Debt consolidation loans can help you save money on fees and interest by rolling multiple loans or credit card balances into one repayment. This could also help you budget and pay off your debt faster.
A debt consolidation loan is a personal loan you use to pay off and cancel all your debts, so you have just one payment per month.
By repaying this personal loan instead of multiple debts, you'll usually save money on interest and be able to pay it off more quickly.
If you don't want a debt consolidation personal loan, you could look at a 0% balance transfer credit card or consolidating into your home loan.
What are debt consolidation loans?
A debt consolidation loan is generally a personal loan. But instead of taking out money to cover a holiday, car or other purchase, you use the money to pay off outstanding debts. This serves a few purposes:
You only have to remember one monthly repayment, rather than lots of different payments due at different times.
You usually pay less interest, especially if you have credit cards, as personal loan rates are lower than credit card interest rates.
You'll save money in fees, as many bill providers charge an account keeping fee, statement fee or payment processing fee.
You can get out of debt faster, because you can focus on paying off your one loan, rather than scrambling to keep up with all debts.
The goal of debt consolidation is to combine several debts, each with different interest rates and fees, into a single personal loan. Provided you cancel all the other loans and cards, you should save money by having a single, more manageable repayment. Not only does this mean more money in your pocket, but also makes budgeting much easier.
What debts can I consolidate with a personal loan?
Take note of your existing debts. Make a list that shows how much is due each month in fees and repayments. Count up your total remaining debt amounts so you can work out how much to borrow.
Compare personal loans and find a suitable loan. Look for a new loan with a lower interest rate and minimal fees.
Crunch your costs. Before applying for a new loan, use a loan calculator and make sure the new repayments will be lower than what you're currently paying (in most cases, they should be!).
Apply for the new personal loan. During the application make sure you select 'debt consolidation' as the purpose of the loan. This means the lender's assessment team knows that you'll be paying off outstanding debts with the loan (these debts will show up in your credit report).
Once approved, pay off your outstanding debts immediately. And importantly, cancel the accounts, so you're not tempted to spend on them again. Make repayments on your new loan until it's paid off.
Average personal debt
According to Finder's Consumer Sentiment Tracker, the average Australian carries:
Example: consolidating 3 debts into one personal loan
You have 3 debts you wish to consolidate. For the sake of simplicity we're assuming each of these debts has a 3-year term.
Debt type
Remaining debt
Interest rate
Monthly fees
Monthly repayment (inc. fees)
Credit card
$3,500
20%
$10
$141
Car loan
$9,000
7%
$12
$290
Personal loan
$4,000
12%
$10
$143
Total
$16,500
$574
Over 3 years you would end up paying:
$16,500 in remaining debt
$3,764 in interest + fees
For a total of: $20,264
Now, if you took out a single $16,500 personal loan over 3 years with a $10 monthly fee and an interest rate of 10% you'd have repayments of $543 a month. This means you would end up paying:
$16,500 in remaining debt
$3,027 in interest + fees
For a total of: $19,527
This works out to be $30 a month cheaper and would save you $737 overall. Importantly, you'd also gain peace of mind of knowing you only have to make one payment a month.
Pros and cons of debt consolidation
Save money. By rolling all your debts into one account, you'll be paying one fee and one interest rate. This will likely reduce how much you're paying for fees and interest.
Simplify your debts. You will have one monthly repayment to make, one lender to deal with, one set of fees to track and one rate of interest to remember.
Could improve your credit score While taking out another loan may temporarily hurt your credit score, by consolidating your debt and then paying off the new loan you could see your credit score improved overall.
Confusing jargon. Watch out for certain "debt consolidation solutions" that are actually a Part 9 Debt Agreement. This is basically a form of bankruptcy and will have long term repercussions on your credit score.
High rates for bad credit borrowers. If you have a poor credit score, you're likely to be charged a higher interest rate.
Loan exit fees. Depending on how your existing loans are structured, you could have to pay exit fees if you switch loans as part of your debt consolidation
Is a debt consolidation loan the right option for me?
Whether or not a debt consolidation loan is the best option for you will depend entirely on your personal situation, but generally speaking, you should consider a debt consolidation loan if:
Your credit score has improved since you took out your existing debts
You have multiple debts from different lenders and are struggling with the various repayments
The lower interest rate on your new loan is enough to cover potential early repayment or break fees from your old loans
Another thing to consider is that, since this is a new loan, your loan term will be reset. This could be a good or a bad thing depending on your goals.
If your goal is to reduce your monthly repayments, this new and longer loan term will ease the strain on your day-to-day budget.
If your goal is to pay off your debt as soon as possible, the longer loan term could end up costing you more in the long run. However, if your new loan allows free extra repayments then you can use any extra cash to pay your loan off much sooner.
if you are really struggling you should consider calling the free National Debt Helpline for advice on 1800 007 007.
Our expert says: If you're overwhelmed by your debt, you're not alone
"According to Finder's Consumer Sentiment Tracker, the average Australian has $25,578 in personal debt. This includes car loan, personal loan, buy now pay later and credit card debt. Debt consolidation can make these debts easier to manage. Just make sure your consolidation loan works out cheaper in terms of fees and interest - monthly and over the life of the loan. "
In Australia, debt consolidation loans won't necessarily harm your credit score, but as with all credit this depends on a few things.
Any loan can damage your score if you apply for too many different loans at once or miss repayments. But meeting every payment on time and fully paying off your debt can improve your score.
Multiple debts, especially high interest debts, can also affect your score. So consolidating these debts and successfully meeting the payments of your new loan can be an overall benefit to your credit score.
You should also try to take steps to improve your credit score before applying for the loan. And don't apply for multiple loans at once.
Alternatives to debt consolidation
• Hardship arrangements
Lenders and credit providers must, by law, offer hardship assistance support for customers. This includes financial counselling, temporary repayment pauses or restructuring of your debts. Borrowers in distress should consider talking to their current lenders before they start missing repayments.
• Talk to a financial counsellor
If you're struggling to get your debts sorted, you can speak to a counsellor from the National Debt Helpline for free on 1800 007 007.
• Refinance with your existing lenders
Your current lenders and card providers may have similar products with lower rates on offer. For instance, if you have a credit card where you're paying 22% interest, they might be able to transfer you to a lower rate card paying 12% interest. Refinancing a personal loan debt could save you money, too.
Your lender may let you refinance your home loan to consolidate other debts. Your home loan rate is generally quite a bit lower than the rates on other debts, but home loans last for decades. So while it might only add a little to your repayments each month, you could be stretching your debts out for years or decades (which will cost you a lot more in interest).
Can I get a debt consolidation loan with bad credit?
If you're struggling to manage multiple debts then you may already have a bad credit score. But borrowers with bad credit can still get debt consolidation loans.
Here are some tips:
Improve your credit score before applying. A small improvement to your credit score could make all the difference.
Get a risk-based personal loan. Many lenders offer risk-based pricing, which just means lower rates for good credit borrowers and higher rates for borrowers with lower scores.
Check eligibility requirements before applying. A rejected application harms your credit score, making it even harder to get your next loan approved. Lessen your chance of rejection by checking a lender's eligibility requirements before you apply.
Look at specialist bad credit lenders. There are lenders that specialise in lending to borrowers with poor credit histories.
Why compare personal loans with Finder?
Addicted to details. We know taking out a personal loan is something you'll be hooked up with for a while. That's why we put hours into research for this guide (and still do at least once a month)
Rates obsessed. Lenders come in all shapes and sizes, that's why we don't just track the big banks, but all the digi folk too. Pretty much everyone but your parents to be honest.
Cash for whatever you need. Lending rates verified from 180+ products day and night. Whether you're buying a car, rennovating your home or heck just ready to let loose with the spending - we got you.
Frequently asked questions about debt consolidation loans
Debt consolidation loans could be easy to get if you have things such as good credit, high income, security, and a history of saving and meeting bills on time. However things like having a poor credit score, low or inconsistent income, or a large borrowing amount, then you could have a harder time getting approved.
Most lenders offer unsecured personal loans for debt consolidation. If you have multiple debts these are probably not secured (unless you have a car loan). The loan you use to consolidate the debts can be unsecured too.
A debt consolidation loan can be approved in a day, however it will depend on the size and complexity of your debts - as well as your credit history.
Specialised debt consolidation services can take a bit longer, as they will look at your finances and find a tailored solution to your situation. This could make the application process take longer, as the solution may involve things such as negotiating with your current lenders.
You can roll multiple credit card debts into one personal loan. Or alternatively, you can combine multiple cards into a single balance transfer credit card with an interest-free period.
Most Australian banks, including Commbank, Westpac, NAB and ANZ offer unsecured personal loans you can use for debt consolidation. Interest rates on these loans vary based on your credit score.
While these banks may not advertise specialised debt consolidation loans, it will be a legitimate loan use reason under "any worthwhile purchase".
Some lenders may classify Centrelink as income you can use to pay off your loan. It's important to find out if your lender accepts Centrelink recipients first.
If you're on JobSeeker or Youth Allowance, you might need to speak to your creditors to work out a repayment plan.
Debt consolidation means using a new loan to pay off multiple existing debts. A debt agreement is a new arrangement with an existing lender that lets you avoid bankruptcy while paying off all or part of your debts.
You can only enter into a debt agreement via a registered debt agreement administrator.
Christmas is an expensive time of year and unfortunately many people feel they have to rely on debt like credit cards or personal loans to afford presents.
If you have paid for Christmas using debt, the new year is a good time to look at whether you can reorganise that debt into more manageable repayments. Using an interest free balance transfer credit card might be a good solution, but if you have a lot of different debt, rolling it into one personal loan might be better.
It's important to organise and consolidate your debt before things get out of hand. If you miss repayments or have too much debt, you may find your credit score is implicated.
Sources
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Richard Whitten is Finder’s Senior Money Editor, with over eight years of experience in home loans, property, credit cards and personal finance. His insights appear in top media outlets like Yahoo Finance, Money Magazine, and the Herald Sun, and he frequently offers expert commentary on television and radio, helping Australians navigate mortgages and property ownership. Richard started his career in education and textbook publishing in South Korea. He holds multiple industry certifications, including a Certificate IV in Mortgage Broking (RG 206) and Tier 1 and Tier 2 certifications (RG 146), as well as a Bachelor of Education from the University of Sydney and a Graduate Certificate in Communications from Deakin University.
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Addicted to details. We know taking out a personal loan is something you'll be hooked up with for a while. That's why we put hours into research for this guide (and still do at least once a month)
Rates obsessed. Lenders come in all shapes and sizes, that's why we don't just track the big banks, but all the digi folk too. Pretty much everyone but your parents to be honest. 
Cash for whatever you need. Lending rates verified from 180+ products day and night. Whether you're buying a car, rennovating your home or heck just ready to let loose with the spending - we got you.
