The best debt consolidation loans in Canada help you manage your payments better and save money. Banks and credit unions offer debt consolidation to people with good to excellent credit. They’re a strong option if your finances are in good shape. If you can’t or don’t want to qualify with a traditional lender, however, you can try an alternative lender.
This guide primarily focuses on alternative lenders that offer some of the best debt consolidation loans in Canada. They tend to provide easier approval than banks, but they may also charge higher rates.
{"userFilters":[{"config":{"MULTISELECT":true,"VALUES":"Less than $2000 per month, $2000-$5000 per month, $5000+ per month"},"dataSelector":{"recordType":"product","fieldCode":"DETAILS.INCOME_FILTER"},"dataType":"TEXT","label":"Monthly Income","order":3},{"config":{},"dataSelector":{"recordType":"product","fieldCode":"GENERAL.PROVIDER_ID"},"dataType":"UUID","label":"Lender","order":5}],"niche":{"currencySymbol":"$","decimalPoint":".","decimalPlaces":"2","thousandsSeparator":",","filterBoundsMap":{"product.DETAILS.INCOME_FILTER":null,"product.GENERAL.PROVIDER_ID":null}},"prefilled":false,"experimental":false}
Key takeaways
Debt consolidation loans allow borrowers to combine multiple debts into one manageable payment, potentially saving money on interest.
Approval depends on factors like credit history, income and debt levels, with both traditional and alternative lenders available. There are no guaranteed debt consolidation loans. Lenders need to review your finances before approving.
Comparing interest rates, fees, and repayment terms is essential to finding a loan that best suits your financial needs.
How to get the best debt consolidation loan in Canada online
Compare lenders. Compare several features such as interest rates, fees, loan amounts, loan terms and eligibility requirements.
Apply to your best picks. Fill in the online applications to get personal loan pre-approval. You’ll need to provide personal details such as your name, contact information, housing information and employment. If you want to get multiple offers via one application, apply to a loan broker.
Compare offers. Compare quotes and choose the best offer.
Submit documents. If required, submit documents to your top choice to verify your income and identity.
Get approved. Get an official loan offer. Review the contract carefully, making sure you’re aware of how much the debt consolidation loan may cost you overall.
Get funded. Your debt consolidation lender will pay out your creditors, and you’ll make repayments to the lender.
How to compare the best consolidation loans in Canada
To find the best debt consolidation loans, compare the following features:
Interest rates
Get an annual percentage rate (APR) that’s lower than what you’re currently paying for all your debts. If, for example, you’re paying 20% APR on credit card debt and are offered a debt consolidation loan with a 35% APR to pay off that debt, you’ll pay more with the debt consolidation loan. That’s why it’s important to carefully compare the best debt consolidation offers and not simply assume you’re getting a better deal on a new loan.
APR is the annual interest rate plus fees you must pay to get the debt consolidation loan. Some lenders advertise the annual interest rate separately from the fees, but you should instead look at the APR so you know the total cost of the loan. Compare personal loan rates in Canada.
Fees
The best debt consolidation loans have little to no fees. Watch out for fees to process your loan, such as origination or admin fees, which may be included in the APR. Also, look out for NSF fees ($25 to $50 is common), late payment fees (fixed dollar amount or a percentage of the outstanding payment), loan insurance and prepayment penalties (uncommon for debt consolidation loans).
Loan amounts
Choose a lender that can approve the amount you need. Lenders differ in how much they can offer a borrower. If you find that you can’t get approved for the full amount you need to consolidate your debt, it may still be worth consolidating even a part of it. Remember that the goal of getting the best debt consolidation loan is to save money and pay off your debt faster. Even a smaller consolidation loan can help accomplish that.
Loan terms
When deciding on the best debt consolidation loan in Canada for your needs, you’ll need to find the balance between monthly payments and the shortest loan term you can afford. Even if a long loan term and smaller monthly payments may seem appealing, you could end up spending a lot more money in interest in the long run.
Eligibility requirements
If you have fair or bad credit, focus on lenders that specialize in loans for your credit score. Many of the best lenders listed in this guide also offer bad credit debt consolidation loans in Canada, including Loans Canada and Spring Financial. If you have good to excellent credit, focus on lenders that offer low-interest loans.
Reputation and customer service
Lenders of the best debt consolidation loans will not pressure or rush you to sign and will make sure you understand the terms of your loan.
Improves credit score
The best debt consolidation loans will increase your credit score as you make on-time payments. Prioritize lenders that report payments to the credit bureaus.
Secured vs unsecured
An unsecured debt consolidation loan is the more common way to consolidate debt, but some lenders also offer secured debt consolidation loans.
Pros and cons of a debt consolidation loan
Pros
One payment. Easily track your expenses and never miss a deadline with one easy-to-manage payment.
Save on interest. The best debt consolidation loan in Canada for you will come with a lower rate than what you currently pay.
Boost your credit. Pay off all of your debts and make on-time payments on your new loan to increase your score.
Earlier payoff. Depending on your term and APR, you may find it’s faster to pay off your debts with a fixed monthly payment (instead of a minimum payment).
Cons
Does not eliminate debt. Even if you get the best debt consolidation loan, you’re shifting existing balances to a new loan.
Can hurt your credit. Using a debt consolidation loan to pay off credit cards or lines of credit could leave you overspending and defaulting on your payments.
No intro period. Unlike balance transfer credit cards, debt consolidation loans don’t offer low or 0% interest intro periods.
Potentially higher monthly cost. A loan might get you out of debt faster, but repayments are often higher than the monthly minimum on your credit card.
Less flexibility. Your new loan will have a fixed monthly payment instead of a minimum monthly repayment like credit cards.
What are the requirements of a debt consolidation loan?
Requirements vary by lender, but you typically need to meet the following criteria:
Criteria
Sample of documents required
Canadian citizen/resident and the age of majority in your province (18 or 19 years old)
Government-issued ID, like a passport or driver’s licence
Meet minimum income requirements
Pay stubs, bank statements, tax returns
Meet minimum credit score requirements
Consent to have your credit score checked and provide your Social Insurance Number in some cases
Active bank account
Direct deposit information
Are there guaranteed consolidation loans in Canada?
No. Steer clear of lenders offering guaranteed consolidation loans in Canada because this could be a scam. Legitimate lenders will first take a look at your finances before approving.
You can increase your chances of getting approved for a debt consolidation loan if you offer collateral or have a guarantor or cosigner, but if you’re facing legitimate financial hardship and struggling to keep up with your debts, you may want to look into debt relief options.
According to data released in the Finder: Consumer Sentiment Survey Q2 and Q3 2023, fewer Canadians were focused on managing their debt, with 3% planning to take out a debt consolidation loan in the third quarter of 2023, compared to 17% in the second quarter of 2023.
Frequently asked questions
Consolidating debt can be a good idea if you get a lower interest rate than what you're currently paying. The best debt consolidation in Canada will help you save money, not just get you an easy-to-manage payment.
It depends on which lender you apply with. Some lenders have strict eligibility criteria that can make it difficult to qualify if you have a low credit score or a low/less traditional form of income. Others are more lenient and will accept bad credit in exchange for higher interest rates.
Yes, debt consolidation loans are common loan products. You can get a debt consolidation loan from the big banks, such as CIBC, RBC, BMO and TD. You can also get a debt consolidation from credit unions, such as Innovation Credit Union and Kindred Credit Union.
CIBC is the best bank for debt consolidation, based on our methodology.
Yes and no. When you apply for a debt consolidation loan, your score may go down temporarily when your lender checks your credit. However, the overall effect of debt consolidation should be positive if you make on-time payments and change your spending habits.
You can definitely use your credit card after debt consolidation, but you should be careful to avoid overspending. Keep your credit card balance low to avoid taking on more debt than you can afford.
Sources
Was this content helpful to you?
Thank you for your feedback!
To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by
Romana King
as part of our
fact-checking process.
Leanne Escobal is a senior publisher at Finder with more than 13 years of experience in financial products and services, with a focus on content strategy and marketing. She has completed the Canadian Securities Course (CSC®) as well as the Personal Lending and Mortgages course through the Canadian Securities Institute. Leanne holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English literature and creative writing from Western University.
See full bio
Leanne's expertise
Leanne
has written
182
Finder guides across topics including:
Claire Horwood was a writer at Finder, specializing in credit cards, loans and other financial products. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Gender Studies from the University of Victoria, and an Associate’s Degree in Science from Camosun College. Much of Claire’s coursework has focused on writing and statistics, with a healthy dose of social and cultural analysis mixed in for good measure. In her spare time, Claire enjoys rock climbing, travelling and drinking inordinate amounts of coffee.
See full bio
Claire's expertise
Claire
has written
334
Finder guides across topics including:
Compare debt relief companies in Canada to help you get your finances back on track.
Advertiser disclosure
Finder.com is an independent comparison platform and information service that aims to provide you with the tools you need to make better decisions. While we are independent, the offers that appear on this site are from companies from which Finder receives compensation. We may receive compensation from our partners for placement of their products or services. We may also receive compensation if you click on certain links posted on our site. While compensation arrangements may affect the order, position or placement of product information, it doesn't influence our assessment of those products. Please don't interpret the order in which products appear on our Site as any endorsement or recommendation from us. Finder compares a wide range of products, providers and services but we don't provide information on all available products, providers or services. Please appreciate that there may be other options available to you than the products, providers or services covered by our service.
We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.
How likely would you be to recommend Finder to a friend or colleague?
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Very UnlikelyExtremely Likely
Required
Thank you for your feedback.
Our goal is to create the best possible product, and your thoughts, ideas and suggestions play a major role in helping us identify opportunities to improve.