Why Student Debt Consolidation Is Both Good And Bad For You

When you think about the debts you have incurred as an undergraduate, do not get upset about it. There are many undergraduates who come out college with both student loans and credit card debt. With the cost of tuition increasing and many students responsible for their schooling and living costs, it is only understandable why you will have debt coming out of college. This article will break down into three sections: the situation, the goods, and the bads of debt consolidation.

To think that you are the only one who has debt problems is to isolate yourself in the financial situation you are in. If you talk with friends, you will find they may be in the same boat as you are. You may even want to ask your friends if they are in the same situation so you have someone to talk about with this. If you do not feel comfortable doing this, Google the group Debtors Anonymous. You can talk about your debt problems with others in anonymity. This can be a very emotional process so it is important to have an outlet in which to express and share your emotions with others.

Debt consolidation can be very good for you because it can help you find a solution to your problem. Many people get themselves in debt but have no idea how to find a solution to reduce and eliminate the debt. Using a debt consolidation company will allow you to work with a trained professional who is able to look at your situation objectively. It can be very difficult to create solutions to your debt problems when you are so deep into the problem.

You are emotionally involved so you will not be thinking as clearly as the trained professional. Debt consolidation companies are able to talk with your creditors to often create one payment for you every month, which can eliminate the hassle of many different bills. These companies often can negotiate lower rates on your outstanding debts and help you create a budget to help you for the future.

Debt consolidation companies can be very good for you but there are drawbacks to using one as well. This can potentially have a negative effect on your credit. Your creditors may report that you have not paid your account as agreed in the original terms. Some debt consolidation companies have bad track records and you have to watch out for scam artists. You may have to pay fees to use these companies and this may be the last thing that you can afford when you are struggling to already pay your bills.

Hopefully this article has given you good insights into why you may want to work with a debt consolidation company or why you may shy away from one. Ultimately, the decision is yours but there is one main fact to keep in mind: do not isolate yourself simply because you have debt. There are many different resources available out there for you so do not be afraid to use these.

Why Consolidate Your Student Loans_

Once you have graduated from a college or university, you need to start thinking about the loans you needed to get through these years. They must be paid back in a timely manner in order to keep a good credit rating for such times when you may need another loan to purchase a home or car.

For some students who have a few student loans to repay concurrently, it can be a financial drain on their family finances. That is where student loan consolidation comes in.

Student loan consolidation basically consolidates all your student loans into one loan so that it is easier to manage and make payments. When you are getting a student loan consolidation whether from the government or the private market, your existing student loans are paid for and erased by the student loan consolidation lender. The balances are transferred to the new student loan consolidation. Thus you start a new loan and only needs to make a single payment each month.

There are many advantages to using student loan consolidation. The interest rates will be lower since it takes the average interest rates of your previous student loans. Thus due to government legislation, the maximum interest rate cannot be higher than 8.25 percent.

It becomes a lot easier to manage a single student loan and payment is easier. The repayment options are quite flexible. For federal student loan consolidation, you can opt to start repaying after you have graduated from school. There are also several other options.

Another beneficial side effect of student loan consolidation is that it can also improve your credit score. Since you are effectively clearing all your old student loans and taking a new one, your credit score will increase and this is important if plan to take other types of loans in the future.

What Are Student Loans

There is a myth that only the rich can afford to get a college education. This could not be further from the truth. The sad truth is that in today's highly technical and fast paced society, a college education is a vital necessity. Even the simplest of tasks is becoming computerized to a point that it takes specialized training to operate the equipment. By the time most middle and high school children reach graduation, even a janitors position will be in need of a two or four year degree.

When one mentions a college education the first thought is some big foreboding university and four years of either drudgery or partying. There are, however many new fields of study opening up that require only an Associates degree. But, even though these are earned at community colleges, there are still expenses to be paid. Most of the two year programs are at colleges that are accredited. This accreditation allows students to apply for the same grants, scholarships and loans that would be applicable to the four-year institutions.

Student loans are monies that are borrowed at a lower interest rate than traditional loans. Many of the requirements for loans other than college require good credit ratings and often some form of security. A student loan is the only loan one can get that does not required the person to be gainfully employed. The repayment period is also not started until the person completes their education or leaves school for any other reason. There is an automatic six-month grace period.

Depending upon the type of loan the interest may or may not accumulate from the release of the funds. Some of the loans go directly to the college or educational institution and others are awarded to the student directly.

Top Three Myths About Student Credit

This article will explain a few of the different myths about student credit and bust those myths wide open. Whenever you talk about finance in general, there are many false statements out there. These statements can be spread from well-meaning people but these statements can cause you to follow bad advice which can hurt your finances.

The first myth about student credit is that you must open a credit card to begin building credit. This is completely a false statement. When you talk about credit and beginning a credit history, this can involve loans as well. Student loans are reported on your credit report but these often aren't used to begin building credit since they are often deferred until after the graduation of a student. Credit history is important but to build a good credit history, monthly payments must be made towards credit accounts.

Depending upon where you live, you may want to inquire at your bank or another bank about taking out a credit helper loan. Some banks will allow you to borrow a small sum and then work to repay that. This can help you in a couple of different ways. You are able to rebuild your credit starting at a younger age than many do. By borrowing this thousand dollars and paying it back, you are also saving money because the money will be yours once the loan is paid off. You are developing good positive financial habits.

The second myth is that you must carry a balance on your credit card so that it can be positive information on your credit report. This is completely false as well. Your credit report will show on time payments and it does not matter whether they are full payments or partial payments for your credit card balance. While you are making the payments, you will want to make sure that if you keep a balance on the credit card, you should keep it below fifty percent of the available balance. Your balances on your credit report do play a part within your credit score.

The third myth is that a higher credit limit is always a better thing. This does help with your balances and keeping your balances below fifty percent of your total credit limit. To give a little background on the next part of this point, think about getting a loan. When a lender pulls your credit report, he or she may calculate your debt to income ratio using a percentage of your overall credit limit. This can show that you have a chance to get yourself deeper in debt and can raise your debt to income ratio. This can cause the loan to be declined if you are close to the debt to income ratio of the loan company's underwriting standards.

Hopefully these top three myths about student credit have given you good information. It is always good to have people help you with your finances but you must make sure that the information is accurate. Much information given about credit and finances is based off of past truths and this is not the way for you to get ahead financially.