{"id":"life-col-debt-payoff-order","audience":"college","category":"everyday-life","track":"life","technique":"examples","title":"Order your debts for payoff and show the math","free":false,"task":"You've already decided to pay extra toward the highest interest rate first. Get your 4 debts as numbered lines from highest to lowest rate, each showing one month of interest like \"1. Card: $2,400 x 24% / 12 = $48 interest\", then a final line saying which debt gets this month's extra $150. Use the updated card rate. Plain text, under 90 words, and give no other money advice. Write a prompt that gets you exactly that.","materialLabel":"Your debts and notes (attached to your prompt automatically)","material":"MY DEBTS (balances as of Nov 1, 2026)\n\n1. Summit Rewards credit card\n   Balance $2,400 | APR 18% | Minimum $60/month\n2. Campus Bookstore store card\n   Balance $600 | APR 30% | Minimum $25/month\n3. Federal student loan (subsidized, in school, not accruing interest)\n   Balance $5,500 | Rate 0% while enrolled | No payment due until 2028\n4. Car loan from Valley Credit Union\n   Balance $6,000 | APR 6% | Minimum $190/month\n\nLetter from Summit, dated 10/15:\n\"Your promotional period has ended. Starting with your November statement, your APR on purchases is 24%.\"\n\nBudget: after minimums, I have $150 extra each month.\n\nNotes:\n- Roommate says always pay the smallest balance first because it feels good.\n- Dad says I should look into investing instead. (Not doing that right now.)\n- Bookstore card closes if I pay it off? Not sure.","rules":[{"type":"numberedItems","count":4},{"type":"maxWords","max":90},{"type":"plainText"}],"mistakes":[{"title":"Using the old rate","why":"The AI reads the 18% in the list and misses Summit's letter raising it to 24%.","fix":"Add: \"Use Summit's new 24% APR from the 10/15 letter.\"","checks":["r0","r1"]},{"title":"Not showing the math","why":"The AI lists the order but not the monthly interest, so you can't see why.","fix":"Show it: \"Format each line like: 1. Card: $2,400 x 24% / 12 = $48 interest\".","checks":["r1","numberedItems"]},{"title":"Reopening the decision","why":"The AI compares avalanche and snowball methods, or brings up investing, though you've already chosen.","fix":"Add: \"I've decided on highest rate first. Give no other money advice.\"","checks":["r2"]},{"title":"Trusting the AI to count words","why":"AI is bad at counting. Ask for \"under 90 words\" and it often lands well over.","fix":"Cap each part: \"each line under 14 words.\"","checks":["maxWords"]},{"title":"Leaving the format to the AI","why":"The AI adds a title, bold labels and sub-bullets, which turns a quick note into a page.","fix":"Add: \"Plain text, no bold, no headings, no intro.\"","checks":["plainText"]}],"promptHints":[{"label":"Says the method is decided","patterns":["highest (interest|rate|apr)","decided","already chose","avalanche"]},{"label":"Uses the updated rate","patterns":["24","new (rate|apr)","letter","updated"]},{"label":"Shows an example line","patterns":["x\\s*\\d+%","/\\s*12","like:?","format each"]},{"label":"Rules out extra advice","patterns":["no (other )?advice","don'?t (suggest|recommend)","only"]},{"label":"Sets a word limit","patterns":["\\d+\\s*words","word (limit|count)"]}],"hint":"If you don't say you've decided, the AI will debate methods. Tell it your rule, which rate is current, and show it one line of math.","rubricLabels":["Orders the debts by rate: bookstore card (30%), Summit card at the updated 24%, car loan (6%), student loan (0%)","Each line shows one month's interest math (bookstore $600 x 30% / 12 = $15, Summit $2,400 x 24% / 12 = $48, car $6,000 x 6% / 12 = $30, student loan $0)","The final line says the extra $150 goes to the bookstore card, and the answer gives no other advice (no investing, smallest-balance method or tips)"]}