective rate equals the APR.
The tool compares that effective rate against your expected return. If the effective debt rate is greater than or equal to the expected return, paying off debt first is the higher-EV move. If returns exceed the debt rate, investing wins on paper — but the spread matters.
The scenario table shows bear (return − 2%), base, and bull (return + 3%) cases so you can see how sensitive the decision is.