GuidesDebt1 min
A balance is required before a debt counts
0% complete
This guide
The month, the payoff list, and the “you have numbers” check all ignore a debt until its balance is above zero.
Empty rows
You can open the debt form and look at the fields. Until a balance is typed, that form does not add a slice to the month and does not by itself bring up the sign-up card.
A name and a rate without a balance are incomplete. Interest needs a balance.
Why the rule exists
Starter amounts used to fill the month before anyone typed. A debt now joins only when you enter what you owe. The first visit can still show a labeled home example, which is separate from your debts.
The same rule applies to a home price and a car price. Blank means not in the month.
A small balance still counts
Any balance above zero is included, even a small one. The minimum you attach to it is included in full. Type the minimum you will pay, not a guess of interest.
Set it back to zero when it is paid if you are not ready to delete the row.
This explains how WiseCalculator treats the numbers you type. It is not a lender’s offer and it is not advice for your loan.
More in Debt
- More than one balance in the same monthEach debt has a name, a balance, a rate, and a minimum payment. The month uses the ones with a balance above zero.
- Minimum payments and how long payoff takesEach debt is paid with its minimum plus its share of any extra. The date is how many months that payment takes to reach zero.
- A payment that does not cover interestIf the payment is not larger than a month of interest, the balance never falls. The date says the payment does not cover the interest.