Pay Off Debt or Invest?
I have extra money each month. Should it go to my debt or into investments?
Open decisionMoney Lab
Generic rules of thumb cannot tell you what happens with your balance, rate and timeline. Each decision here compares two concrete scenarios using the numbers you enter, then shows the difference, the break-even point, the trade-offs and what to test next.
1Your inputs
Only the numbers the decision needs.
2Two scenarios
Outcomes over several time horizons.
3Change one thing
See how much one input moves the result.
Rent or Buy a Home?
Will buying this home leave me wealthier than renting and investing the difference?
Open decisionShould I Refinance My Mortgage?
Will a lower rate save enough to cover the closing costs before I move or pay off the loan?
Open decisionHow Big Should My Emergency Fund Be?
How many months of expenses should I keep in cash, and how long will it take to get there?
Open decisionHow Much More Should I Contribute?
How much difference does raising my monthly investment contribution actually make?
Open decisionPrepared by the Wealthton Editorial Team under our editorial policy. Last reviewed: October 5, 2026.
How the Money Lab differs from a calculator
A calculator answers “what is the number?”. A decision model answers “which option leaves me better off, by how much, and when does that change?”. Each page puts two options side by side on the same budget and timeline, so the difference you see comes from the choice rather than from different inputs.
Which decision should I start with?
The decisions connect. A common order is: first make sure you have a basic cash cushion (emergency fund size), then decide what to do with high-interest debt (pay debt vs invest), then set a long-term contribution level (contribution decision). Housing choices — rent vs buy and refinancing — usually involve larger sums and longer commitments, so they are worth re-running whenever rates, prices or your plans change.
Your situation may call for a different order. For example, an employer retirement match can be worth capturing even while paying down debt, and someone planning to move within a few years may treat a home purchase very differently from someone settling long term. Each page lists what its model leaves out so you can judge how much weight to give the result.
Change one thing, pin a baseline, share a scenario
Every experience shows a set of single-input changes — a lower rate, $200 more a month, a shorter stay — and how far each one moves the result, so you can see which assumption actually matters. Pin your current numbers as a baseline, edit anything, and the page shows exactly what changed. When you have a scenario worth keeping, copy a link that stores only the inputs after the # in the address; nothing is saved on Wealthton and no account is needed.
Deterministic, transparent models
Every result is calculated in your browser from the inputs you enter, using the same formulas as the matching Wealthton calculators. There is no AI-generated advice and nothing you type is sent to a server. Fixed assumptions and known omissions are listed under each result, and our calculator methodology explains how models are built and checked.
Use results as a starting point
These are educational scenario tools, not personalized financial advice. Use them to understand a trade-off and decide what to ask a qualified professional. Background reading is available in our learning guides. See our disclosures for more.