Financial experts advise paying off high-interest debt, but what's considered 'high interest?'

High-interest debt has a bad reputation — and rightfully so. Debt that charges high rates is the most expensive for borrowers to carry. And the longer you leave it unpaid, the quicker the costs grow, especially if it compounds daily.

But when you’re juggling various kinds of credit (and thus debt) with varying interest rates, how do you know what’s considered “higher” than others? While everyone might have a different definition of what makes an interest rate unreasonable, there’s a personal finance rule of thumb that can help you prioritize which type of debt to target first. Below, we help you identify high-interest debt and give you tips on how to get rid of it.

High-interest debt can be identified as debt that charges a rate above the average federal student loan or mortgage rate, according to credit bureau Equifax. Mortgages and federal student loans are generally considered “good” debt because they’re seen as investments that can ultimately increase your wealth (via equity in your house or from the increased income you get from having a college degree).

Additionally, mortgages and federal student loans usually charge some of the lowest interest rates when compared to other types of debt. On the other hand, credit cards, private student loans and payday loans carry some of the highest interest rates of all debt types.

With the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate currently at 7.18% (and the average undergraduate federal student loan rate at a much lower 4.99%), that means you could consider any debt with an interest rate higher than 7.18% as high. However, mortgage rates fluctuate constantly, so you may want to reserve the “high” label for debt charger interest at 8% or greater (which is what Equifax does).

Below are some strategies to help you pay off your high-interest debt.

Balance transfer credit cards

Balance transfer credit cards are an effective way to get rid of your credit card debt because they allow you to transfer your unpaid balance to a new credit card with payments interest-free. Balance transfer cardholders can get an introductory period of up to 21 months to pay off their debt without accruing any additional interest. With interest put on hold, you can actually make a dent in your debt. Just make sure you have a plan for how to pay off your entire balance before the introductory period is over since you’ll then be charged the card’s APR.

The Wells Fargo Reflect® Card comes with a 0% APR introductory period of 21 months for new purchases and qualifying balance transfers (after which you’ll be charged a variable APR of 17.49%, 23.99%, or 28.24%; balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate, BT fee of 5%, min: $5). Another option is the Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card, which has a 0% APR introductory period of 21 months on qualifying balance transfers from date of account opening (after which you’ll pay a variable APR of 16.49% – 27.24%; balance transfers must be completed within 4 months of account opening and there is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening. After that, your fee will be 5% of each transfer (minimum $5).

Refinancing

Refinancing is another way to lower your interest rate, especially if your credit has improved since you last took out a loan.

For example, some private student loans already charge pretty high interest rates but you could try to refinance with top lenders like SoFi®, Earnest and ELFI to score a lower rate and a new repayment term. By setting a new repayment term, you can decide how quickly you want to pay off your loans. A shorter timeframe would mean making more aggressive monthly payments and a longer timeframe would mean lower payments.

Just note that this advice applies to any private student loans you have. If you have federal student loans, you should think very carefully about refinancing them with a private lender, as you’ll lose access to helpful protections such as income-driven repayment plans.

High-interest debt is generally anything higher than the current average federal student loan or mortgage rate (whichever is greater). Some common products that cause high-interest debt include credit cards and personal loans. Prioritize paying off this debt since it costs you the most.

At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every debt article is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of debt products. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics. See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best credit cards and student loan lenders.

Catch up on CNBC Select’s in-depth coverage of credit cards, banking and money, and follow us on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date.

* Fixed rates range from 4.24% APR to 9.99% APR with 0.25% autopay discount and 0.125% SoFi Plus discount. Variable rates range from 6.49% APR to 10.49% APR with 0.25% autopay discount and 0.125% SoFi Plus discount. Unless required to be lower to comply with applicable law, Variable Interest rates will never exceed 13.95% (the maximum rate for these loans). SoFi rate ranges are current as of 3/12/26 and are subject to change at any time. Your actual rate will be within the range of rates listed above and will depend on the term you select, evaluation of your creditworthiness, income, presence of a co-signer and a variety of other factors. Lowest rates reserved for the most creditworthy borrowers. For the SoFi variable-rate product, the variable interest rate for a given month is derived by adding a margin to the 30-day average SOFR index, published two business days preceding such calendar month, rounded up to the nearest one hundredth of one percent (0.01% or 0.0001). APRs for variable-rate loans may increase after origination if the SOFR index increases. You may pay more interest over the life of the loan if you refinance with an extended term. Autopay Discount: The SoFi 0.25% autopay interest rate reduction requires you to agree to make monthly principal and interest payments by an automatic monthly deduction from a savings or checking account. This benefit will discontinue and be lost for periods in which you do not pay by automatic deduction from a savings or checking account. The benefit lowers your interest rate but does not change the amount of your monthly payment. This benefit is suspended during periods of deferment and forbearance. Autopay is not required to receive a loan from SoFi. SoFi Plus Discount: To be eligible to receive an additional (0.125%) interest rate reduction on your Student Loan Refinancing (your “Loan”) for enrolling in SoFi Plus, you must enroll in SoFi Plus within 30 days of Loan funding, either by receiving an Eligible Direct Deposit to your SoFi Checking and Savings account, or by paying the SoFi Plus Subscription Fee. Once eligible, you will receive this discount during periods in which you have received Eligible Direct Deposit to your SoFi Checking and Savings Account, or during periods in which SoFi successfully receives payment of the SoFi Plus Subscription Fee. This discount lowers your interest rate but does not change the amount of your regular monthly payment. This discount will be removed during periods in which SoFi determines you have turned off Eligible Direct Deposit to your Checking and Savings account or in which you have not paid the SoFi Plus Subscription Fee. SoFi reserves the right to change or terminate this interest rate reduction offer for unenrolled participants at any time without notice. You are not required to enroll in Eligible Direct Deposit or to pay the SoFi Plus Subscription Fee to be eligible for Loan approval. Eligible Direct Deposit means regularly recurring deposit of regular income to an Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) Network during a 30-Day Evaluation Period (as defined below). Although we do our best to recognize all Eligible Direct Deposits, a small number of employers, payroll providers, benefits providers, or government agencies do not generate payments that are detectable by our system. So qualifying direct deposits are those where the student loan refinance discount rate is applied automatically for each month where you have an Eligible Direct Deposit of at least $1,000 per 30-day Evaluation Period. Eligible Direct Deposit does not include transfers between accounts you own, refunds, rebates, reimbursements, stimulus payments, merchant refunds, or payments from person-to-person payment services (such as Venmo). To qualify for the 0.25% interest rate reduction, the direct deposit must be recurring and paid directly into a SoFi Checking or Savings account. For the avoidance of doubt, deposits made via check, cash, or mobile check deposit are not eligible. Direct Deposit eligibility is determined by SoFi’s sole discretion. The 30-Day Evaluation Period refers to the “Start Date” and “End Date” set forth on the APY Details page of your account, which comprises a period of 30 calendar days (the “30-Day Evaluation Period”). You can access the APY Details page at any time by logging into your SoFi account on the SoFi mobile app or SoFi website and selecting either (i) Banking → Checking → APY or (ii) Banking → Checking → APY Details. If you do not qualify for the discount during the initial 30-Day Evaluation Period, your loan will not be eligible for a discount unless you re-qualify in a later 30-Day Evaluation Period. If you qualify during the 30-Day Evaluation Period, the discount will be applied on a going-forward basis only. SoFi Bank determines eligibility. If you have a joint account, each account holder receives Eligible Direct Deposits into your SoFi Checking and Savings account, then you will be eligible for all SoFi Plus benefits, including on accounts you hold in your own name.