Tribal loan consolidation calculator
A tribal loan at 400–800% APR is the most expensive debt most people will ever carry. This shows what replacing it with a single, lower-rate loan would do to your total cost and your monthly payment. Everything runs in your browser.
How this calculator works, and its limits
Both sides are modeled as amortizing loans: your tribal balance over the months you have left at your current APR, versus the same balance at a lower consolidation rate over the term you pick. The gap is the interest you'd avoid. This is an estimate and it leaves things out — origination fees on the new loan, and the fact that some tribal loans front-load interest so your current cost is even higher than shown. It also assumes you stop taking new tribal loans, which is the whole point. One more thing worth checking first: if your tribal loan violates your state's rate cap, it may be void or unenforceable — in which case you may owe far less than the balance above.
What to do about it
If the payoff date you just saw is further away than you can manage, start here — cheapest option first.
- 1
Non-profit credit counselling Free or low cost
An NFCC-member agency reviews your whole position and can negotiate a repayment plan. It is the right first call for most people and it costs little or nothing.
- 2
A genuinely cheaper loan Capped at 28% APR
A credit-union Payday Alternative Loan or a bank small-dollar loan, used to clear the expensive balance. Only worth it if you qualify at a real rate.
- 3
Consolidation Depends entirely on the rate
One payment instead of several. It only helps if the new rate is genuinely lower and the fees do not eat the difference — run both totals before you commit.
- 4
Debt settlement Fees plus credit damage
Negotiating to pay less than the balance. It can work, but the industry has a long enforcement record and it damages your credit — treat it as a late option, not a first one.
- 5
Bankruptcy Court and attorney fees
A tribal loan is ordinary unsecured debt and is generally dischargeable. Where the debt is genuinely unmanageable this is a legitimate answer, not a failure.
Before any of these, check whether the loan is even enforceable where you live — nine states void it outright.
This calculator answers one question about the cost. See the full picture: what will this loan actually cost me?