Archive for the ‘School Loan Debt’ Category

Dec
14

Defaulting A Student Loan - Learn How to Avoid It

Author: Sally Croft

Unless you are looking to ruin your life forever, the thing you want to do is to avoid defaulting on your student loans. The question is why would you want to default on your student loan when there are other options? The following is information on the best solution for avoiding student loan default.

Should I Default On My Student Loan?

Bad idea! Don’t even think about it! Defaulting on your student loan is the scariest financial situation you could ever want to be in. It is worse than foreclosure and receiving that scary IRS letter. And if you think it can’t be that bad, think again! According to Mark Kantrowitz, the founder of FinAid.org, “If education debt is evil, then defaulting on your student loans is a one-way ticket to hell.” Borrowers who get into trouble Kantrowitz added “are stuck in an oppressive house of horror with no way out.” Ouch!

Okay, so the big question is, how does one become a defaulter on their student loan? Well, if you fail to make payments for nine months or if you fail to meet other terms of the student loan contract continuous for nine months you are in default of your loan. Once you are in default of your loan the entire balance becomes immediately due.

When Does A Delinquency Period Begin?

A delinquency period begins on the very first day after your missed payment. During the first 15 days of being delinquent, you will receive a written notice or collection letter from your loan holder, in addition to notices explaining what will happen if you continue to be delinquent. Your loan holder will declare you in default if your delinquency goes on for nine months. It is best to contact your lender immediately to see what alternative repayment options are available.

Defaulted Student Loan
5 Steps to Avoid Defaulting On Your Student Loan
  • Borrow only what you need and nothing more. Over-borrowing can get you deeper into debt.
  • While you are in school live like a broke student-try not to spend too much.
  • Understand your obligations and responsibilities before signing your contract and taking out a loan.
  • Know when your payments are due and make your student loan payments on time.
  • Notify your lenders if you graduate, quit school, have financial difficulties or change address. The failure to receive a monthly statement does not relieve you of your responsibilities and obligations to your student loan repayment. So don’t even think about doing that!
Tips for Dealing with Your Loan Holder*

It is usually best to communicate with your loan servicer in writing because you will have a physical record of what has been said and done.

Keep a Record of Events. If you speak with someone on the phone, make a note of whom you speak to, when, and what was said. If you use the mail, keep a copy of your letter and of any replies you receive.

Keep the Evidence. Keep the originals of all receipts, bills, letters and e-mails regarding your account. Provide copies of the originals if you are asked for them. Send letters via certified mail, with a return receipt requested.

Stay Calm. If you are confronted by someone directly, don’t let the emotion of the moment get to you. If you are clearly not getting an adequate response, simply take the next step in the procedure for resolving your problems yourself.

Write Clearly and Concisely. Be polite and courteous, but don’t be afraid to convey the detail of any incident and to articulate your concerns. Write down the facts in a logical order and stick to what is relevant. Remember to include important details like your account number or social security number. Put these details at the top of your letter.

Agree on a Reasonable Time to Expect a Response. Ask for a response in a reasonable time, and be sure to tell the person how you can be reached.

*From the Federal Student Aid Ombudsman of the Department of Education

Nov
2

School Loan Debt Trapped - Beware..!!

Author: Sally Croft

A lot is heard about student loan debt and the consequences of not repaying these loans. As you know, not much can be expected from students, given their age and experience. A parental guidance is sure to help students make a right choice, provided they have enough experience in money matters.

School Loan Debt Trapped

How do students opt for student loan schemes? What exactly is the problem about their understanding of the student/ school loan programs? Where do they go wrong or what brings their repayments process to a standstill? What kind of push do they need? I am sure you will have loads of questions coming up in your mind.

We have the case study of Stefan Heise a college graduate who ended up filing bankruptcy, due to his inability to pay back his student loan debt of $84,000. This is a small documentary film about how college graduates end up earning very meager amount which are just not sufficient to meet their day to day living expenses.

An aspiring student Stefan Heise took up college education without ay financial support and managed to pay his school fees with the help of student loans and credit card payment. He had to juggle with the various credit cards to meet his living expenses and sometimes every the rent for his accommodation.

He admits that it was only with the help of cash advances offered by credit card companies did he ever move to New York. He in fact deferred his student loans in order to be able to complete his credit card debt. Stefan 34 lost all hopes of being able to pay back the money he had borrowed over a period of time through his credit cards. And the real test began when he was unable to pay his credit card installments. The interest rates started shooting up exorbitantly that it rose from three percent to nine percentage, soon after he missed paying installments.

What more can you expect from an intern with a service organization making just about $16,000 per annum. Eventually his debit card was blocked and saving account freezed. With no money to pay, he resorted to bankruptcy. His bankruptcy hearing was over and his credit card debt to the extent of $21,000 was dismissed. Now all Stefan had was a student loan of about $ 63,000. I am sure you know that student loans will not be dismissed even after filing bankruptcy.

Beware of School Loan Debt

This is not the case only with Stefan, but with thousands of students whose willingness to complete graduation has cost them their lifetime. Further to this, statistics reveals that the earning levels of graduates have been almost flat ever since 1975. While women graduates saw a 10% increase in their earning level, it was a clear indication that even after completing their education, their earnings never matched their debt, consequently falling into the School Loan Debt Trap. Only a wise choice of job offers and academic performance may help them get away with their school or student loan debt liabilities.

Jul
17

Learning To Negotiate Student Loan Debt Repayment

Author: Sally Croft
Student Loan Debt

The question of negotiating student loan debt repayment arises only when the possibility of repayment looks hazy. Almost every student goes through the phase of borrowing money in order to fund his/ her educational need, which means the student is incurring the liability of repaying a huge sum of money which sum times even takes a life time to be repaid. It is no doubt a very important financial decision in one’s life as the impact of it is far reaching. Careful research and analysis alone can help you choose the right loan plan.

Learning to Negotiate Student Loan Debt Repayment

Negotiating Student Loan Debt Repayment arises when the time of repayment begins. It usually starts atleast six months after the completion of the course. Say, the student is already into a job, then probably he is under no pressure, say otherwise, it is a long process to go through. Repaying monthly installments becomes really difficult or even impossible.

Being proactive helps you manage such circumstances. Call the lender before he could call you! Yes, let him know about your intention to repay and the difficulty you face in making it happen. This paves way for negotiating a beneficial repayment deal. It is true that there are certain debts that you can’t get rid of even if you file bankruptcy. One such debt is student loan. Hence you should ensure to pay it back no matter what. It becomes important to talk to your guarantors or cosigners about the difficulty you face, because if you fail, repaying the loan becomes their responsibility.

Negotiating you debt repayment is all about getting into favorable terms of repayment. Such as lowering the cost of the loan, getting the lowest of interest rates or extended repayment term, which eventually reduces your monthly liability. You can either proceed doing it yourself or take the help of a negotiating agency which will help talking to the lenders on your behalf presenting the case in a favorable light.

The negotiation could be for settling a $10,000 loan for $5,000. You should remember that creditors as such do not have a requirement to consider your negotiation and hence they might not readily accept your proposal. But putting things in place and letting them know the reason for your proposal and intention to truly repay the loan amount can make them accept the deal positively.

Student Debt Consolidation

The solution to this problem lies in striking the best student loan consolidation deal. A consolidation loan helps you combine all student loans into one single loan liability with a lower interest rate and single monthly installment. Again, consolidation loans are no less than the original student’s loan except that you have certain favorable terms of repayment which help you meet the liability. It is also a debt which needs to be repaid.

Student Loan Negotiation Services

The process of negotiating a student loan deal can be done by the student himself or take the help of an agency. Taking professional help is good, no doubt, but what about the fee they charge. It is really expensive and so much so that most of such agencies demand a 60% upfront payment of their fees at the beginning. You are trying to negotiate for Student Loan quoting the fact that you do not have sufficient money to pay back, then where from you will pay their fees from? There are cases where the professional fee takes a long time to repay, even long after the original loan is repaid.

Do it yourself!

Though you might not be as experienced as a professional, but the legitimacy with which you approach the problem and the proactive gesture of informing the lender about the difficulty in repayment is sure to help you strike the best of deals. A clear self analysis of the situation, research into the best negotiation deals and the approach will help you succeed making the right and beneficial negotiation of your student loan debt. Have you tried negotiating? If yes, then share your experience.