Saturday, March 21, 2009

Student Loans Consolidation Dilemma

This article lists some statistics, informative enough to help you have a better experience with your financial aids, grants and students loan consolidation issues. To take or not to take a student loan should depend on your ability to pay back without tears. Your decision must rely on your present income, expenses and your expected future income vis a vis interest rates and manageable repayment schedules

Board Report, the median debt level for a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from a four-year college was $19,300 in 2003. That report also states that 52 percent of undergraduate students’ financial aid came in loans in the 2005-2006 school years, as opposed to 46 percent in the 2000-2001 school year. The proportion of financial aid in grants decreased to 42 percent in 2005-2006 from 47 percent in 2000-2001.

If you base what you do on inaccurate information, you might be unpleasantly surprised by the consequences. Make sure you get the whole financial aids grants, and students loan consolidation story from informed sources so that you do not burn your fingers while looking for financial aids for your college expenses.

The bottom line is that you should base your decision to borrow or consolidate your student loan on informed knowledge based on choices that are favourable to you.

There's a lot to understand about student loans, financial aids grants, and students loan consolidation. The salient points provided by Board Report above are self explanatory, but there is still plenty more to learn about Student loans and its consolidation. Be sure to be educated by searching out more facts before taking your final decision.

Recommended:
College Loan Consolidation Success for the best college loan consolidations of all times. Or Student Loans Consolidations Success for free information for your informed choices

What Makes A Good Student Loans Consolidation

A good education is necessary for a good career. However, today’s education costs a bundle of money so students end up with a lot of student loans. It is for your best interest that you go for a student loans consolidation option as soon as possible. There are some points that you should keep in mind before going for a student debt consolidation.

First Point
Always go for a good reputed student loans consolidation company. To know whether the company you have gone to is good or not, check with Better Business Bureau to see its performance record. Also check with the Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies to see if the company is allowed to do student loans consolidation or not. The association you will have with your lending company will last for years to come, so be careful while choosing the company. Always see that they have good counselors who do not try to push you to sign up but give you time to decide.

Second Point
The interest rate should be lower than the average of all your previous loan interests taken together. Moreover, it should be fixed and not fluctuating, this will help you in the time of inflation. Also, try to go for student debt consolidation during your grace period to get further low interest rate. Check with the student loan consolidation companies, if they are giving any further rebates and incentives.

Third Point
Check with all the payment options that they are giving you. With student federal loan consolidation, the choices of options are more, so go for it. Not all federal loans can be consolidated; check with the lending company about the ones that can be consolidated. The consolidation companies prefer student federal loan consolidation as the government stands as the guarantor in case the borrower defaults. This kind of student debt consolidation comes without any kind of fee or background check, so be careful of the company that tries to ask for an upfront fee for student federal loan consolidation. The different options given should have a provision of postponing your debt in case you go for higher studies. This will help you to enhance your career prospects.

Student loans consolidation is must if you want a hassle free tomorrow. So gather all relevant questions and go for student loans consolidation to breathe easy and lead a debt free life.

A student loans consolidation option will be considered a good one if it offers low interest rate and different repayment options. With many student debt consolidation options such as student federal loan consolidation and student debt consolidation loan, selecting the right option based on your debt situation becomes important. Student Loans Debt Consolidation offers more information and insight into the process and options for student debt relief

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Student Loan Debt Grows

by David E. Bonvie

I became a father for the first time earlier this year which was the best moment of my life. Every decision I now make is with Barrett (featured to the right) in mind, which includes going back to school. I’m currently enrolled in classes with the aim of bettering myself, providing a better life for my family, and becoming a more well rounded person. I want to add to our countries GDP numbers. The only problem is my loan volume from school is now skyrocketing upward like a five star Sarah Palin wardrobe.

Did you know the average college graduate carries more than $20,000 in debt? That is a 6% increase year over year. When you combine that with starting salaries for recent grads, which only rose by 3% over that same time period according to the Project on Student Debt, it’s even harder for students to repay those sizeable loans. Of course many students have been unable to land jobs at all and have been forced to place their loans into forbearance where more interest will accrue inflating that total payback number.

It’s really an interesting dichotomy. Go to school and be in debt thousands vs. entering the work force right away with no debt at all. They both have pros and cons but the long term benefits and typical salaries for those with an education will far surpass those without – even when debiting the loan cost from the bottom-line.

To help make those monthly payments more affordable you may want to consider consolidation. Consolidation extends out your loan term and helps minimize your monthly student loan expense. There are also no prepayment penalties so if you have extra money to put toward your loan you can do so at any time.

I know consolidation is going to be in my near future when I graduate. That way I’ll be able to afford my loan payment each month and still buy that new bike for Barrett!

Does Consolidation hurt my credit?

NO. How bout that? You just read the world’s shortest blog. I may be a man of few words, actually just one word, but my words are even more powerful than the semi-popular teenage alien superhero duo of Zan & Jayna. That’s right, the Wonder Twins! Actually, by boasting about my one word blog I have now far exceeded that loneliest number, darn!

Consolidation is merely shifting your loans from piles A, B, and C and condensing them into pile D. That doesn’t hurt your credit at all, in fact in many cases it helps because your monthly payment is a lot lower after consolidation and your credit report will reflects a Paid status next to each loan involved in the consolidation which adds points to your FICO score.

Now if you were to do a debt settlement where a third party was involved in negotiating your amount of debt down, than that could impact your credit negatively. Instead of a Paid status it would carry a Settled or Settled for Less than Full Balance status.

Are there any disadvantages to getting a consolidation loan?

YES, there could be.

Consolidation is used as a debt management tool and is ideal for those who are having difficulty making their monthly payments. It is designed to extend out your loan terms and minimize your monthly payment. Because of the additional years, consolidation may significantly increase the total cost of repaying the loan due to the additional amount of interest which will accrue.

Another possible disadvantage is you may lose out on borrower benefits such as interest discounts and rebates that your current lender provides. Many consolidation lenders do not offer these benefits.

And finally, you may hit the consolidation market at the wrong time. If you happen to consolidate your federal loans when the interest rate is high than you are stuck with that rate. You can not consolidate your loans again at a later date should the interest rate drop. You are stuck with the rate at the time of your consolidation. It is not like refinancing a mortgage where you can refi an infinite amount of times to try and score the best interest rate.

Consolidations Dirty Little Secret

One common illusion students have is that consolidation reduces student debt. Well, the truth of the matter is it does NOT reduce debt at all. In fact, it only makes matters worse by increasing your total loan volume in the end.

The primary purpose of consolidation is to extend out the loan term and reduce the monthly burden in that manner. It’s the same principle as having a 3yr / 36 month car loan vs. a 5yr / 60 month. The person with the 5 year loan term will have a lower monthly payment but will be paying back more money in interest over the life of the loan.

The reason a student should consider consolidation, however, is if they can either not afford their current monthly payment on their loan(s) or are aware that the variable interest rate on their federal loan(s) will be increasing. If the interest rate is going up it would then benefit you to lock in your current rate.

Keep in mind that variable Stafford loan rates change each July and are pegged at certain margins above the 91-day T-bill in late May. In the past Stafford loans were awarded at variable rates, but moving forward for the foreseeable future all federal loans will hold fixed rates.

Friday, March 6, 2009

Debt Consolidation Loans - Consumer Agencies Report They Can Hurt More Than They Can Help

By Mike Irons

If you have a lot of credit cards and owe money on them all, it can be a real pain in the neck keeping up with all your bills. And wouldn't it be nice if there was a way to pay less than the total of what you're paying every month?
Many people in similar situations decide to get debt consolidation loans. It could work for you but there are a couple of things you should consider before you decide to apply for one.
You will end up owing more than you do now.
Debt consolidation companies charge a fee for their services. And, although you will pay less every month, you will pay for a much longer amount of time and will end up paying more than you would have before you got the debt consolidation loan. If your credit is less than perfect or if you've been late on your payments you will be charged higher interest rates.
If you really need a debt consolidation loan there's a very good chance you will be charged very high interest rates. Make sure to compare them to the average of what you are paying now before going ahead.
Debt consolidation loans can hurt your credit score.
When you apply for any new credit your credit score drops. In addition to that you will close existing lines of credit and that too will lower your credit score.

If creditors agree to accept less than you owe it can actually ding your credit.
Negotiating and getting a "deficiency balance" counts against your credit score. And the results are risky. Did you know that in a lot of states it's legal for creditors to renew on that agreement?
And finally, you're still in the same old boat.

Poor spending habits got you into trouble and if you don't deal with that your boat will probably sink. A lot of consumer agencies have found that people who have taken out debt consolidation loans end up even deeper in debt than before they got the loan.

And for more about the pros and the cons of debt consolidation loans and other free information about debt relief, go to http://www.FindReliefFromDebt.com

Finding Financial Freedom With Bad Credit Debt Consolidation Loans


If you have bad credit and are buried in multiple debts you may want to consider a bad credit consolidation loan. A consolidation loan truly may be your only means of making your debt manageable. A bad credit debt consolidation loan will help you get your finances back on track and begin to restore your credit rating. You can either look to get a loan from a private lender or work with a debt consolidation company.

If you decide to consolidate your loans without professional help, be prepared that it will be a challenge. Since you have poor credit you may have difficulty securing a loan. Lenders are not likely to loan you the money unless you have something like a home to put up for collateral. If you are able to find a good deal then this may be a good option. Just be on the lookout for hidden fees and higher interest rates.

You may find it easier to consolidate your debt by using a debt management company. A debt management company will work with you and help you attain a bad credit consolidation loan. They will sit with you and go over all of your bills and finances. They will then go to bat for you. They will contact all of your current lenders to negotiate removal of any fees on your accounts and lower your interest rates. You will then decide with you assigned counselor what your affordable monthly payment will be. You will pay this directly to the debt management company and in turn they will pay off your creditors.

There are a few things to look out for when using a debt management company. You will want to make sure you find a legitimate accredited company that has been in business for a number of years and has a good track record. There are many companies out there that are not legitimate therefore, it is essential you do your homework before choosing.

If you are looking to restore you credit rating a bad credit consolidation loan may be your only option. It will truly make your debt manageable and help you on the road to financial recovery.
Using an unsecured debt consolidation loan can help you save thousands of dollars in interest costs and fees. It's time for you to take action and get out of debt! Visit our website for more information on debt consolidation loans: http://OnlineDebtConsolidationInfo.com

Control Runaway Debts - How Debt Consolidation Works

By Chimezirim Chinecherem Odimba

Has the sudden economic downturn left you saddled with unmanageable debts? Is your current income insufficient to keep your debt under control? Are you scared that you may have to declare bankruptcy? Do you want to avoid it?

Why not consolidate your debt first? Understanding how debt consolidation works will help you understand that you can still rein in your runaway debts. Refinancing of many debts into a single manageable debt is the basic idea underlying debt consolidation. The multiple high interest loans owed by the borrower are consolidated into a single low interest loan.

You may owe money on credit cards, auto loans and home mortgages. All these loans are combined into a single loan. The interest differential helps individuals repay their debts without additional stress to their finances. Further, keeping track of details of a single loan is a lot easier than keeping track of multiple loans at once. If you opt for debt consolidation, the specialists enter and begin negotiations with your creditors.

Negotiations focus on reduction or waiver of interest, charges and other penalties. Companies work to convince lenders to settle for repayment of principal amount. These companies convince lenders to accept a lower amount as settlement of the debt owed by the borrower. They lend the money required to settle all debts of the individual. The single debt you now owe must be repaid in full. The company charges moderate interest on the debt. Once your debts are consolidated, you can plan your finances from scratch all over again.

The difference in interest rates ensures that your monthly outflow towards repayments comes down after debt consolidation. If you are planning to consolidate your debt, prefer professional debt consolidation companies over all others. Lenders prefer dealing with professional consolidation companies over individual borrowers. You do not know the complications involved and may end up settling for the second best deal.

Want to pick a reputed company for debt consolidation? It is not as difficult as you think. Log on to the Web and obtain multiple quotes from various companies. Online quotes help you compare the facilities and benefits offered. Take your decision after proper analysis. If you opt for debt consolidation, you acknowledge that you are unable to manage your debts.

This reflects on your credit score and negatively impacts your credit rating. If you are regular in repaying your sole debt, it will reflect favorably on your credit rating.

Now that you have found the answer to 'how does debt consolidation work?', make use of this wonderful solution to bring runaway debt under control.