How debtbrak works

1. Connect debt and cash accounts read-only

debtbrak uses connected balances, credit limits, required payments, rates, posted transactions, and available cash data to understand the decision in front of you. If a cash account is unavailable, debt-only mode still works, but the app is more cautious because it has less evidence about near-term cash safety.

For details about the connection boundary, read Security at debtbrak and the Privacy Policy.

2. Compare routes without sacrificing cash safety

The Map compares ways to pay debt down and shows projected tradeoffs such as time and interest. Before a route recommends a faster payment, it accounts for every required minimum and protects an Emergency fund based on connected evidence and the user's chosen circumstances.

The route is a decision aid, not a command. You can choose the approach, change the amount or timing, or say “not now.” When account data or behavior changes, debtbrak recalculates rather than pretending an old projection is still current.

Background source: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on highest-interest and snowball debt methods.

3. Turn the route into one near-term mission

A mission names one target debt, one total target payment, and one near-term complete-by date. The target card's own minimum is already included in that total; it is not an “extra” amount added after the minimum. Minimums for the other debts remain separate requirements.

You see the expected tradeoffs before accepting. The first two missions are available before the subscription gate; beginning with mission three, an active subscription unlocks new missions and Debt Coach access unless you become debt-free earlier.

4. Verify the payment from connected evidence

For a connected debt, debtbrak waits for posted activity; a pending or merely initiated payment is not connected proof. A payment must match exactly one debt before it receives connected credit, which keeps two cards at the same institution from being treated as the same account.

Verification evaluates principal reduction separately from finance charges. That distinction matters because a person can make the promised payment while interest or new purchases make the displayed balance move differently. The app reports those pieces instead of blaming the user for a finance charge they did not control.

Payments on manually entered debts can be recorded as self-reported. debtbrak keeps that evidence labeled separately; it does not present a self-report as a bank-verified payment.

Learn more in Why can a credit-card balance rise after a payment?

What debtbrak cannot do

• It cannot move money.Connected financial accounts are read-only.
• It cannot see a credit report.There is no credit-bureau connection.
• It does not predict a credit score.Credit coaching is limited to behavior supported by connected balances, limits, and payment history.
• It is not credit repair.It does not offer dispute services or guarantee a credit outcome.

Keep reading

Debt and credit decisions in context