Compound interest in reverse: see how paying only the minimum keeps a balance alive for years.
Feel how the minimum payment creates an illusion of control while interest compounds the balance — and how paying a bit more slashes both the time to payoff and the total interest.
Leave the payment at the minimum by dragging Monthly payment down to $0, then read the payoff time and total interest.
Before you act, predict what will happen. How many months does the minimum-only path take, and how much interest does it cost? Then do it — did your prediction match what happened?
Balance over time
The minimum-only balance lingers for years; a fixed payment drives it to zero.
Total interest paid
What each strategy costs in interest over the life of the debt.