• looked at the debt again before deployment still the same
  • sent extra deployment pay toward the debt but it hardly moved
  • act strong for the unit but this debt is my private weight
  • i just want a date when this debt will be gone after deployment

DebtPlanningforMilitaryDeployment

See your exact debt-free date — without connecting your bank.

The deployment briefing covered the SCRA. The deployment briefing always covers the SCRA. Most service members file the paperwork in the binder and forget about it; SCRA caps interest at 6% on pre-service debt while you are deployed, which is a structural advantage worth thousands across a career. Eighteen thousand at 6% (post-SCRA cap) generates $90/month in interest — manageable on the deployment-pay surge that is about to land in the household account.Active duty, reserve, or recently returned — the financial reality of deployment-disrupted household income looks the same in a spreadsheet.

Avalanche is the right method during deployment because the interest landscape is unusually flat under SCRA. With most debts capped at 6%, the highest-rate debts in your portfolio are anything that was not eligible for SCRA — typically a credit card opened during service. Send every dollar of deployment-extra income to that uncapped balance first. Snowball would close small balances; Avalanche kills the only debt where the bank is still charging full freight.

On $18,000 at a blended 6% post-SCRA (typical mix: $10k auto loan SCRA-capped at 6%, $5k credit card uncapped at 22%, $3k personal loan SCRA-capped at 6%), paying $360/month minimum finishes in 60 months and costs $2,800 in interest. Adding $700/month deployment extra cuts that to 18 months and $850 interest. The credit card closes around month 7.

Note: military service qualifies for PSLF. Do not enter your federal student loans below — enter only credit cards and other non-federal debt. See studentaid.gov/PSLF.

Pre-loaded with a typical deployment portfolio with SCRA caps applied. Your numbers stay on your device — no bank login, no DEERS lookup. The math runs locally — see the methodology. Apply your SCRA rate caps before entering rates here.

Your numbers

Pre-loaded with a typical military debt profile

Update with your actual numbers after you unlock the full calculator.

Nickname
Balance
Rate
Min payment
Auto Loan (SCRA cap)$10,0006%$193
Credit Card (post-service)$5,00022%$125
Personal Loan (SCRA cap)$3,0006%$58

Recommended: Avalanche for this debt profile.

Your 16-point rate spread means Avalanche saves you significantly more.

Estimated freedom date

Your exact date is waiting. Enter your real numbers to see it.

One-time. No subscription. No bank login. Your numbers stay on your device.

Situational questions

Common questions

  • Submit a written request to each lender with a copy of your active-duty orders. The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act caps interest at 6% on pre-service debt during active duty. Most banks comply within 30-60 days; some require formal certification from your command. The cap is retroactive to your activation date, so file early to recover overpaid interest.

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