Why Now Is The Best Time To Consolidate Your Student Loan.

If you are thinking about using loan consolidation to possibly lower your monthly student loan payments, then now is the time to start consolidating and lowering those payments. Never in recent history have the interest rates on student loan consolidations been quite as low as they are these days. What does that mean for you? Quite simply, you will be receiving the best available deals for debt consolidation when you choose to consolidate your student loans now and here. Whether you have just a small amount of student loan debt or a very large amount, consolidation can start helping you to lower your monthly payments NOW if you get started on it right away.

Start on the net.
Where is the best place to turn when looking to receive consolidation on your student loans quickly and easily? A good place to start might be the Internet. Research exactly what student loan consolidations can do for your financial status. Secondly, visit a web site where you can learn about the latest trends in debt consolidation for student loans. Additionally, you can contact their financial advisors, who will walk you through the debt consolidation process and make sure that you save as much money as possible paying back your student loans.

Now is the Time
Once you have started the process, you can sit back and know that student loan consolidation is saving you hundreds of dollars a year on repaying your student loans. While the process is not complex, it is important for you to work with a trusted name when using debt consolidation. Some companies will simply rip you off and end up costing you more money than they save. You may be at a disadvantage with your debt hanging over your head, but that does not mean that you cannot receive a great deal through consolidation! Consolidate NOW and start saving with the ultra-low consolidation interest rates out there these days. You will thank yourself in a few years.

If you have student loans, consolidating can simplify repayment and lower your monthly payments. Student Loan Consolidation can combine your existing loans and deliver great benefits.

The Federal Consolidation Loan is one of the best ways to streamline repayment. All of your federal loans can be combined into one new loan with one monthly billing payment, eliminating bills from multiple lenders. Consolidation also decreases the likelihood that you will miss a payment, helping you to maintain your good credit.

Consolidating can extend your repayment period up to 30 years based on your overall outstanding loan balances. The longer terms result in significantly lower monthly payments. Plus, there are no penalties for prepayment.

In summary, student loan consolidation allows you to:

Lower your monthly payments
Enjoy no additional fees and no credit check
Lock in a new low rate for the life of the loan
Extend your repayment period up to 30 years
Receive one convenient monthly student loan payment

Now is the Time to Consolidate Your Student Loans

Time is of the essence when it comes to college student loan consolidation. Effective July 1, 2006 the federal student loan program will experience a 1.84% interest rate increase, making it one of the largest increases in the program's history.

With the announcement of the student loan interest rate increase being less than 30 days old, students are hurrying to get the best school loan consolidation deals available. There are several companies who are in the business of consolidating student loans for recent college graduates.

Due to the student loan interest rate increase being so significant, the Department of Education is allowing student loans to be consolidated while the student is still in school. Current students will find the in-school interest rate as low as 2.5%, but is more likely to be around 4.5%. After July 1, the in-school interest rate could exceed 7%.

Although the student will be giving up their six month grace period, they will not be responsible for making payments on the consolidated school loan until after they graduate. Even though there will be no six month grace period, the student still benefits by saving hundreds and maybe even thousands of dollars in interest payments on their consolidated student loans.

Likewise, if you will be taking out a student loan you will also see an increase in student loan interest rates. After July 1, 2006 Stafford loans will increase to 6.8% and PLUS loans will go to 8.5%. The interest rates on both of these types of student loans are fixed interest rates.

These are some of the benefits of consolidating your student loans:

? Potential savings of hundreds of dollars in interest payments over the loan period by locking in a low, fixed interest rate
? The convenience of making one monthly payment to one lender
? Lower payments due to the loans being consolidated and the repayment period being extended
? Most lenders will lower your interest rate after 36 months of on-time payments
? No prepayment penalties
? Interest paid on student loans, in most cases, is tax deductible
? Overall benefit to your credit rating, due to have one loan with one lender, instead of several loans.

Even if you are not able to make the July, 1 2006 deadline, it is still to your benefit to consolidate your student loans. You will get a fixed interest rate and one payment. For me, the convenience of having only one monthly payment made college student loan consolidation worth it.

Need Student Loan Consolidation?

If you're buried under a mountain of debt because of your student loans and you spend so much on your monthly payments that it interferes with your ability to pay your other bills or have any money left for entertainment, then you should seriously think about consolidating your student loans. There are many benefits to consolidating your student loans, and it could help you to gain control of your financial situation and make life a little easier, at least in regards to your personal budget.

Payments are lower: When you consolidate your student loan payments, your monthly payment amount will be lowered, in many cases by as much as 50%. The reason for this is that since the life of the loan is longer, your payments are spread out over a longer period of time. Another reason your payments might be lower is because of the lower interest rate you will get with a larger single loan.

Payments are easier: It's much easier for you to keep track of a single loan than it is to pay on multiple loans that you have acquired over the span of your college years. Plus the payments are easier since they are less each month.

Consolidation loans are easy to apply for: There are different plans available that can be customized to your particular situation as far as payment amounts and years of the loan go. In addition, you might not even have to go thru a credit check or pay processing fees, especially if you take advantage of a government consolidation loan. They're also easy to qualify for and you can even consolidate while you're still a student and receive an additional grace period of several months.

Gives you peace of mind: After you graduate from college, you'll have plenty on your mind with trying to start a new career, so consolidating your loans and enjoying a grace period and lower payments can be a big help to you financially.

Rates are competitive: Student loan consolidation loans can be obtained from the government if you have the right type of loan to qualify for it. Getting your consolidation loan from the government means that you'll get low interest rates. Even if you take a consolidation loan from the private sector, you can still find good rates since this is a very competitive market and the banks and finance companies are trying to win over your business.

You may pay out more for your loan: One draw back to consolidating your student loans is that since you will be drawing out the length of your loan, you might also have to pay more. It'll be up to you to decide which is more important - having lower monthly payments or paying less over the life of the loan.

Is Student Loan Consolidation Good?

Consolidating your student loan(s) is one of the smartest things that you can do. You should consider a student consolidation loan if you have several federal student loans or even just one large one.

Student consolidation loans will have fixed interest rates which are similar to those of the loans that are being consolidated. The amount that you can save through consolidation can be up to 58%.

Federal Stafford loans, Federal Direct Loans, Federal Perkins Loans as well as many others can be consolidated. Most of the time, they already have low rates.

Advantages

- You will have a single loan payment which is often lower than what you currently pay.
- It is easy to set up.
- It will help lower your debt burden.
- You can secure the lowest interest rate at the time.
- It can help you qualify for new or renewed deferments.

What To Consider

When you consolidate, make sure that the interest rate that you are offered is lower than your current rate. You want to pay off your student debt easier and maybe quicker too.

While consolidation can simplify the loan repayment process and lower your monthly payment, in the long run it usually increases the total amount that you will have to pay.

Student loan consolidation provides lower monthly payments by allowing you to spread the loan over 30 years in some cases. You are paying more payments, so be sure to compare the total cost of repaying your unconsolidated loans with the cost of repaying them through the consolidation loan.

The process of consolidating is very flexible. Consolidation is available from before you graduate down through years of repayment.

First, you need to gather information about your current loan. You need to know the balances and the interest rates, the names and addresses of companies and the names and addresses of personal references. The National Student Loan Data System can help provide you with the information that you need since it holds the most complete and accurate information for federal loans.

Paying Them Back

You will have 2 options to pay these loans back.

1. Pay a standard amount each month. This will include principle and interest. This is the lowest cost of interest paid way to go.

2. Or a graduated repayment. Here you start with lower payments that are only interest, but then they will keep increasing.

Usually repayment of your consolidation loans will begin in 60 days and will take from 10 to 30 years to fully pay back.

There are some questions that you should ask the lender before going forward.

- is there a rate reduction, for example for making your payments online or on time?

- does the loan meet your specific needs?

- is that the best interest rate available?

To get a student loan consolidation, you can still be enrolled in school or graduated. Either way, you'll find many lending options that will fit your needs.

What Are The Advantages Of Student Loan Consolidation?

In order to make simple the payment of federal student loans, it is highly advisable that you consider consolidating your loans - this is done by combining all the different types of loans you incurred. Doing so has many advantages. One is that federal student loan interest rates are currently at their lowest, so consolidating your loan means that the interest rate used for the whole duration of your loan is fixed. One category you could take into consideration regarding federal student loans is availing of the FFEL student consolidation loan. This loan program helps any borrower especially students via multiple repayment schedules. Thanks to the FFEL student loan consolidation program, only one payment is made each month.

Through the FFEL program, the loan consolidation you will be acquiring will be made by a commercial lender, after which credit bureaus will tell you that you already have a zero balance in your account, after doing so you will then sign a fresh promissory note indicating that you will have a new interest rate and schedule of repayment. However, in order to avail of the FFEL consolidation loan, you must currently be in repayment on the loan you defaulted or that you have been able to make at least three voluntary and on time monthly payments in full.

Disadvantages of availing student loan consolidations, if there are any, actually depends on you. If in case it would take you a bit of a longer time in paying off your student loan, you will then consequently pay more interest during the course of your whole loan repayment. However, since in consolidating your loans, there are really no penalties in prepayment and if you continually pay the same amount payments before actually consolidating your loans, the interest you will incur would not increase thus you will be able to pay the loan faster than when you did not consolidate your loans. Another advantage when one avails of student loan consolidation is that there are no fees or charges incurred. The United States Department of Education does not in any way make charges or collects any fees to any borrower who avails of the student loan consolidation.

Refinancing student loans again depends on the borrower. The United States Department of Education does not in any way allow any borrower to refinance a student loan consolidation. But if in case a borrower has an additional federal loan that is not originally included in the loan consolidation, these debts may then be added and calculated again into a another Federal Consolidation Loan. Student loan consolidation has another advantage. A borrower is still entitled to avail of the same Federal benefits. This is because student loan consolidation is a federal program. And being it a federal program, a borrower is more than welcome and is entitled to various benefits such as deferment, interest that is tax deductible and forbearance. Plus, the loan is guaranteed by the government and is insured federally.

The following is a basic list of 8 student loans that are eligible to be consolidated.

1. SS - Subsidized Federal Stafford Loans & Guaranteed Student Loans (GSL)
2. DSS - Direct Subsidized Stafford Loans
3. DUS - Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans
4. DPLUS - Direct PLUS Loans
5. DUCON - Direct Unsubsidized Consolidation Loan, including Direct PLUS Consolidation Loans
6. US - Unsubsidized and Non-subsidized Federal Stafford Loans
7. NSL - Federal Nursing Loans
8. HEAL - Health Education Assistance Loans

Is Government Student Loan Consolidation convenient?

A government student loan consolidation is a program that allows students to consolidate outstanding education loans into a single new loan. This is not limited to only one lender. Even if many lenders hold the loans, you can still opt for the consolidated loan. The government student loan consolidation is beneficial because it will lower your monthly payments since the terms of payment will be extended. The government student loan consolidation is convenient to students and parents since it simplifies the repayment of loan. The monthly amortization will also be lower since the repayment can be spread at a longer period. The interest rate will also be reduced since the borrower will have a lot of benefits plan options. The best time to consolidate loans is right after graduation before the grace period ends. This will allow the borrower to lock in the lowest interest rate possible on the loans.

Government consolidation loans have lower monthly payments and have flexible terms and conditions for repayment. The rates may be as low as 3.5% and are computed at a fix rate. This will also benefit you if you would like to get rid of releasing many checks. With the government consolidated student loans, you will have a single and easy repayment since you only have to sign one check each month. Students with more than $10,000 outstanding student loans are eligible on this program. The borrower should also no longer be in school halftime or even more. There are many types of loans that can be consolidated with this program. They are Stafford Loans, Federal Consolidation Loans, Perkins Loans, Parent Plus Loans, HEAL/HPSL Student Loans, Federal Direct Consolidation Loans and many more.

Private student loans can also be consolidated. However, you should not consolidate federal and a private student loan. That is because you are not able to defer payments on private loan consolidation but you can with the federal loan consolidation if you want to go back to school. With the private loan consolidation, you cannot forbear payments if you ever have economic hardships. Private loans are not eligible in claiming for tax deductions. Also, if the borrowers passed away, federal loans are forgiven while with the private loans, loans are passed to the next kin.

It is important to consolidate federal student loans since it reduces the number of credit loans you may have. This will also create a good credit score that will enable you to better terms for private loan consolidation. Credit check is also not required with the government student loan consolidation since the US government guarantees federal student loans. Application for government student loan consolidation is very easy. Loan Counselors on your schools will be able to advise you of the procedures. You may apply online, via mail or telephone. It will only take 1 to 3 months to consolidate.

If however, you will not be eligible you may consider refinancing your home or investment property to pay off your loans. You may also consider a personal line of credit from the bank or consider a private loan consolidation. Repayment has different terms. For borrowers with $10,000 to $19,999 loan balances have a repayment period of 15 years. Twenty years is allotted for those with $20,000 to $39,999 loan balances. There is a 24 year repayment term for those with $40,000 to $59,999 loan balances. If your loan balance is $60,000 or more, the 30 year program will cover it.

The Benefits of Federal Student Loans

The average student who graduates from university will find it hard to make repayments for their student loan. Unless you win the lottery or have rich parents you won't be able to celebrate your financial freedom just yet. But there is a way out for students with high repayments.

A standard federal student loan is easily spent during the course of your studies and you may find yourself with more than just one federal student loan. As a young student you don't want to be under pressure to make your federal student loan repayments while studying. In order to help students still studying and students who have recently graduated, financial lenders have developed programs to lower your interest rates from as high as 5.5% to as low as 1.75%.

Typically federal consolidation student loans can save gradates around 50% in payments every month which is around $160. However if you have more than one loan then your payments will be slightly high but you'll still get the massive savings offered by a federal consolidation student loan.

The period that you can consolidate your federal student loan can be anywhere from nine years to twenty years. Most lenders will not require a credit or income check because these loans are designed for students. And like myself a couple of years ago, I was flat broke working at as a delivery boy.

Why Apply For A Federal Consolidation Student Loan?
Suppose you don't come from a well off family and you don't have a high paying job, and you want to go to college. A few years ago before consolidation loans most people would go to college and work part time so they can pay off their loans or maybe even quit college because the payments are too high or they can't get enough time to study. Federal consolidation loans are here to support students in need of an education. So if you're in this position then check them out as soon as you can.

How Does A Federal Consolidation Student Loan Work?
If you currently have a loan with two lenders for the total of $15,000 at 5% interest and you want to consolidate your student loan you can apply from a few lenders. How it works is ingenious. The lender who is consolidating your federal student loan will pay off the two lenders that you're already making repayments to. Then you'll get a new loan with the new lender and you make all repayments to them with a much lower interest rate of around 1% - 2% for the next few years.

Now that you know how federal consolidation student loans work you should start looking for a new lender and consolidate your loan today. Good luck with all your studies and I hope you enjoy the rest of your studies.

Federal Student Loan Consolidation Facts and Information You Can't Miss

Federal Student Loans are easier to pay and brings less long term hassle and panic if these debts are converted into Federal Student Loan Consolidation. Consolidating your loan means that all the different types of student loans you acquired will be combined in one loan. Doing so has many advantages. Since federal student loan interest rates are currently at their lowest, loan consolidation actually means that the interest rate used for the whole duration of your loan is fixed.

However, there are also disadvantages when one avails student loan consolidations. It all depends on you, really. If you think it would take you a longer time to pay off your student loan, you will then consequently pay more interest during the course of your whole loan repayment. However, since in consolidating your loans, there are really no penalties in prepayment and if you continually pay the same amount of payments before actually consolidating your loans, the interest you will incur would not increase. You will be able to pay the student loan off faster than when you did not consolidate your loans.

One category you could take into consideration regarding federal student loans is availing of the FFEL consolidation loan. This loan program helps any borrower via multiple repayment schedules. Through the FFEL loan consolidation program, only one payment is made each month. In the FFEL program, the student loan consolidation you will be acquiring will be made by a commercial lender, after which credit bureaus will tell you that you already have a zero balance in your account, after doing so you will then sign a fresh promissory note indicating that you will have a new interest rate and schedule of repayment. But, in order to avail of the FFEL student loan consolidation, you must currently be in repayment on the loan you defaulted or that you have been able to make at least three voluntary and on time monthly payments in full.

Again, refinancing student loans depends on the borrower. The United States Department of Education does not in any way allow any borrower to refinance a student loan consolidation. But if in case a borrower has an additional federal loan that is not originally included in the loan consolidation, these debts may then be added and calculated again into a another Federal Consolidation Loan. Another advantage when one avails of student loan consolidation is that there are no fees or charges incurred. The United States Department of Education does not in any way make charges or collects any fees to any borrower who avails of the student loan consolidation.

So now that the details and advantages have been outlined, the following is a basic list of some student loans that are eligible to be consolidated: PERK - Federal Perkins Loans, formerly Nations Defense/National Direct Student Loans (NDSL), PLUS - Federal PLUS (Parent) Loans, SCON - Subsidized Federal Consolidation Loans, UCON- Unsubsidized Federal Consolidation Loans, SLS - Federal Supplemental Loans for Students (formerly Auxiliary Loans to Assist Students (ALAS) and Student PLUS Loans), SS - Subsidized Federal Stafford Loans & Guaranteed Student Loans (GSL), DSS - Direct Subsidized Stafford Loans, DUS - Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, DPLUS - Direct PLUS Loans, DUCON - Direct Unsubsidized Consolidation Loan, including Direct PLUS Consolidation Loans.

Student loan consolidation has another advantage. A borrower is still entitled to avail of the same Federal benefits. This is because student loan consolidation is a federal program. And being it a federal program, a borrower is more than welcome and is entitled to various benefits such as deferment, interest that is tax deductible and forbearance. Plus, the student loan is guaranteed by the government and is insured federally.

Student Loan Consolidation Information

Student Loan Consolidation is a really useful repayment tool that gathers all your federal student loans and puts them into one loan, also significantly reducing your monthly payment. Student loan consolidation is one of the most popular used methods for reducing and paying off student debt. Student loan consolidation is a powerful financial tool which has the backing of the federal government to help you lower your payments by extending your repayment term. Student loan consolidation also gives you the opportunity to lock in at a low interest rate, which can save you a huge amount of money over time.

Federal student loan consolidation amalgamates all your existing loans into one single loan which will show a good future payment history, which will help you improve your all important credit score. These student loan consolidation benefits could save you hundreds, even thousands of dollars in additional interest over the term of your loan. Federally funded loans are initially administered through the US Department of Education's Federal Student Aid programs, and are usually the easiest to get student loan consolidation services for.

After student loan consolidation, the variable interest rate becomes a fixed interest rate for a set period of time. Many people suffer from bad credit and this can cause problems with trying to obtain that all important college loan consolidation funding but if you utilize services of a federal-based company, they don't do any credit checks and the top benefit of all, student loan consolidation is considered as good debt and will be more appealing to any future lenders. The Federal Student Loan Consolidation Program lets anyone with more than $7500 in outstanding Federal student loans (including PLUS loans) to reduce their monthly student loan repayments and lock in a low fixed interest rate.

Federal loan are sent to the controllers office at your school, you then sign it over to the school and it is applied to the balance owed to the school. Federal Loans and Private loans cannot be merged when you opt for student loan consolidation. Federal student loans offer low interest rates and deferred payments. Federal student loans are some of the most affordable loans available to students and families, with interest rates lower than most other forms of financing and deferred payments (principal and interest) until after graduation.

By consolidating your federal student loans first and improving your credit score, you could get a better interest rate. Anyone with outstanding non-federal education-related expenses is eligible to apply for a Students can consolidate while still in school, during the six-month grace period immediately following graduation or during the repayment period.
A student loan consolidation program is a lucrative and efficient way for students to deal with student debt.

Student Loan Consolidation

What You Should Know

Student Loans can be a heavy burden. Student loan default rates continue to be high and are a growing problem. A default on a student loan can wreck havoc with a young person credit score, when they are just starting out.

What is Student Loan Consolidation?

Student loan Consolidation can help, not only in avoiding default but in making monthly payments more manageable. According to the Higher Education Act, just about every kind of Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) or Direct Loan is eligible for consolidation. Both undergraduate and graduate school student loans qualify. There are a few specific exceptions and these can be found listed at www.loanconsolidation.ed.gov.

These federal programs make student loan repayment easier by combining several types of Federal education loans regardless if they have different terms, different repayment schedules - even if they have been made by different lenders – into one often lower interest loan. In addition, the monthly payment amount on a consolidated student loan is usually lower and the schedule of payments is usually extended to one that is more reasonable. These features are designed to create a much more manageable debt and should make borrowers less prone to default.

Is it Right For Me?

Just about anyone with outstanding student loans can benefit from consolidation. However you need to seriously consider it if:

Your Monthly Payments Have Become Unmanageable. If you are in danger of default, if you have had trouble meeting your monthly payments, and have exhausted your deferment and forbearance options, student loan consolidation should be serials y considered. There are online calculators available that can help you determine what you new payments would be under the various program available.

You have Multiple Payments to Multiple Lenders. If you want to avoid the hassles of sending different payments to different lenders every month with a Direct Student Consolidation Loan you wile b making only one payment to one lender every month

You have Variable Interest Rate Student Loans. The interest rate for a Direct Consolidation Loan is fixed for the life of the Direct Consolidation Student Loan. Interest rates on consolidated student loans are calculated by using a weighted average of the interest rate on the loans being consolidated and have a cap of 8.25%

Should I use a Student Loan Consolidation Service?

Consolidating your student loans through the US Department of Education is free and anyone can apply. However if you realize you will benefit from student loan consolidation, or are seriously in over your head and facing default, you may want to consider using the services of a professional lender that specializes in student loan consolidation. They have the ability to look at multiple loan programs available from multiple lenders and not just the programs available from the federal government. A professional Student Loan consolidation company can quickly and easily assess your situation and match you with a consolidated loan that is right for you and your financial situation.

Student Loan Consolidation for as low as 4.5% from How to Pay Student Loans

Can Student Debt Consolidation Help You With School Loans?

Student debt consolidation is when you refinance each of your federal school loans into a single loan that has a fixed interest rate. It is also the term used to describe refinancing a single student loan with a new interest rate.

The interest rate of the student debt consolidation loan is derived from the average rate of each of the loans combined. The interest rate you receive when you get a student debt consolidation loan should result in less money spent over the long term of repaying school loans.

What many students are unaware of, is that you will be unable to get a student debt consolidation loan to combine your federally funded student loans with your private loans. When you consolidate federally funded school loans, they can only be consolidated with a federal loan program and the federal loan programs will not consolidate a privately funded college loan.

If you do have a combination of privately funded student loans and federally funded student loans, it is definitely worth looking into student debt consolidation even though you will not be able to get one loan for all your debt.

Look for government sponsored student debt consolidation programs for each of your federal school loans. These programs are designed to help students get an affordable monthly payment, and while you cannot include private education loans, they do take your payments to the other student loans into consideration when creating your new monthly payment on your student debt consolidation loan. Many federal loans can be consolidated with interest rates of about 4%, which should save you considerable money over the long term.

Once you have consolidated the federal loans, you can look into consolidating your privately funded educational loans into a single loan, as well. This is very beneficial if you have more than one private loan with different interest rates.

Consolidating will allow you to make a single payment and pay a single interest rate on the total balance rather than keeping track of two or more monthly payments for your private loans. It will save you considerably on interest fees, as well, even if the resulting consolidated loan has a slightly higher interest than the loans individually.

When you first graduate college, it can be very difficult to make your school loan payments. Student consolidation loans can go a long way in helping you manage your college expenses as you enter the working world.

These kinds of loans are fairly easy to apply for. Federal consolidation programs allow you to fill out online forms in a matter of minutes. Private consolidation loans may be a little more difficult, as the banks are going to base the interest rate and the approval on your credit history and how likely you are to be able to pay your loan back.

It may be beneficial for you to get a co-signer on a privately funded school debt consolidation loan in order to get a better interest rate.

Consolidate Student Loans

The Advantages

If student Loan debt is a heavy monthly burden on you or your family, you are not alone. And if the monthly payment is becoming so unmanageable that you may have already missed payments or be in danger of default, then loan consolidation may be right for you.

A consolidation loan is just what it sounds like. With a loan consolidation program your high interest student loans are combined into one sometimes lower interest loan, with one lower monthly payment, that you need to make to only one lender.

Consolidation Loans are much like the same idea of refinancing a mortgage, or taking a home equity loan to consolidate credit card debt or pay off other high interest loans. Just about every kind of Federal Student Loan qualifies for loan consolidation including; FFELP, FISL, Perkins, Health Professional Student Loans, NSL, HEAL, Guaranteed Student Loans and Direct loans. In some instances loan consolidation is even available for private education loans as well. Loan consolidation is offered for student loans for either graduate or undergraduate schools.

Interest rates on consolidated student loans are calculated by taking a weighted average of the loans being consolidated, and are then rounded up to the nearest 1/8 of a percent. The new interest rate cannot exceed 8.25%.

So for example let's say that a student has a couple of Stafford Loans that were originated on or after July of 2006. The fixed interest rates on these loans would be 6.8%. If only these loans are consolidated the new resulting interest rate would be 6.875%, a statistically insignificant increase, but the student would gain the advantages of only having to pay a single lender, and often gets extended time for pay back.

In the case of consolidating mixed loan products, like say a combination of Perkins Loans and Stafford Loans, the resulting interest rates will always wind up somewhere in between. The weighted average will give you interest rates that are lower than your highest rated loans, but that will also be higher than your lowest loan products. So again the overall increase or decrease in your interest rates will be negligible – the true advantage of loan consolidation is not necessarily in lowering interest rates, but in actually lowering monthly payments, and extending the term of your loans, making your student loan debt more manageable, and less likely to result in default.

Keep in mind the other advantage to loan consolidation is that there are no fees or costs associated with consolidation, ever. If any service is charging any kind of upfront fees for loan consolidation, they are likely a scam and should be avoided.

Student or parent borrowers can apply for a consolidation loans, however parent loans cannot be combined with the student borrower loans, only loans to the same individual can be consolidated. But of course a parent borrower and their students can consolidate their own loans separately.

Even loans that are in default but with satisfactory repayment arrangements, may qualify for loan consolidation.

Consolidate student loans for as low as 4.5% from How to Pay Student Loans

How To Finance Your Graduate Studies

Are you a career-minded student? Aiming is to go for higher studies? But can't go because of the shortage of money. Don't worry student loan consolidation will help you to go for higher studies.

A student can apply online for student loan consolidation, as there are various debt consolidation packages are present. A student can save money by combining student debt loan into one loan with the help of student loan consolidation rates. It will lower your interest rates and will save your time.

According to the Education Department, students who are graduated or are still in school may consolidate their government-guaranteed loans -- a step that clears the way of hurdles, were stopped by the high interest rates. Now a student doesn't have to pay high interest on student loan consolidation rate, apply and enjoy LOW rates.

A student has to check some points when he/she going to sign on the loan papers. Carefully examine each and every point written on the papers. Prepare you mind about the student loan consolidation rates. If the burden of paying monthly bills are in your shoulders, than you have to check for the companies who are offering additional services regarding your requirements.

Consider some points for Student Loan Consolidation Plans

1. Give a thorough search before taking any decision on student loan consolidation rates. Choose a lender who is offering low monthly rates and provides good facilities.

2. Try to get only student loan consolidation as for student loans you have to pay differently to every loan provider. Student loan consolidation will take your all tensions in one package.

3. These days, some federal consolidation loans have a fixed rate for the life of your student loan. It's best to do research to see what the best interest rates and term you are eligible for. You can check online to calculate the interest rate on a new student consolidation loan based on the rates of your current student loans. You can then round up to the nearest 1/8th of a percent of the weighted average of the interest rates on your eligible student loans.

4. Federal consolidation rates can give you relief as you can extent your payment period up to 30 years. This way you can focus on your studies effectively and when you get a good job you can pay back all the debts.

5. Student loans consolidation is also made for school going students. This way you can get loans on low rates.

6. With a new student loan consolidation, you may be able to get a much better interest rate. Interest rates are now at an all time low. You may have been paying on debt you built up from several years ago, at high interest rates. Things change over time in the financial industry.

5 Must Knows When Shopping for a Student Loan Consolidation Program

About two thirds of college students are using student loans to pay for college. If you plan on using student loans to pay for your education then there are a few things you need to do . The first thing is plan ahead and understand what options you have when it comes to repaying your student loan.

Keep in mind that every dollar you borrow must be repaid with interest. It's easy to look at a 200 dollar per month payment and think no problem but when you also have rent, electric and all of those other bills to pay 200 dollars a month can be a lot more than it seems. Budgeting calculators are available on most money lenders sites. These calculators can help you determine how much you can afford to pay back. They take into account your monthly expenses and compare those expenses to the estimated salary you think you can earn once you graduate.

Know how much you need to borrow and don't borrow more than you need. By borrowing more than you can afford you run the risk of defaulting on the loan. Which means you run the risk of not being able to pay back what you borrowed. Defaulting on a loan and having it sent to a credit agency is not how you want to start your career. A bad mark on your credit history can haunt you forever.

One of the good things about student consolidation loans is that you won't have to shop around. One student consolidation loan is pretty much going to look like the next. Because student consolidation loans are usually secured by the government there won't be a real big difference in the interest rates or terms depending on which company you go to.

Know that there are a few things that can stop you from getting a student consolidation loan. If you are behind in payments most lenders will not consider you for a student consolidation loan. Private education loans, loans made by private lenders, are not eligible for a student consolidation loan but may be eligible for a private consolidation loan. Of course it goes without saying that only student loans can be eligible for student consolidation loans.

Last and most important is what you will need to apply for a student consolidation loan. This falls into three categories, personal information, reference information and current loan information. The personal information you will need will be your date of birth, address, phone number, drivers license and email address. The reference information you will need will be the name, addresses and phone numbers of two references. You will also need your current loan information which will include the loan type, loan holder, interest rate and balance.

Student consolidation loans can be a great way to consolidate all of your loans into one payment. The student consolidation loan can often be lower than what you are paying for all your other loans. The interest rates may be a little higher but in the end you will save money.

How To Pay Of Your Student Loan Debt Quickly

Many times, the accumulation of large debt is almost impossible to avoid. Such is the case with student loans Student loans are a concept created from a need by young people wanting to get a college education but without the available funds. The idea was that once a student graduated and became actively employed, he or she could then pay off the student loan. But student loans are just as burdensome as any other loan and in some cases students have several loans taken out in order to pay for college. This is where student loan debt consolidation comes in with a plan of consolidating all of an individual's student loans into one manageable loan to pay off. You need to get your facts before you apply for one of these consolidation loans. You need to determine obvious things like the interest rate and the term and come to an understanding of what this loan is not as well as what it is. Only certain types of loans can be consolidated under this type of loans and you will need to check but for the most part the loans that can be consolidated are those that were realized in the course of getting an education. This means you cannot include loans such as credit cards, loans from family members, or automobile loans in the student loan consolidation.

The obvious benefits to consolidating a student loan are that there will be a single payment, probably a lower payment, and one fixed interest rate. The fixed interest rate is especially attractive because this helps a person set up a budget easier. Of course the drawback to a fixed interest rate in this type of loan is that you may not be able to take advantage of future drops in interest rates if they occur.

Another drawback to student loan debt consolidation is the length of the term. It could be that you end up paying this loan longer than you would have otherwise and in the end pay more total interest. So be careful to get all of the data about your student loan debt consolidation loan before you sign the agreement.

Of course the student loan debt consolidation market is very competitive and there are all sorts of programs to choose from. Some of these programs offer very low interest rates. Check out the program you are dealing with and be especially certain that you find out if there are any add on fees for the loan. Student debt consolidation loans are guaranteed by the government so there should not be any fees. This is because the lenders get subsidies from the federal government for taking the risk on these types of loans. Also try to find out how the customer service is with the agency you are getting this type of consolidation loan from.

Finally, you need to determine if consolidation is really for you before doing it. It may be that you want to pay off the loan faster as student debt consolidation loans tend to stretch out longer. But for most it is an attractive way to get your payments down and manage your student loan debt.

Everything You Need to Know About Secured Loans

If you are currently struggling with finances or if you would like a little extra money to help fund some home improvements, a holiday or even a new car, then a secured loan may help. Secured loans are becoming more and more popular with borrowers and they are even starting to overtake unsecured loans too. So just what is a secured loan?

Secured loans are just what they say they are: secured. In order to apply for one you have to be a homeowner as the loan is secured on your home. Now this has put many people off in the past as it can be risky putting something against your home. However, once people look at the benefits involved, that risk soon becomes worthwhile for many.

One advantage includes the fact that the monthly repayments on a secured loan are often a lot cheaper than they are on unsecured loans. Interest rates are high on unsecured loans because obviously creditors find it more risky to lend people those types of loans. Unsecured loans are not secured on anything which means that creditors are more likely to get nothing back if payments are failed to be met. So, creditors look more favourably towards secured loans and that is why interest rates are so much lower.

The amount of money that you can lend if you are accepted is also higher than an unsecured loan. With an unsecured loan you can usually lend up to GBP 25,000 but with a secured loan you can lend anything up to hundreds and thousands of pounds. So you can obviously do more with a higher amount of money.

It is always better no matter which type of loan you are applying for, to do a comparison check. This basically means doing a little research on different loan companies and seeing which interest prices are better. It is better to compare at least five different companies in order to get a good idea of what the best prices are. If you apply online it doesn't take as long and you may be accepted within minutes. You may even be able to get the money the same day depending upon the amount being borrowed and the time that you apply and you are accepted.

Overall secured loans are risky and you should always make sure that you can afford the repayments otherwise your home could be repossessed. However, with lower monthly repayments and a higher amount of money offered, they are definitely worth thinking about and applying for if you can afford it.

Adverse Credit Secured Loans

At some time in their life, many people find themselves with bad credit for one reason or another. It may be bad purchasing choices or it could be something beyond their control, such as medical costs due to an illness. If you need money now, you may find it hard to get loans because of your credit rating. Maybe you are looking for a way to help repair your credit. By getting a new loan, paying the proper amounts on time, you can start to rebuild your credit.

Just because you have a poor credit rating due to some financial indiscretions in the past that does not mean that you cannot still get a loan. Of course, the lower your credit rating, the higher the interest rates you will face in most cases. But, If you own your own home, you can apply for adverse credit secured loans. The adverse credit secured loans are for people who have a history of poor credit, but need a loan. Because you are a homeowner and can put that up as collateral, the company knows that they will be able to get their money back from you, so there is less of a risk for them.

These loans can often be used for whatever you need them for – to pay off other bills, to make repairs to your home, to purchase a new automobile. But, you should compare the adverse credit secured loans of several companies before you choose the one with which you are going to apply. This can be done easily online. Many online companies offer to compare the rates of hundreds of lenders to help you find the best rate for adverse credit secured loans.

Because the loan companies are always looking for new customers, if you are a homeowner and are looking for adverse credit secured loans, you may be able to find good interest rates. However, avoid companies offering adverse credit secured loans that sound too good to be true. If they are offering you an very large amount for the loan or offer ridiculously low interest rates, it may be a scam. Remember the old saying “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”

Just remember that once you get this loan, it is very important that you can make the payments and on time. If not, because you put your personal property up as collateral, the lender can take legal action against you, which could result in you losing your collateral.

Are Secured Loans The Sensible Option?

Secured loans maybe easier and faster to obtain than many other loans, but there are a number of potential dangers with getting secured loans. If you are in need of a loan, but are unsure if a secured loan is the right way to go, then this article can help you. Knowing more about secured loans and their dangers will help you to decide if secured loans are the sensible option.

What are secured loans?

Secured loans are loans that are granted because you put up some form of security behind the credit, usually in the form of your house. Amounts usually range from between ?3000 and ?50000, and repayment terms range from 3 to 25 years. The amount that you can borrow and the interest you pay will depend on how much equity you have in your property, which is the amount you have already paid towards your property?s value.

Are there any advantages?

There are many advantages to secured loans. One such advantage is that you can have the loan approved much more easily than other loans, especially if you have poor credit. This is because you are providing the lender with security in the form of your property should you not be able to make repayments. Secured loans also allow you to borrow more money over a longer period of time than you would be able to do with unsecured personal loans. If you know that you can make the repayments, then a secured loan will give you more favourable terms, which is always the aim when taking out any form of credit.

So what are the problems?

Despite their advantages, there are also many dangers with secured loans, most notably the danger of losing your home. If you cannot repay the loan, then the lender can recover the loan amount through the sale of your property. Although you may be able to make the repayments right now, if you become unemployed or your income decreases, then you may end up with serious financial problems. If you can, it may be better to get an unsecured loan, credit card or remortgage than to secure credit against your property. Financially overstretching yourself will lead problems, so it is important that you think carefully before taking out a secured loan.

Are they worth it?

Knowing whether or not you should get a secured loan really depends upon your situation. Secured loans are most suitable for debt consolidation or for making home improvements. They are also the best source of finance for people with poor credit. However, in most cases secured loans should only be used as a last resort, and other types of loans should be reviewed first to see if they could meet your needs. Whatever your situation, you should think carefully about your ability to repay the loan. If you do this, then using a secured loan will be much less problematic and will give you the credit that you need.

Secured loans: Think carefully before taking it on

If you are a homeowner and thinking of taking financial assistance of some kind, then there are some things that you need to think about before taking out a loan. First and foremost, decide on the amount that you require and the loan type that you want to go in for.

Secondly, think- do you really want this loan? Can you afford the loan? Do not take more than what you can afford just because you are being offered a big loan amount. And this is even truer if you are going in for secured credit.

Secured loans are asset based loans so, in the event of failure of repayment, there is a possibility that you may lose your home. Although, this type of credit does come with a lot of flexibility and advantages, it does put your home at risk.

Some of the benefits of secured loans include repayment holidays, fixed, capped or variable interest plans, upto 125 per cent LTV, upto 25 years of repayment policy, refundable PPI (Payment Protection Insurance) and accelerated repayments without penalties.

However, notwithstanding all of these, a loan against collateral is still a dicey proposition. Homeowners are the preferred clients as far as lenders are concerned. This is certainly no surprise. Secured homeowner loans are no risk loans for lenders as they are evaluated against an asset and there is absolute surety of getting the money back in full.

Secured homeowner loans can provide the potential borrower up to £250,000, subject to the available equity. But, just because you are eligible to get such a big amount, it doesn’t mean that you take it on. Lenders may try to push you to take on a bigger amount than you might actually require, but, don’t give in. Remember the more money you borrow, the more interest you will have to pay.

The warnings flashing on all the flyers and the bottom of web sites advising the dangers of taking out unsolicited loans is not to be ignored, especially in the case of secured loans.

The Benefits of Secured Loans Over Unsecured Loans

When it comes to secured loans, there are quite a lot of benefits from applying for them over unsecured loans and that is why they are becoming more and more popular. As long as you are careful and you do not rush into any decisions, a secured loan could really help to get you out of financial difficulties, as well as provided a cost effective way to raise finance for a major purchase.

The Many Benefits That Come With Secured Loans

By choosing a secured loan, you may be putting your home at risk, but as long as you are sure that you can afford the repayments each and every month, there are a lot of benefits that you could be enjoying.

Some of the best benefits include:

- Secured Loans Are Quicker To Get

As many loan companies see secured loans as lower risk, they are not so hesitant in offering them to you. This means that the application process is simple and that you will have the money in record time. So, if you have a great need for the money, you will not have to wait too long to receive it in your account.

- They Do Not Have Many Fees

Unsecured loans tend to charge quite a lot of fees but secured loans are usually arranged without any unnecessary fees. This is particularly true for those people who would like to release capital from their property.

- They Can Be Used For Practically Any Purpose

Secured loans are given to you for basically any purpose. They can be used to buy a new car, for home improvements, for a holiday or maybe even to start your own business. Whatever you want, you can use the secured loan for it with no questions asked. Unsecured loans, on the other hand, usually have to be explained. Loan companies want to know why you want the money and what you will use it for. They are a lot harder on people as, obviously for them, there is more of a risk lending money with no guarantee that they will get anything back.

Overall, secured loans really are worth it and they are attractive to many people for a number of reasons. The most important advantages include that they have a lower interest rate than an unsecured loan and they also offer higher amounts of money than an unsecured loan, too. So, if you can afford the repayments and you are in need of a loan, a secured loan may be just what you are in need of.