My colleague, Houston attorney Pamela Stewart, recently posted on her blog this interesting table that shows just how long it would take to pay off credit card debt if you make only minimum payments. If you have been sending in only minimum payments and you have a hunch that you have paid your debt two, three, even four times over, you may just be right.
This table assumes a 2.5% minimum percentage payment, and an absolute minimum payment requirement of $10.00 per month at an interest rate of 17%.
| Amount Owed | Time Required to Pay Off Debt | Total Interest Expense |
| $1,000 | 12 years | $979 |
| $5,000 | 24 1/3 years | $6,210 |
| $10,000 | 29 years | $12,745 |