Archive for November, 2008
Consolidation of Federal Student Loan - If you have applied for federal student loan consolidation before, but weren’t able to include your private student loans, then you’ve come to the right place. This article will give you a brief background on student loans consolidation, consolidation for private student loans, and how and where you can apply for one.
Student Loans Consolidation
The good thing about it is that with student loans consolidation, you can save up to 50% of even more on the life of your student loans. This is because with it, all your student loans are bundled into a single loan with one lender and one repayment plan. You will be able to lock in a low monthly payment with a fixed interest rate for the life of your loan. All this without incurring unnecessary fees like application fees, origination fees, credit checks, income verifications, or repayment penalties.
The Rates - With a low interest rate and minus all these fees, you can really reduce your monthly payments. Not only that, it will also extend your repaying time for up to 20 more years.
Federal Student Loan Consolidation
You can lower your monthly payments for as much as 60% with the federal consolidation loan programs that are offered by many companies. This is for applicants who have federal loans, such as PLUS and Stafford. However, in most cases, you wouldn’t be able to include your private educational loans for this. That is why you get private student loan consolidation.
Private Student Loan Consolidation
You may also have private student loans. For those private student loans that you cannot include in a federal student consolidation loan, you can apply under the private loan consolidation program. This is so you can consolidate your eligible private education loans into one easy-to-pay loan at low rates. Depending on the company you choose, you will also be able to extend your repaying time up to 30 years. This will really help in decreasing your monthly payments.
How and Where you Can Apply for One
Application can be done online. Now, there are many companies that offer online application that you can accomplish in just a matter of minutes. The requirements vary with the company you choose, so make sure you give this some thought. Others would require you collateral and a co-signor, while others would not. It really depends with what program you opt for.
The First thing that needs clarification is the concept: Private implies that non governmental institution is implied in the financial transaction. This excludes loans granted by private institutions where the government subsidizes the interest rate but it does not exclude loans granted by private institutions where a private non-profit organization subsidizes the interest rate. And most importantly, the word “student” in student loans implies that the money will be used to pay for college or other studying stage and nothing else.
Misconception: Subsidized-Unsubsidized
There is a misconception as regards to the characteristics of private student loans. Most people think that all student loans (both federal and private) are subsidized. That is a mistaken belief, though federal loans for students carry subsidized interest rates, private student loans do not necessarily do. And those private student loans that feature subsidized rates are awarded either according to the needs or the merit of the applicant.
Thus, if you do not qualify for a federal student loan or you need additional funds and you do not meet the requirements to qualify for private subsidized student loans, you will have to resort to regular private student loans that carry higher interest rates and less advantageous terms like the above mentioned federal student loans and private subsidized student loans.
Misconception: Paid After Graduation Or Not
Not all student loans are paid after graduation. This is a common mistake that most applicants make when searching for finance. If you are seeking finance to be paid off only after graduation you need to state so clearly when requesting loan quotes because there are many different repayment programs and the lender will not offer you these options right away.
Also, you should know that those loans which have the first installment due right away tend to be more advantageous than those paid only after graduation. Thus, if you can afford them with a part time job or with the financial aid of relatives, you should consider applying for this kind of loan. You will save thousands of dollars on interests this way and will become debt-free sooner too.
Nature Of The Private Student Loan Agreement
A private student loan agreement is nothing but a contract. Even federal student loans are contracts but the regulations alter the negotiation phase. However, with private student loans there are no alterations. The loan terms are negotiated between the lender and the borrower and the obligations that emerge from the contract must be fulfilled or you may be liable. Thus, do not forget to always read thoroughly (and specially the fine print) any private student loan agreement that is presented to you before signing. You will save yourself a lot of money, time and hassles that way.
Most loans are given to students upon the thorough checking of their credit history. Credit history includes the credit rating, which shows the worthiness of the prospective borrower. And so, bad credit history of a borrower means his creditworthiness is below the acceptable score.
Private Student Loan with bad credit
It certainly is a good thing that despite the not so good credit, an individual can also get what you call the bad credit private student loan. There are many lenders and lending companies who offer private student loans to individuals who despite their bad credit history, they can still enjoy a source of money for their school requirements.
Higher interest rates
While it is possible for students to borrow money despite their bad credit, they have limited options when it comes to acquiring the loan of their choice. They are somewhat required to accept whatever offer that their lenders give them. This is one of the major negative effects of having a bad credit. Indeed, with the bad credit private student loan, few loan options are presented to borrowers.
Various Options and Eligibility for Bad Credit Private Student Loan
When getting bad credit private student loans, it is best that borrowers approach banks and other private financial institutions because at least they are more flexible despite the borrowers’ bad record.
Requirements for Bad Credit Private Student Loans
Like in any other normal student loans, there are also set requirements that need to be fulfilled before bad credit private student loan is approved and issued to borrowers.
First of all, the credit history of the student borrower must still be presented. And not only is the student’s credit score needed, but also that of the parents. The student’s behavior must be of good moral standing; there must be no incidences when the student broke any laws.
The detailed information about the students’ debts will also be looked upon and considered, as well as the repayment history. Last but not the least the private financial institution will need co-signers before bad credit private student loans can be granted. This way, if the student borrower fails on his obligation to repay the monthly payment, the responsibility will be transferred to the co-signer.
To learn so much more about bad credit private student loan, private and federal student loans and other related topics, visit our site at http://fussaboutloans.com/ where you can read interesting articles on these topics and much, much more.
Private student loans are being granted by banks and other non-profit financial institutions. This type of student loan can build a bridge to finance additional expenses in terms of education. As a matter of fact, private student loans have a more rapid growth compared to Federal student loans.
However, students should apply only of private student loans if and only if they have maxed out already a particular Federal student loan. There are various requirements needed when applying for private student loans. Most of the time, those requirements are based upon the lenders preferences. It requires that a student must be enrolled at a half-time in a certificate, degree or technical program. Also, a student must be a US citizen or a permanent resident of the USA. Moreover, the student must have an above average credit score. Sometimes the need for co-signers is necessary to have a lower interest rates and monthly bills.
Private student loans are indeed the immediate answer for students who need financial aid.
Private Student Loan Consolidation
Private student loans are credit-based and have more attractive repayment terms as well as interest rates. It can really help in saving money every month unlike the Federal student loans. Private student loan consolidation is simply the process of refinancing and combining private student loans into a single debt only. It may result to a lower monthly loan payments thus will also lessen your worries about your multiple loans.
The very main essence of a private student loan consolidation is to lessen the monthly payment of students who have multiple loans. By getting quotes from various lenders, a student can have knowledge about how to get the best deal with all the prevailing market rates present nowadays. Furthermore, private student loan consolidation can result to an extended loan payment. This gives the student borrowers enough time to pay their loans with fewer burdens. These beneficial advantages offered by the private student loan consolidation are not possible if students have several loans to handle.
There are various private student loan consolidation companies which offer more benefits. One of these is the interest rate reduction which can result to lower loan monthly payments to think of. The options for the loan repayment procedures depend upon the qualifications being required by a particular lending company. Thus, it is also the work of the lending company to choose the best private student loan consolidation program suitable for a particular student loaner.
Indeed, private student loan consolidation brings various benefits. However, one should still be aware of some situations like the drawbacks of having a private student loan consolidated.
You must remember that college loans are totally immune to bankruptcy. Likewise, do not think that just because you are still a student and not yet employed, you can get away with your loan responsibility. The fact is that if you are a student or a graduate and you go amiss with your monthly payments and really become irresponsible with your loans instead of simply trying to consolidate private student loans, certainly you are going to face tough punishments. Not only that, you will be able to experience bad credit score as well as penalties coming from the IRS as well as wage garnishments.
Once you graduate and you failed to face your student debts, you might find yourself unable to avail of your license there are degrees wherein the licenses can be withheld until you settle your responsibilities. Likewise, if you decide to go on a business and you need to deal with government agreements and contracts, you might actually be excluded in such deals if you are found to have unsettled college debts.
Such consequences of not being responsible with your debt can be so burdensome and really debilitating. That is why avoiding your multiple private college loans can prove to be disastrous to your financial standing. Simply put, loans should never be avoided and instead must be taken care of. You can better handle your debt situation if you decide to consolidate private student loans to obtain a clean credit score and decent financial status in general.
For more private college loan consolidation and student loan articles, do visit our Your Private College Loan blog.
The key benefit when you consolidate private student loans is lower monthly payments. Instead of making multiple monthly payments on different loans, you would have only one monthly payment. That one monthly payment will be less than the total amount of payments of all the other loans combined. Frankly, this is the time when you need your money the most – for rent, furniture, buying a house or car, getting married, starting a family…
By lumping your private student loans into one loan, you make repayment much more convenient. You get to deal with only one lender and that reduces the risk of forgetting about or missing payments. There’s much less paperwork to worry about and you don’t have to juggle a bunch of different due dates.
Consolidating your private student loans provides you the opportunity to get a lower interest rate and that saves you money. Lower interest charges help to offset the cost of lowering your monthly payment. So in the end, you can have lower monthly payments without extending your loan as far as you would have.
One of the added benefits of consolidating your private student loans is you can improve your credit score. When you receive a consolidation loan, the funds are used to pay off all of the loans being consolidated. So, in effect, you have just successfully paid off multiple loans – on time or early. And that goes a long way to improving your credit score.
So how exactly does that benefit you? Remember, the house or car you want to buy? That’s going to take a mortgage or car loan. A better credit score means you pay less interest and that saves you money. In the case of a mortgage, it can mean thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars in savings.
If you want to lower your monthly payments, make them more convenient by dealing with only one loan and get a lower interest rate, you should consolidate private student loans. It not only helps keep your money at a time when you need it but it helps you improve your chances of saving more money on future loans.
For graduate students, consolidating your student loans becomes even more important than for undergraduate students. Because you generally carry significantly higher debt from being in school longer, making it more manageable when it comes time to repay is essential.
Based on the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study, graduate students average between $27,000 and $114,000 additional debt on top of their undergraduate debt. Here are 4 benefits that consolidating your graduate student loans provides.
The single most important benefit when you have a large debt is lowering your monthly payments so it is more manageable. When you consolidate graduate student loans, you replace your multiple student loans with one large consolidation loan. The total amount you pay each month with the consolidation loan is significantly less than the total amount paid each month on the multiple loans. This can be done by extending your consolidation loan period up to 30 years.
By consolidating your loans, you simplify the whole process. It’s much easier to keep track of one loan instead of multiple loans with multiple lenders and due dates. Also, the amount of paperwork and other hassles are greatly reduced.
It should be noted that if you have both federal and private student loans, you will want to consolidate these separately. Federal student loans (graduate or not) receive special benefits and conditions which are lost if consolidated with private student loans. So if you have both, you will want to have one consolidation loan for federal student loans and one for private.
The process of consolidating your graduate student loans provides the opportunity to receive lower interest rates. This helps offset the cost of extending your loan period in order to receive lower monthly payments. The lower interest rates on larger loans can help you save a great deal over the life of the loan.
When you consolidate graduate student loans, you essentially pay off your existing student loans with your consolidation loan. By paying off loans on time or early, you improve your credit score.
This can benefit you in the future by providing better rates on your car loan or mortgage. For a mortgage, even a small improvement in interest rate could translate into thousands if not tens of thousands of dollars in savings.
If you want to lower your monthly payments to a more manageable level, deal with only one lender, get a lower interest rate and help your credit score, you should consolidate graduate student loans. Make your student loans fit your financial situation – it’s the smart choice.
FIXED COSTS
You’ve heard of these as application fees and/or orgination fees. These are generally explained as covering the paper work to process your loan. Application fees are usually fixed so that a consolidation for private student loans totaling $25,000 will have the same fee as a $100,000 loan.
On the other hand, origination fees are a percentage of the total loan, typically 1%-3%. In the mortgage industry, the origination fee, also called “points”, depends on the interest rate. Lower interest rate means higher origination fees and vice-versa. There’s a term in the mortgage industry that you can “buy down the interest rate by paying higher points”. This is one way to lower the monthly payments. Additionally, the origination fee is a major source of the broker’s commission. The student loan industry seems to have the same mechanics. So it is best to understand how they work.
Because of the current competitive nature of the student loan services, many lenders are discounting the fixed costs. Some are even slashing them off completely. So if you’re in the market for consolidation of private student loans, look first to the program with no origination and no application fees. Make the lenders compete!
INTEREST RATES
Another area of cost is the interest rate. Furthermore, this is where the lender gets most of its income for the life of the loan. Again, because of the competitiveness of the student loan consolidation services, many lenders give incentives that will lower the interest rate.
The most common way to reduce a private student loan interest rate is through an automatic payment plan. In this plan, the lender will deduct the monthly payments directly from your checking account with your authorization. Since it’s done electronically, it will be timely. And that leads to a second opportunity to reduce the interest rate — consecutive “no late” payments for a stated time period. For example, some lenders will lower your interest rate if you make 48 consecutive monthly payments without being late. Over the life of the loan, that could be significant. You must learn these incentives and take advantage of them.
Also, not necessarily a rate reduction plan, but could nevertheless reduce the total cost of the student loan is the option of a fixed rate over that of a variable rate. A fixed rate private student loan consolidation program gives you a predictable monthly cost. A variable rate adjusts according to typical financial factors, such as the federal interest rates and economical conditions. In the early years of the new millenia, interest rates have been its lowest just hovering around 4-7%. However, from the 70’s to most of the 80’s, interest rates were in double digits. Opting for a student loan consolidation with fixed rate can avoid the cyclical high’s of the interest rate roller coaster. But you must catch it at the lowest student loan consolidation rate at that time.
PENALTIES
Just like many mortgages written in the 90’s and older, some student loans have pre-payment penalties. These are money that you owe if you were to pay the loan ahead of schedule. They were industry standard so that the lender does not lose money in the transaction. The penalty is typically a percentage of the remaining balance. Imagine if you paid a 10-year loan in 6 years. There would be a percentage of the 4 remaining years to pay over and above what you already paid.
However, as the student loan consolidation services get more competitive, many lenders have been giving up prepayment penalties to attract credit worthy borrowers. Hence, when speaking to a student loan consolidation counselor, you must ask if you’ll be assessed a pre-payment penalty because there are many programs out there that do not have such penalty.
PROMOTIONS
Lenders are competing for your business. Hence, they give incentives such as a student loan consolidation credit that could lower the total cost of your loan. Typically, these are rebates where the lender will write you a check once you finished paying off the loan. Another popular method is a “no last month payment” where you don’t owe the last month of your bill. Since these are promotions, they are normally given in a limited window of time. But sometimes, it helps to ask your counselor if the lender he’s representing is offering any promotion.
SUMMARY
When times are tough economically, you need all what you can do to relieve the stresses. One way is to take control of your finances, including your debts. For student loans, the opportunities are there to save money. But you must know what they are. When looking to consolidate your private student loans, be aware of the costs. If you have to compromise, understand the advantage you’re gaining and the benefit you’ll be losing. And most of all shop for the right lender and ask the right questions.





