Calculate Potential Interest Savings from Balance Transfers

Transferring credit card balances to a new card with a 0% intro APR allows you to save substantially on interest while paying down debt faster. You can estimate potential savings by crunching the numbers on factors like balances, interest rates, promotional terms, fees, and payoff timelines.

How Balance Transfers Save on Interest

Opening a new credit card and transferring high-interest balances from existing cards allows you to take advantage of 0% introductory APR offers. This temporarily halt accrual of interest charges on the amounts transferred over.

Savings add up each month as you avoid interest fees you would otherwise pay on the balances at normal rates. The longer the 0% term, the greater the interest reduction.

Calculating Potential Savings

Follow this process to estimate your possible savings from a balance transfer:

1. List Current Balances and Interest Rates

Add up all the outstanding balances on the credit cards you want to transfer to a new 0% account. List the interest rates, both regular APR and default penalty APR, for each balance.

2. Project Interest without Transfer

For each balance, use the interest rate to calculate projected interest per month if you continued paying at current levels without any transfer. Add up the monthly interest across all balances for the total amount you currently pay.

3. Identify New Balance Transfer Terms

Research new balance transfer cards and identify offers with 0% intro rates sufficiently long to pay off your debt, ideally 15-21 months. Note applicable transfer fees, typically around 3-5% of the balance.

4. Calculate Monthly Payments Needed

Determine the monthly payment amount required to completely pay off the total balance within the 0% intro period of the new card, accounting for the transfer fee.

5. Compare Total Interest Paid

Multiply the monthly interest on current cards calculated in Step 2 by the number of months needed to pay off the balances. Contrast this estimated total interest if you don’t transfer vs the single balance transfer fee from Step 3. The difference represents potential savings.

Factors That Impact Balance Transfer Savings

When estimating potential interest savings from a balance transfer, key factors to consider include:

Current Balance Amounts

The higher the balances, the greater the impact of 0% deferred interest savings. Use current statement balances owed.

Interest Rates on Existing Cards

Higher standard APRs on current cards mean more interest fees avoided by transferring to a 0% promotional rate instead. List all applicable rates.

Length of 0% Intro Period

Savings increase with longer 0% terms like 18-21 months. Make sure to avoid deferred interest cards requiring payoff by a specific date.

Payoff Timeframe

Can you pay off transferred balances within the intro period? Don’t transfer more than you can realistically eliminate within the timeline.

Balance Transfer Fees

Upfront fees, usually around 3-5% of total balances transferred, offset some savings. Incorporate fees into calculations.

Sample Balance Transfer Savings Calculation

Here is an example to illustrate calculating potential interest savings from a balance transfer:

Current Balances

• Store Card 1: $2,000 balance at 25% APR
• Bank Card 2: $3,500 balance at 19.99% APR
• Total balances = $5,500

Projected Monthly Interest Without Transfer

• Store Card 1: $2,000 x (25% / 12) = $41.67 in interest
• Bank Card 2: $3,500 x (19.99% / 12) = $59.97 in interest
• Total monthly interest paid = $41.67 + $59.97 = $101.64

New Balance Transfer Card Terms

• 0% APR for 18 months on transfers
• 3% balance transfer fee

Payoff Timeframe

• With minimum payments, total balance with 3% fee = $5,500 x 1.03 = $5,665
• To payoff in 18 months, need monthly payments of $5,665 / 18 = $315

Total Interest Paid

• Without transfer: $101.64 x 18 months = $1,829.52
• With transfer: 3% fee on $5,500 = $165

Total Estimated Savings = $1,829.52 – $165 = $1,664.52

As demonstrated in this example, projected savings from reduced interest charges can be substantial when transferring high-rate balances to a 0% intro APR account.

Other Costs to Factor In

Balance transfers can save significantly on interest charges. Be sure to also account for these other potential costs in projections:

• Ongoing Annual Fee – Some balance transfer cards charge annual fees. Calculate total fees based on how long it will take you to pay off transferred balances.
• Transaction Fees – Estimate any cash advance or foreign transaction fees you may incur related to card usage.
• Penalty APR charges – Getting hit with the higher default penalty APR due to late payments would cut savings. Avoid if possible.
• Deferred Interest – Some cards charge all accrued interest retroactively if balances aren’t paid off in promotional windows. Read terms.

Factor in all costs of a balance transfer card when estimating net potential interest savings based on your situation.

Questions to Ask Before Transferring

Be sure you can answer the following questions clearly when crunching the numbers on a potential balance transfer:

• What is the total amount I expect to transfer?
• What monthly payment can I dedicate to pay down balances within the promo timeline?
• How many months do I need to pay off balances based on payment amount?
• What is the total projected interest cost if I don’t transfer balances?
• What balance transfer fees will the new card charge based on my balances?

Having precise answers helps ensure your savings calculations are realistic and accurate based on your finances and capabilities.

Other Savings Strategies to Consider

In addition to balance transfers, some other savings strategies for credit card debt include:

• 0% purchase/financing offers without balance transfers
• Debt snowball or avalanche strategies focusing on highest rate balances first
• Debt management program through non-profit credit counseling agency
• 401(k) loan if permitted by plan to pay off debts
• Part-time income dedicated to accelerated repayment
• Lifestyle changes to reduce expenses and enable bigger debt payments

Compare all options including balance transfers suited to your unique debt reduction goals.

Key Takeaways

• Detail current balances and interest rates paid without a transfer.
• Identify new 0% card terms and associate fees.
• Project payoff timeframe based on monthly payment capabilities.
• Calculate total interest costs with and without the transfer.
• The difference represents potential savings, offset somewhat by fees.

Crunching the numbers can reveal substantial possible savings when transferring credit card balances strategically. But be sure your estimates are based on realistic terms and your proven ability to repay expedited timelines.