Repaying your student loans may be easier than you think. With a little organization and planning you can set yourself up to successfully repay your loans. Here are some tips to consider when paying off your student loans.
Know how much you owe
Gather all your student loan documents (federal and private) and make sure you know the terms of each loan; including the payment amounts, payment due dates, who you pay and when you need to start repaying (typically 6 months after you leave school). Look at the payment due dates, see if they are spread out or bunched into one part of the month. To make cash flow easier you might try spreading out the payment dates across the month. Speak with your lender to see if this is possible. Be sure to factor the payments into your monthly budget.
Make it automatic
Setting up automatic payments from your personal checking account may help you manage your monthly student loan payments. You won’t have to worry about making individual payments and you may also have the potential to manage your monthly payments, as some lenders provide a lower interest rate if you sign up for automatic payments.
Pay off debt with higher interest rates first
The interest rates you have on your loans probably are all different. If you direct any extra money to your highest interest rate loan first, you may pay off your loan faster and pay less interest.
Consolidate
Refinancing all your existing federal and/or private student loans into one new private consolidation loan can potentially reduce your monthly payment and help simplify your monthly payments. The payment reduction may come from a lower interest rate, a longer loan term, or a combination of both. By extending the loan term you may pay more in interest over the life of the loan.
Know when to ask for help
If you’re facing financial hardship and find it difficult to make your private student loan payments, you might be able to apply for forbearance. Forbearance isn’t forgiveness – you’ll ultimately have to pay the loan in full. But this may allow you to postpone your payments and ease your current cash crunch. Federal loans offer deferment options for certain circumstances such as military service, in addition to several repayment options so check with your loan servicer or the U.S. Department of Education to learn more.
Setting up a plan and paying off your student loans as soon as possible will help you free up valuable cash for life’s other necessities.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, 2021
Before you apply, we encourage you to carefully consider whether consolidating your existing debt is the right choice for you. Consolidating multiple debts means you will have a single payment monthly, but it may not reduce or pay your debt off sooner. The payment reduction may come from a lower interest rate, a longer loan term, or a combination of both. By extending the loan term, you may pay more in interest over the life of the loan. By understanding how consolidating your debt benefits you, you will be in a better position to decide if it is the right option for you. New credit accounts are subject to application, credit qualification, and income verification.
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