Debt Avalanche Engine
The core of Pitch View
The debt avalanche engine is the heart of Pitch View. It connects to your actual bank accounts via Plaid, pulls your real debt balances and interest rates, and continuously calculates the mathematically optimal payment plan.
This isn't a calculator where you type in numbers. It's a live system connected to your financial data.
How it works
1. Account connection. Link your credit cards, student loans, auto loans, and other debt accounts through Plaid. Pitch View pulls balances, interest rates, minimum payments, and due dates automatically.
2. Optimization. The avalanche algorithm allocates your available payment budget across all debts, prioritizing the highest interest rate first. After meeting all minimum payments, every remaining dollar goes to the account that's costing you the most.
3. Continuous recalculation. As payments post, balances change, and new charges appear, the engine recalculates. Your debt-free date updates in real time — not once a month when you remember to open a spreadsheet.
Avalanche vs. Snowball
Pitch View supports both strategies:
| Strategy | Method | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Avalanche | Pay highest interest rate first | Minimizing total interest paid |
| Snowball | Pay smallest balance first | Building psychological momentum |
The avalanche method is the default because it saves more money. On a $50,000 debt portfolio, the difference can be thousands of dollars and months of payoff time. But if you need the motivation of quick wins, the snowball option is there.
What you see
The debt dashboard shows:
- Total debt: Your aggregate balance across all connected accounts
- Monthly interest bleed: The exact dollar amount you're paying in interest this month. This number is often the most powerful — seeing "$347/month in interest" hits differently than seeing a balance.
- Debt-free date: Your projected date of full payoff on the current plan
- Payment allocation: A breakdown of where your next payment should go and why
- Progress: Balance reduction over time, interest saved vs. minimum payments only
Why live data matters
Most debt payoff tools ask you to enter your balances manually. The problem: you enter them once, life happens, and three months later the numbers are wrong. You stop trusting the tool. You stop using it.
Pitch View stays connected. Your balances update automatically. Your plan adjusts automatically. The debt-free date you see today accounts for the payment that posted yesterday and the charge from last week. No maintenance required — just follow the plan.