Final answer:
To calculate the percentage of time saved by paying the extra $40.00 per month to pay off the credit card balance, divide the time saved by the original time taken and multiply by 100.
Step-by-step explanation:
To calculate the percent of time saved by paying the extra $40.00 per month to pay off the credit card balance, we first need to find the total time taken to pay off the balance in each scenario.
Scenario 1: On-time minimum monthly payments - 53 months
Scenario 2: Paying an additional $40.00 per month - 21 months
Next, we calculate the difference in time between the two scenarios: 53 months - 21 months = 32 months
To find the percent of time saved, we divide the time saved by the original time taken and multiply by 100:
(32 months / 53 months) * 100 = 60.4%
By paying the extra $40.00 per month, approximately 60.4% of the time is saved compared to making only the minimum monthly payments.