A Student Loan Refinance: Will It Save You Money?
Most of us have gotten to the end of our educations with a huge amount of debt in student loans. Usually, they are with multiple lenders and at multiple interest rates. If you are in this situation, you will probably benefit by getting a student loan refinance.
Refinancing your student loans can help you by consolidating them into one loan, often at a lower interest rate. Another way to save money is by extending the length of time for repayment. Either way, you will normally also be able to reduce your monthly payment. However, if you are extending the time to payback, you will ultimately end up paying more over the life of the loan.
You will get the best deal if you go through the consolidation process while still in your repayment grace period. After graduating, you should have six months before repayment starts. Start doing your research before the end of this six months so you can make your decision prior to when your first payment is due.
There are many companies offering student loan refinancing, and offers seem to be thrown at you daily. However, some of these companies are not reputable and may end up costing you more. Check that the companies you are considering are licensed. You might also ask for recommendations from friends who have already been through the process.
Write down all the loans that you have and their interest rates. The loan consolidation companies will ask you for this information. If you have both Federal and private loans, you will want to consolidate them separately. Federal loans normally have a much lower interest rate so if you join them with your other loans you will lose money.
Find out what your credit history looks like. There are many places you can get a free credit report, or at least a low cost one. Decisions on what type of payments and interests rates to offer you will be made partially on what kind of credit risk you are perceived as being. Try to improve your credit rating beforehand if possible.
As you are comparing different programs, ask about what types of incentives they have. There are often discounts available for making automatic payments. Paying on-time is another way you may be able to save. Usually, there is a set number of on-time payments you need to make to qualify for and retain the discount.
Do you research carefully ahead of time, as you can normally only refinance your loans once. You need to be sure you have the best deal you can get. Also observe the customer service you are receiving. Some companies are impossible to get on the phone, for example.
Student loans are easy to accumulate as you are going through school. Most of us take them out without thinking too much on the future. But the day of repayment comes sooner than you think. The six month grace period after graduation flies by quickly. Do yourself a favor and begin looking into a student loan refinance before that day comes.
If you are finishing School deep in debt, you need to check into a student loan refinance plan. For more information on this and any student loan help visit this site.