An exchange of one or more new debt issues for outstanding debt issues that can be made when the new issues have interest rates and/or maturities that differ from those of the outstanding issues. For example, a firm might offer holders of 9% coupon bonds with 5 years to maturity a new bond with a higher coupon rate and a 25-year maturity. Creditors having difficulty making interest and/or principal payments often restructure their debt to reduce the size of the interest payments and to extend debt maturity. Also called troubled debt restructuring. Compare restructuring.