--- title: "Empire Life Blog Life & Money Matters: Getting a Grip on Excessive Debt" description: Peter Wouters takes you through the debt test and provides three simple solutions to help you better manage debt and increase cash flow. image: https://blog.empirelife.ca/hubfs/Blog_images/INV-Blog-images/Resized-GettyImages-475061260-347731-edited.jpg --- × #### Subscribe ### Subscribe to Email Updates Signing up for our Blog offers you the opportunity to subscribe and receive email notifications for Investment or Insurance type content only from The Empire Life Insurance Company and Empire Life Investments Inc. You may cancel your subscription to the newsletter at any time by clicking on [unsubscribe](http://www.fastandfull.ca/hs/manage-preferences/unsubscribe-simple) or, by contacting The Empire Life Insurance Company or, Empire Life Investments Inc. **The Empire Life Insurance Company** 259 King Street East, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3A8, Canada Toll Free: 1 800 561-1268 Email: insurance@empire.ca or investment@empire.ca **Empire Life Investments Inc.** c/o 259 King Street East, Kingston, Ontario K7L 3A8, Canada Toll-free telephone: 1 855 823-6883 Email: mutualfund@empire.ca Close [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/Empire-Life-Insurance-142465432433812/) [Linkedin](https://www.linkedin.com/company/empire-life-investments) [Twitter](https://twitter.com/empirelifeins) Subscribe [EN](https://www.empire.ca/blog) | [FR](https://empire.ca/fr/blogue) [![Empire Life | Empire Life Investments](https://blog.empirelife.ca/hubfs/Logo/Combined%20Blog%20Images/combined-logo.png)](https://www.empire.ca/blog) # Insurance, Investments and Group Benefits ## Navigate life with confidenceTM - Insurance - [Insurance](https://www.empire.ca/blog/topic/insurance) - [Helpful Tips](https://www.empire.ca/blog/topic/helpful-tips) - [Customer Service](https://www.empire.ca/blog/topic/customer-service) - Investments - [Investments](https://www.empire.ca/blog/topic/investments) - [Investment Views](https://www.empire.ca/blog/topic/investment-views) - [Off the Cuff](https://www.empire.ca/blog/topic/off-the-cuff) - [Group Benefits(1)](https://www.empire.ca/blog/topic/group-benefits) - [Personal Finance (1)](https://www.empire.ca/blog/topic/personal-finance) ## [Life & Money Matters: Getting a Grip on Excessive Debt](https://blog.empirelife.ca/blog/life-money-matters-getting-a-grip-on-excessive-debt) [Investments](https://blog.empirelife.ca/blog/topic/investments), [Personal Finance](https://blog.empirelife.ca/blog/topic/personal-finance) Posted by [Peter Wouters](https://blog.empirelife.ca/blog/author/peter-wouters) Nov 20, 2017 4:10:00 PM Directeur, Planification fiscale et successorale et planification de la retraite, Gestion de patrimoine Placements Empire Vie ![Resized-GettyImages-475061260-347731-edited.jpg](https://blog.empirelife.ca/hs-fs/hubfs/Blog_images/INV-Blog-images/Resized-GettyImages-475061260-347731-edited.jpg?width=1024&name=Resized-GettyImages-475061260-347731-edited.jpg) A decade or more of low interest rates has accelerated the habit of supporting lifestyles with credit instead of cash flow resulting in historically high debt levels for Canadian households. It’s important that you understand where your money is going and how to redirect that money to grow your investable assets. In this installment of Life & Money Matters, Peter takes you through the debt test and provides three simple solutions to reduce debt and increase cash flow.     --- This blog reflects the views of the author as of the date stated. This information should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell nor should it be relied upon as investment, tax or legal advice. Empire Life and its affiliates does not warrant or make any representations regarding the use or the results of the information contained herein in terms of its correctness, accuracy, timeliness, reliability, or otherwise, and does not accept any responsibility for any loss or damage that results from its use. March 2019 ![Retirement Savings Tool](https://blog.empirelife.ca/hubfs/Blog_images/RST-Blog-EN.jpg) [Get Started](https://www.empire.ca/retirement-and-savings-tool) ### POPULAR POSTS ### CATEGORIES - [Insurance](https://www.empire.ca/blog/topic/insurance) - [Investments](https://www.empire.ca/blog/topic/investments) - [Group Benefits](https://www.empire.ca/blog/topic/group-benefits) - [Personal Finance](https://www.empire.ca/blog/topic/personal-finance) [Disclaimer](https://info.fastandfull.ca/disclaimer) [Legal](https://info.fastandfull.ca/legal) [Privacy Policy](https://info.fastandfull.ca/privacy-policy) [Accessibility](https://info.fastandfull.ca/accessibility) [Consumer Information](https://info.fastandfull.ca/consumer-information) [Contact Us](https://info.fastandfull.ca/contact) [Third-Party Tools and Sites](https://info.fastandfull.ca/third-party) [Confidentiality](https://info.fastandfull.ca/confidentiality) [Unsubscribe](https://info.fastandfull.ca/hs/manage-preferences/unsubscribe-simple) **CONTACT US** The Empire Life Insurance Company 259 King St. E. Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3A8 1 877 548-1881 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, EST weekdays ®/TM Trademarks of The Empire Life Insurance Company.