Rates went up. See what it costs your credit cards, HELOC and ARM.
United States · 150 pages · by JP O'Connor
When Rates Go Up.
The American Debt Handbook
Pay off credit card debt, HELOCs, car loans and your mortgage faster, cut interest and get debt free after the 2026 Fed hike.
Your fixed mortgage didn't change. Your credit cards, HELOC and ARM did.
- Why paying the minimum on a $7,500 card can take nearly 20 years
- Avalanche or snowball: see exactly what the easier path costs
- The HELOC payment shock when the draw period ends, and how to shrink it now
- What to say when you call your card issuer to ask for a lower APR
The 10 free calculators from the book
Each one matches a chapter. Put in your own numbers and get your answer straight away.
Nothing you type here leaves your phone. We don't store it and we can't see it.
- US1What the rise costs youEvery variable-rate debt, one number
- US2The minimum payment trapHow long minimums really take
- US3Balance transfer checkDoes a 0% offer really save?
- US4Which debt firstAvalanche against snowball
- US5HELOC payment shockWhen the draw period ends
- US6Keep it or trade it inThe car trade-in pitch, worked through
- US7Sell the toysThe boat, the RV, the second car
- US8Extra payments or a recastYour fixed-rate mortgage
- US9ARM resetWhen your fixed period ends
- US10Debt consolidation loanDoes one loan beat your cards?
Who wrote it
JP O'Connor is a Gold Coast property owner, SMSF trustee and body corporate chairperson. He is not a financial adviser, broker, accountant or lawyer, and the book never pretends otherwise. It explains how the rules work, shows the math with worked examples, and names exactly who to take it to.