What you're seeing
Two curves starting from the same dollar amount but going in opposite directions. The green line is an investment growing upward. The red line is debt digging downward. The dashed line is $0. Press play to watch them diverge month by month.
How to read the graph
Above the dashed line = you have money. Below = you owe money. The green curve shows what $5,000 becomes when invested at 8%. The red curve shows what $5,000 of credit card debt looks like at 24% APR, even when you're making payments. The gap between them is the true cost of debt.
The key lesson
Compounding is neutral — it amplifies whatever direction you're pointed. At 24% APR, a credit card charges you 3x the interest rate the stock market earns for you. Most of each minimum payment goes to interest, not principal. The same math that makes millionaires also makes debt traps. Direction matters more than amount.