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THE LIBRARY · PROTECTDebt shelf

Debt

Know what you owe, pay it down in the right order, and handle student loans.

Three books, read in order: the foundations, then the strategies, then a deep dive. Each chapter works its numbers out with the calculators and cites its sources.

Volumes3
Chapters23
Reading time2.2 h
Calculators6
READ IN THIS ORDERFoundations → Strategies → Deep dive
01
VOL 1 · FOUNDATIONSUnderstanding Your Debt8 chapters · 47 min
  1. 01Why Debt Is Hard to Escape
  2. 02Types of Debt and What Sets Them Apart
  3. 03What Debt Really Costs: APR, Minimums and Fees
  4. 04Good Debt and Bad Debt: Judging What a Loan Buys
  5. 05Avalanche or Snowball: Choosing a Payoff Order
  6. 06Debt Consolidation: When It Lowers the Cost
  7. 07Negotiating with Lenders and Debt Collectors
  8. 08Medical Bills, Student Loans and Tax Debt
02
VOL 2 · STRATEGIESDebt Elimination Strategies7 chapters · 43 min
  1. 01A Debt Payoff Roadmap
  2. 02Student Loans Under the 2026 Rules
  3. 03How Credit Scores Work and How to Raise Yours
  4. 04Credit Reports, Disputes and Fraud Protection
  5. 05Refinancing a Mortgage
  6. 06Prepaying a Mortgage or Investing
  7. 07Borrowing to Invest: Margin, Rental Property and Business Loans
03
VOL 3 · DEEP DIVEStudent Loan Strategies8 chapters · 43 min
  1. 01Federal and Private Loans: Know What You Owe
  2. 02Federal Repayment Plans After the 2025 Law
  3. 03Income-Driven Forgiveness and the Tax That Can Follow
  4. 04Public Service Loan Forgiveness
  5. 05Paying Off Student Loans Fast
  6. 06Refinancing: When a Private Loan Makes Sense
  7. 07Student Loans, Marriage, Home and Career
  8. 08Your Student Loan Game Plan
CALCULATORS FOR THIS SHELF
Pay off mortgage early vs invest →Should extra cash go to the mortgage or investments before FIRE?Federal student loan repayment plans →Which plan minimizes my payment or total cost now that SAVE is gone and RAP exists?Debt payoff planner →If I put $X/month toward my debts, when am I debt-free and which order saves most?Pay off debt or invest →At my debt rate, does extra cash do more paying debt or investing?True cost of a car and FI delay →What will this car really cost over 5 years and how much does it push back my FI date?Home affordability and mortgage payment →How much house can I afford, and what will the monthly payment be?
TERMS ON THIS SHELF
Annual percentage rate (APR)Debt avalancheDebt snowballBalance transferDebt-to-income ratio (DTI)Credit utilizationDebt validation noticeIncome-driven repaymentCredit scoreCredit freezeRefinance break-even pointPublic Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)Private mortgage insurance (PMI)Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP)Discretionary income (student loans)Direct Consolidation LoanCapitalized interestStudent loan refinancingTax on student loan forgivenessSecured credit card