How to Use:
How to Use the Debt Crusher
The Debt Crusher is Fin OS's most powerful feature. Here's how to configure your debt stack, read your Priority Payoff List, and use the Avalanche method to find the fastest path to zero.
What You'll Learn
- How to correctly add every debt type as an Account so the Debt Crusher has accurate data
- What the Avalanche method calculates and how to use the repayment simulator to run scenarios
- How to use the Debt Mountain Trajectory chart and what to do when a debt hits zero
What It Does
Most people managing multiple debts are doing it intuitively — paying minimums on everything and throwing whatever is left at whichever feels most urgent. The Debt Crusher replaces intuition with mathematics. It shows you exactly which debt to attack first, in what order, and what each extra rupee you pay saves you in total interest.
Who This Guide Is For
You have 2 or more active debts (loans, EMIs, credit card balances) and want a structured, data-driven plan to eliminate them as quickly and cheaply as possible.
Add Your Debts as Accounts
Debts in Fin OS are not entered separately — they live in the Accounts tab. Go to the Accounts tab and tap + to add each debt as an account. For a personal loan or home loan: choose type 'Loan' and fill in the principal sanctioned, annual interest rate, original tenure, monthly EMI, remaining months, and EMI date. For a credit card: choose type 'Credit Card' and fill in the credit limit, current outstanding balance, bill date, and due date. For a personal borrowing: choose 'Personal Borrowing' and specify whether you owe money (Liability) or are owed money (Asset/Receivable).
The fields you fill in here are what the Debt Crusher uses for its calculations. An incomplete entry — missing interest rate or EMI amount — will produce an incomplete plan. Take 2 extra minutes per account to fill everything in accurately.
Open the Debt Crusher
Go to the Decision tab (fourth icon in the bottom nav). You'll see a grid of decision tools. Tap 'Debt Crusher Engine'. The engine automatically reads all your loan and credit card accounts and displays your Priority Payoff List — debts ranked by the Avalanche method: highest interest rate first, regardless of balance size. This is the mathematically optimal order for minimizing total interest paid.
You'll typically see credit cards at the top (30–42% APR), followed by personal loans (12–24%), then vehicle loans (8–14%), and home loans at the bottom (7–10%). This ordering is correct. Always attack the top of the stack first with any extra money.
Run the Repayment Simulator
From the Decision tab, tap 'Debt Crusher Engine' and then look for the repayment simulation options. You can simulate a one-time part payment (lump sum) or an extra monthly EMI amount. Select your target debt, enter the extra payment amount, and the simulator shows your new debt-free date, how many months you're saving, and the total interest you're destroying. This is your plan — treat it as a commitment.
Start conservative with your extra payment amount. It's far better to consistently pay ₹1,500 extra for 24 months than to commit to ₹5,000 and stop after 3 months when an unexpected expense hits. The cascade effect of consistent small extra payments is powerful over time.
Read the Debt Mountain Trajectory
Inside the Debt Crusher, tap 'Debt Mountain Trajectory' to see a visual chart of your total debt declining over time. The chart shows two paths: your Standard Path (minimum payments only) and your Accelerated Path (with your extra payment). The gap between the two lines represents total interest saved. Use this chart when you're tempted to spend your extra payment on something else — the visual makes the trade-off concrete.
The trajectory chart updates automatically as you log actual payments. The more consistent your real payments are with the simulated plan, the more accurate the chart remains. Log every EMI payment as a 'Repayment' transaction routed to the correct loan account.
Log Payments and Watch the Cascade
Each time you make a payment — regular EMI or extra — log it in the Accounts tab as a Repayment transaction. This updates your account balance and keeps the Debt Crusher's calculations current. When a loan account reaches a zero or near-zero balance, edit that account and mark it as closed (or delete it). The Debt Crusher will then show your next debt rising to the top of the priority list — this is the Avalanche cascade accelerating your payoff.
Also explore the Debt Consolidation tool in the Decision tab. If you have multiple high-interest debts, this tool simulates what a single consolidation loan at a lower rate would save you in total interest and monthly obligations.
Pro Tip
Use the Decision tab's 'Next Rupee Allocator' before committing any windfall — bonus, tax refund, or festival payout — to your debt. This tool computes whether your extra money is better deployed paying down a specific debt or invested elsewhere, based on your current interest rates. The answer is often counterintuitive.
Mathematically, Avalanche always wins — it minimizes total interest paid. Snowball wins psychologically for some people because closing smaller debts quickly creates momentum. The Debt Crusher defaults to Avalanche. If you've tried structured debt repayment before and failed due to motivation, consider mentally sorting by smallest balance instead — a slightly higher total cost is worth it if it's the method you'll actually stick to for 24+ months.
Yes — add it for a complete net worth picture. But because home loan interest rates are typically 8–10%, the Debt Crusher will correctly place it at the bottom of the priority stack. Don't make extra payments on your home loan until all higher-interest debts (credit cards, personal loans) are fully cleared. The math strongly favors clearing expensive debt first.
Add all your debts as accounts anyway. The Debt Crusher will show your debt-free date on your current payment schedule alone — which is still valuable to know. When your situation improves and you can free up even ₹500/month, run the simulator to see exactly how much impact that small amount has over your full repayment horizon.
Ready to try it?
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