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Feb
8

Can I Refinance my Student Loan?

Author: Sally Croft

Many students only recognize the immediate need to source funding for their college tuition and often forget that these loans must be repaid. On average, students who have financed their entire four years of university education for their bachelor’s degree end up owing $60,000 at an interest rate of 6.5%. Additionally, repayment of this loan begins after the six-month grace period has expired irrespective of your employment opportunities. As a result, when hit with loan payments, some students panic and fall into default. However, not all is lost as there are various mechanisms available to help reduce the burden of student loan repayment. One of these measures is by refinancing your student to more favorable payment standards.

Student Loan Refinancing

Refinancing your student loan is one of the easiest ways of reducing your student loan burden. The main aim of refinancing your student loan is to reduce loan APR. This APR is the cost of servicing a loan and calculated as a percentage of the loan principal. Most private institutions offering student loans charge exorbitant APR rates as profit generator based on the critical need for student loans.

How does student Loan Refinancing Work?

Most refinancing institutions will not necessarily offer you an overall interest rate lower than that offered through government run student loan programs. However, what they do offer is an extended period over which the loan can be repaid. This extended period is used to calculate a new monthly payment rate that ends up being much less that what was previously paid on the original student loan.

Under refinancing, the refinancer clears all the previous debt incurred by you the client to the student loan creditor. This officially ends your relationship with them and a new one established with the refinancer. The payment schedule is set up based on your capabilities and the time over which you want to service the loan. Bear in mind however, the final cost upon completion of servicing this refinancing will be more than what you would have paid under the regular student loan program. However, the increase of cash flow over the same period far outweighs the difference in interest rates.

How to get Student Loan Refinancing

Most refinancing opportunities are available from private lending institutions. The high demand for student loan refinancing has forced many banks to establish separate departments that focus on refinancing. To increase your chances of gaining refinancing of your student loan, some simple steps and preparations can be made:

  • Establish a good relationship with your banking institution. This sometimes convinces them to go the extra mile and even bend the rules a little to accommodate your need.
  • Ensure your credit rating is good. This does not mean that you are debt free, but that you exhibit a good attitude toward debt servicing.
  • Assemble an expense report to prove to the lending institution that you act financially responsible but are still unable to service your current student loan under the existing loan arrangeme
  • Shop around for the best rates and terms lending terms.
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Feb
5

How to Get Student Loan with Unsecured Bad Credit Loan

Author: Sally Croft

Having bad credit multiplies the difficulties in securing student loans. Most individuals have to resort to seeking loans from institutions giving loans under difficult conditions. Most individuals will fall into bad debt because of poor financial management, effect of the current economic climate or just simple refusal to honor their financial obligations. Individuals who find themselves in this position should not think they are alone and there are some simple steps than can be taken to make it easier to get a student loan although you may have bad debt.

Visit Your Local Bank

Establishing a good relationship with your local bank can be one of the easiest ways of addressing the need for student loan although you have bad debt. Your local bank will have a record of your financial status such as your saving patterns, loan servicing and general income history. Your local bank will extend a helping hand if they are convinced that giving you this loan will improve your current financial condition and enable you to be in a better condition to repay the loan. However, if your situation is not convincing, you must look at other avenues.

Self-Assessment

If you have been refused by your local bank, first try to establish the reason for your refusal. An assessment of refusal notices reveal that clients are refused due to their credit history such as repayment patterns and the amount of active loans you have pending. Most refusals are made to individuals with a credit rating below 620. To resolve these issues, establish a process of elimination to reduce the debt burden. Pull your credit reports and contact your creditors to establish a repayment schedule. These small steps although they will not immediately solve the problem, it improves your overall credit rating as it shows an intent to resolve your debt. Once the credit rating has improved, your chances of getting a student loan although you have bad debt is significantly improved.

Borrow Less Money

Another reason for bad debt student loan refusal is that the size of the loan exceeds the threshold set by the bank with respect to your ability to repay the loan. Reducing the size significantly increases the ability to get a student loan although you may have bad debt. The bank will analyze your specific situation to see how critical your bad debt is and assign a threshold accordingly.

Loan Consolidation

Consolidating your loans significantly improves your credit rating. With an improved credit rating, your chance of getting a student loan significantly increases. The consolidated debt provides extra cash in your pocket that can then be used to service the debt from your student loan. This also enables you to propose an increase in the monthly repayments to convince the loan manager of your seriousness and ability to pay.

Loan Sharks

This is the last straw to get a student loan if you are engulfed in bad debt and unable to get a student loan from other traditional institutions. However, bear in mind that these loan sharks have oppressive loan conditions with high interest rates and payment periods. However, their assistance will certainly address the need to secure a student loan under bad debt condition.

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Feb
3

Top Scams Targeting College Students

Author: Sally Croft

Students are faced with the daunting tasks of completing their pre-college studies, applying to numerous colleges, waiting to get accepted and then planning how to pay for their educational pursuits and the expenses that are expected to come with this endeavor. The hunt for financing is on and students as well as parents can be lured in to schemes that are anything but beneficial to them. There exist, in all forms of media, those who are looking to take advantage of the novice student or adult borrower in order to exploit their resources and gain whatever they can from this.

Some of these sales approaches that try to get money from students or their families can be called “scams”. There are scams that range from simple advertising tricks to come-ons that just plain are invented to draw attention or even to direct you to a particular site. Some of the top scams targeting college students and perspective college students have become quite inventive with their methods.

College Students Scams
  • Government Offers - These are not really from the government, though they may refer to government sites. If an offer looks like it comes from the government be sure to check out the source of the mailing. Students should know that the U.S. federal government site for applying for general financial aid is called the FAFSA and is easy to find by doing a general web search for financial aid.
  • Flashy colorful advertisements - Discard any mail for financing that comes with flashing ads, music, dancers or other forms of entertainment to distract you.
  • One time offers - Avoid any thing that says it is a one time offer as it is probably not from a reputable source.
  • Student Loan Consolidation - Be careful of offers for student loan consolidation from companies other than banks
  • Scholarship offers, especially those that charge a fee

Things to Look Out For

  • Some ads offer information on how to get money for free, it’s not really free
  • Do not fall for any financial aid offers that come unsolicited through email
  • Sweepstakes with prizes and free money for college are a way to lure students in to deals
  • Be careful of so-called financial aid finders
  • Financial aid offers that charge a fee for finding sources for you
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