{"id":57779,"date":"2020-10-27T13:46:00","date_gmt":"2020-10-27T17:46:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/debt-and-stress-relief\/struggling-to-make-ends-meet\/managing-and-consolidating-debt\/consolidating-debt-101-why-it-works-what-your-options-are\/"},"modified":"2024-01-23T08:22:08","modified_gmt":"2024-01-23T13:22:08","slug":"consolidating-debt-101-why-it-works-what-your-options-are","status":"publish","type":"rbc_my_money_matter","link":"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/debt-and-stress-relief\/struggling-to-make-ends-meet\/managing-and-consolidating-debt\/consolidating-debt-101-why-it-works-what-your-options-are\/","title":{"rendered":"Consolidating Debt 101 \u2014 Why it Works &amp; What Your Options Are"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-rbc-single-article-header\">\n\t<section class=\"section-grey cover pad-t-hlf\">\n\t\t<div class=\"section-inner w-half w-mob-full centered-margin cover section-grey pad-tb-0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"inline-block pill-container pill-taxonomies\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"mar-b-hlf mob-mar-b snipe pill is-style-blue-pill\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"primary-taxonomy\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/topic\/real-estate\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Real Estate<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<h1 class=\"mar-b-hlf mar-t-0 mob-pad-lr-hlf h2 has-black-color\">Consolidating Debt 101 \u2014 Why it Works &amp; What Your Options Are<\/h1><p class=\"mar-b-0 mob-pad-lr-hlf author-text\">By Diane Amato<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"featured-image-wrapper pos-rel\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"930\" height=\"620\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2023\/09\/Thumbnail-default-281-1.jpg?quality=80\" class=\" cover-image  wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2023\/09\/Thumbnail-default-281-1.jpg 930w, https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2023\/09\/Thumbnail-default-281-1.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2023\/09\/Thumbnail-default-281-1.jpg?resize=768,512 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 930px) 100vw, 930px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/section>\n\t<div class=\"article mar-t-dbl\">\n\t\t\t\t<section>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"section-inner socials-section\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"top-socials-bar mob-mar-b-hlf\">    <div class=\"social-links mob-mar-b-hlf mob-mar-t-hlf\">\n            <a class=\"social-button-wrapper sharing-custom sharing-email\" href=\"mailto:?subject=Consolidating Debt 101 \u2014 Why it Works &amp; What Your Options Are &#038;body=Hi, I thought you might be interested in this article from RBC My Money Matters: https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/debt-and-stress-relief\/struggling-to-make-ends-meet\/managing-and-consolidating-debt\/consolidating-debt-101-why-it-works-what-your-options-are\/\">\n        <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/plugins\/rbc-blocks\/assets\/img\/icons\/icon-email.svg\"\n          alt=\"envelope icon\">\n        <span>\n          Email        <\/span>\n      <\/a>\n      <div class=\"social-button-wrapper sharing-copy-wrapper\">\n        <button class=\"sharing-custom sharing-copy\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/debt-and-stress-relief\/struggling-to-make-ends-meet\/managing-and-consolidating-debt\/consolidating-debt-101-why-it-works-what-your-options-are\/\">\n          <img decoding=\"async\"\n            src=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/plugins\/rbc-blocks\/assets\/img\/icons\/icon-related.svg\"\n            alt=\"copy icon\">\n          <span id=\"sharing-copyUrl-Label\">\n            Copy URL          <\/span>\n        <\/button>\n        <input type=\"text\" class=\"sharing-copy-text\" aria-labelledby=\"sharing-copyUrl-Label\">\n      <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"section-inner w-half w-mob-full centered-margin pad-tb-0 mob-mar-t-hlf mob-mar-b\">\n\t\t\t\t<p class=\"cover-pub-line text-xs mar-b-hlf\">Published October 27, 2020 \u2022 5 Min Read<\/p>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-rbc-section-block  pos-rel\" style=\"border-radius:0px\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-rbc-section-inner-block  section-inner w-half w-mob-full\" style=\"border-radius:0x\">\n<p>Consolidating debt means taking balances from various places \u2014 such as credit cards, department store cards, high interest loans and more \u2014 and combining them into one loan. There are four main benefits to consolidating debts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-rbc-list default is-style-blue-disc\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-rbc-list-item\">\n<p class=\"is-style-default default\">Reducing your interest costs<\/p>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-rbc-list-item\">\n<p>Simplifying your payments<\/p>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-rbc-list-item\">\n<p>Paying off your debt sooner<\/p>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-rbc-list-item\">\n<p>Improving your cash flow<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;<br>How you consolidate comes down to a few factors, and deciding on your specific consolidation route depends on your answers the following questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-rbc-list default is-style-blue-disc\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-rbc-list-item\">\n<p class=\"is-style-default default\"><em>Do I have equity in my home I can use?<\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-rbc-list-item\">\n<p><em>Would a fixed or flexible payment plan work best for me?<\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-rbc-list-item\">\n<p><em>How much can I afford in debt payments each month?<\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-rbc-list-item\">\n<p><em>Do I have the discipline to stay out of debt once I consolidate?<\/em><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;<br>As you figure out the answers to these questions, here&#8217;s the 101 on your debt consolidation options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Consolidation Loan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>As the name suggests, a consolidation loan is designed to consolidate debts from various places into a single loan. Consolidation loans can have either fixed or variable rates, which might be considerably less than the interest rate on a typical credit card. Consolidation loads usually come with an amortization (a series of payments) of two to five years \u2014 the shorter the amortization, the quicker you&#8217;ll pay your loan off. The longer the amortization, the less your monthly payment will be \u2014 but, it will take longer to pay off your debt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A consolidation loan may be a smart choice if:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-rbc-list default is-style-blue-disc\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-rbc-list-item\">\n<p class=\"is-style-default default\">You don&#8217;t want any payment surprises. A consolidation loan gives you a set amount to pay every month.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-rbc-list-item\">\n<p>You want to circle an end date on your calendar. This option gives you the date by which your loan will be paid off.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Line of Credit (Unsecured)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Like a consolidation loan, an unsecured line of credit comes with a significantly lower interest rate compared to a credit card or store card. Unlike a consolidation loan, however, a line of credit offers the flexibility to either make just the minimum payment, or more if and when you can. When you pay down the amount you owe, you can re-use your credit up to your credit limit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A line of credit may be the right choice if:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-rbc-list default is-style-blue-disc\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-rbc-list-item\">\n<p class=\"is-style-default default\">You have fluctuating cash flow. A line of credit offers flexible monthly payments.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-rbc-list-item\">\n<p>You don&#8217;t necessarily need to have a set &#8220;debt-free&#8221; date.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-rbc-list-item\">\n<p>You have the discipline to avoid accumulating more debt on your line of credit once you pay down the balance.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Home Equity Line of Credit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have at least 20 percent equity in your home, you may be eligible for a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC). This solution is a revolving line of credit that typically allows you to access up to 80% of your home&#8217;s value. Because your home is used as collateral to &#8220;secure&#8221; the line of credit, the interest rate is generally lower than any other type of loan. Like an unsecured line of credit, you can re-borrow what you pay back without having to re-apply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because of the larger amount of credit you can (typically) access and the low interest rates, a HELOC may be one of the best options for debt consolidation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A home equity line of credit may be the right choice if:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-rbc-list default is-style-blue-disc\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-rbc-list-item\">\n<p class=\"is-style-default default\">You have at least 20% equity in your home.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-rbc-list-item\">\n<p>You don&#8217;t need a fixed &#8220;debt-free&#8221; date, and put more value on a lower interest rate.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-rbc-list-item\">\n<p>You have the discipline to avoid accumulating more debt on your line of credit once you pay down the balance.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mortgage Refinancing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Refinancing a mortgage means you replace your existing mortgage with a new one with different terms. When you refinance to consolidate debt, you roll your high-interest debt into this new mortgage, and your mortgage amount becomes the amount of your original mortgage plus the non-mortgage debt you rolled into it. Because mortgage rates are currently very low (between 2% and 3%) consolidating your other debt into your mortgage can save you a great deal in monthly interest costs. It also simplifies your debt repayments, since your mortgage becomes the only loan payment you need to make.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A mortgage refinance may be the right choice if:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-rbc-list default is-style-blue-disc\">\n<li class=\"wp-block-rbc-list-item\">\n<p class=\"is-style-default default\">You have at least 20% equity in your home.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-rbc-list-item\">\n<p>You want to make life easier and have a single debt payment to make.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"wp-block-rbc-list-item\">\n<p>You have a budget in place to help you avoid accumulating non-mortgage debt in the future.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>&nbsp;<br>Consolidating debt doesn&#8217;t mean you&#8217;ve reduced the amount you owe \u2014 it just puts your debts together to make them more manageable. With lower interest costs, one monthly payment to keep track of, and more financial breathing room, not only can you pay down your debt faster, you may also feel more in control of your money. Once you do consolidate, it may be a good idea to put together a budget (if you don&#8217;t already have one) to help limit potential future financial stress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns has-border-color has-rbc-bright-blue-tint-1-border-color has-white-color has-rbc-bright-blue-tint-1-background-color has-text-color has-background is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-9d6595d7 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\" style=\"border-width:1px\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-white-color has-text-color\">Want to talk to someone about the debt consolidation solution that&#8217;s best for you? An <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/book-an-appointment\/book-an-appointment.html?promo_name=ENT_RBC_DNL&amp;promo_id=265964&amp;promo_position=callout&amp;promo_creative=Consolidating Debt 101 \u2014 Why it Works &amp; What Your Options Are\">RBC Advisor<\/a> would be happy to speak with you about your options.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-rbc-rbc-default-collapsible\"><p><button class=\"collapse-toggle collapsed\" data-target=\"#collapse834a1009\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-controls=\"collapse834a1009\" data-dig-id=\"LP-57738-834a1009\" data-dig-category=\"LP\" data-dig-action=\"accordion closed\" action-closed=\"accordion closed\" action-opened=\"accordion open\" data-dig-label=\"Things our lawyers want you to know\"><span>Things our lawyers want you to know<\/span><span>Things our lawyers want you to know<\/span><\/button><\/p><div class=\"collapse-content collapse\" id=\"collapse834a1009\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-rbc-collapsible-inner-block collapse-inner\">\n<p>This article is intended as general information only and is not to be relied upon as constituting legal, financial or other professional advice. A professional advisor should be consulted regarding your specific situation. Information presented is believed to be factual and up-to-date but we do not guarantee its accuracy and it should not be regarded as a complete analysis of the subjects discussed. All expressions of opinion reflect the judgment of the authors as of the date of publication and are subject to change. No endorsement of any third parties or their advice, opinions, information, products or services is expressly given or implied by Royal Bank of Canada or any of its affiliates.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\t\n\t<div class=\"wp-block-tk-spacer id-0a94f22a-b40e-47f9-bd42-4317234befe4\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center h5 mar-b\"><strong>Share This Article<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\t\t<div class=\"socials-block\">\n\t\t\t    <div class=\"social-links mob-mar-b-hlf mob-mar-t-hlf\">\n            <a class=\"social-button-wrapper sharing-custom sharing-email\" href=\"mailto:?subject=Consolidating Debt 101 \u2014 Why it Works &amp; What Your Options Are &#038;body=Hi, I thought you might be interested in this article from RBC My Money Matters: https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/debt-and-stress-relief\/struggling-to-make-ends-meet\/managing-and-consolidating-debt\/consolidating-debt-101-why-it-works-what-your-options-are\/\">\n     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 <\/div>\n  \t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\n\t\n\t<div class=\"wp-block-tk-spacer id-1efcc199-95f7-43ea-a858-bb34bb222728\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n\t\n\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-rbc-single-post-topics related-topics-links\">\n\t\t\t\t<p class=\"h5 mar-r-hlf\">Topics:<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/topic\/real-estate\/\" class=\"btn topic mar-t-0 mar-r-qtr mar-b-hlf\">Real Estate<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/topic\/savings\/\" class=\"btn topic mar-t-0 mar-r-qtr mar-b-hlf\">Savings<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-rbc-section-block  pos-rel mob-pad-t-dbl\" style=\"border-radius:0px\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-rbc-section-inner-block  section-inner\" style=\"border-radius:0x\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading mar-b mob-mar-b-dbl mar-t-0\" id=\"h-read-this-next\">Read This Next<\/h2>\n\n\n\t\t\t<div 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href=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/life-events\/finances-and-relationships\/parenthood\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tParenthood\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/life-events\/finances-and-relationships\/parenthood\/resps-vs-rrsps-how-to-balance-education-and-retirement-savings\/\" class=\"card-title h4 mar-t-0\">RESPs vs RRSPs: How to Balance Education and Retirement Savings<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class= 'grid-one-third grid-tb-full grid-mob-full mar-b'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<article class=\"col-wpr mar-b-0 mar-r-0 mar-l-0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"postcard-img-ctr post-card-image col-md-12 col-xs-6 mob-mar-b-0 pad-l-0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/07\/Sep-15_shutterstock_2438592943.jpg?quality=80&amp;w=1024\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"A hand holds a disc with a percentage symbol on it, and upward and downward arrows over and below the disc to reflect the rate announcement on September 17, 2025.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/07\/Sep-15_shutterstock_2438592943.jpg 5233w, https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/07\/Sep-15_shutterstock_2438592943.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/07\/Sep-15_shutterstock_2438592943.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2025\/07\/Sep-15_shutterstock_2438592943.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, 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Canada Interest Rate Explained and How It Shapes Your Mortgage<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class= 'grid-one-third grid-tb-full grid-mob-full mar-b'>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<article class=\"col-wpr mar-b-0 mar-r-0 mar-l-0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"postcard-img-ctr post-card-image col-md-12 col-xs-6 mob-mar-b-0 pad-l-0\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2026\/03\/shutterstock_1823396156_retirementreadiness.jpg?quality=80&amp;w=1024\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Middle-aged couple walking dog while reflecting on retirement savings and future financial security; image representing retirement readiness planning\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2026\/03\/shutterstock_1823396156_retirementreadiness.jpg 6720w, https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2026\/03\/shutterstock_1823396156_retirementreadiness.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2026\/03\/shutterstock_1823396156_retirementreadiness.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2026\/03\/shutterstock_1823396156_retirementreadiness.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2026\/03\/shutterstock_1823396156_retirementreadiness.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/12\/2026\/03\/shutterstock_1823396156_retirementreadiness.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-details mob-mar-b-0 mob-mar-t-0 pad-r-0 col-md-12 col-xs-6\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"primary-taxonomy primary-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/retirement\/planning-for-retirement\/\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tPlanning for Retirement\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rbcroyalbank.com\/en-ca\/my-money-matters\/goals-aspirations\/retirement\/planning-for-retirement\/behind-on-retirement-savings-what-to-do-now\/\" class=\"card-title h4 mar-t-0\">Behind on retirement savings? What to do now.<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<style class=\"advgb-styles-renderer\">\n\t\t.wp-block-tk-spacer.id-0a94f22a-b40e-47f9-bd42-4317234befe4 {\n\t\theight: 96px;\n\t}\n\n\t@media ( max-width: 480px ) {\n\t\t.wp-block-tk-spacer.id-0a94f22a-b40e-47f9-bd42-4317234befe4 {\n\t\t\theight: 30px;\n\t\t}\n\t}\t\n\t\t.wp-block-tk-spacer.id-1efcc199-95f7-43ea-a858-bb34bb222728 {\n\t\theight: 60px;\n\t}\n\n\t@media ( max-width: 480px ) {\n\t\t.wp-block-tk-spacer.id-1efcc199-95f7-43ea-a858-bb34bb222728 {\n\t\t\theight: 30px;\n\t\t}\n\t}\t<\/style>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Consolidating your debt into one payment may help you pay it down faster and give you more control of your money. Discover your options.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":67527,"parent":57274,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","footnotes":""},"tags":[60,48],"rbc_content_type":[31],"rbc_audience":[],"rbc_lob_group":[58],"rbc_difficulty_level":[33],"rbc_mmm_category":[310,302,303,327,340,306],"class_list":["post-57779","rbc_my_money_matter","type-rbc_my_money_matter","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-real-estate","tag-savings","rbc_content_type-article","rbc_lob_group-mortgage","rbc_difficulty_level-beginner","rbc_mmm_category-buying-a-home","rbc_mmm_category-debt-stress-relief","rbc_mmm_category-goals-aspirations","rbc_mmm_category-managing-and-consolidating-debt","rbc_mmm_category-refinancing-and-downsizing","rbc_mmm_category-struggling-to-make-ends-meet"],"acf":{"contently_publication_id":"265964","custom_author":"Diane Amato","rbc_video_header":"","rbc_media_duration":"","rbc_toc_for_mmm_tag":"h2","rbc_toc_for_mmm_limit":6,"rbc_toc_for_mmm":null,"rbc_toc_for_mmm_action":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.2 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Consolidating your debt into one payment may help you pay it down faster and give you more control of your money. 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