November 29th, 2009
People consolidated student loans when they have multiple loans and separate account management for each of them. Nobody likes loans, but our society can’t do without them. Here are some basic guidelines that can prove useful for anyone interested in loan consolidation.
In loan consolidation, all the payments and interest rates get combined into a fixed form. There are advantages and disadvantages of a consolidated loan, and it all depends on the personal conditions and circumstances. Here are some benefits:
-there is only one financial institution a single account to manage,
-the interest rate remains the same regardless of the market fluctuations,
-the chance to lower the monthly payment by the loan extension.
Yet, there are also reasons to believe that it is not the best of solutions to consolidate student loans. For instance, you may have the advantage of fixed interest when the rates go up, but what if they plummet? Then, when you consolidate, you may pay a higher overall amount, meaning that the lifetime of the loan is longer even if the monthly payments are lower.
You can also have the chance of consolidating only some of your loans while leaving others out. Plus, when you try to consolidate student loans, do not ignore the importance of the tax deduction that applies for the interest rates. Moreover, the private loan consolidation offer is less advantageous as compared to the consolidation of federal loans.
Some online tools allow for the calculation of the consolidation rates, and you can receive very good estimates of how much you would have to pay. A lower consolidation rate becomes possible if you consolidate student loans right after graduation, since the repayment only starts six months after it. Even when you have a few more months before you begin repayment, why not benefit from a lower interest rate?
You can thus consolidate student loans even if you are still in school. Even so, avoid consolidating federal loans into private loans because you will lose very considerable privileges. In federal programs you can even qualify for loan forgiveness or apply for forbearance if it is the case. And last but not least, do not pay any fee for the consolidation of federal loans.
By: Scott Ingram
October 23rd, 2009
Debt from student loans can be crushing to recent college graduates and get in the way of achieving other life goals. Fortunately, there is a way to reduce the strain on your finances and even improve your credit score. Many graduates are turning to loan consolidating to help manage their loan repayments. The procedure and requirements differ from federal and private loans.
Consolidating Federal Loans
Stafford loans and Federal Perkins loans are examples of federal loans. These loans are given to you by the government and may or may have accrued interest while you were attending school. Consolidating your federal student loans provides a fixed-rate refinancing program that takes all of your existing federal loans and combines them into one new loan. Your monthly student loan repayment could be cut by as much as 50% as well as reduce your interest rate by .6% if you consolidate during your grace period. One monthly payment will help you simplify your finances.
Payment relief
By creating one consolidated loan you can receive payment relief, a lengthening of your repayment term from the standard 10 years to up to 30 years. This frees up your disposable income to spend on other expenses like car payments, housing, and work-related necessities. There are no penalties for overpayment, so when the funds become available you can make larger payments and minimize your repayment term.
Consolidating Private loans
Like federal loans, consolidating private loans means lumping everything into one new loan. To consolidate your private loans from undergraduate school you will have to apply with a qualified co-signer in order to be approved. If you have a graduate degree you do not have to apply with a co-signer.
Some of the benefits include reduced interest rates, rate reductions, deferment, and no prepayment penalties. Loan holders may lower your interest rates if your credit has improved. Applying with a co-signer who has good credit could help you get a lower APR loan. There is a grace period for medical/dental residents as well as military personnel if their private student loans are consolidated. As with federal student loan consolidation, you can also have your repayment period extended allowing you to pay the lowest monthly payment possible.
By: Joseph Devine