Refinancing loan » Student Loans

Refinance Student Loans and Save Money

admin — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 07:15:02 +0000

The elation of graduating from college quickly fades when the reality of finding a job and starting a career set in. In addition you must also begin planning how you are going to pay off any student loans you accrued during the past few years. Repaying these loans may be made a little easier if you refinance student loans.

Many student loans have a grace or deferment period to allow the graduate to begin work prior to making the first loan payment. This is a good time to do the research necessary to refinance student loans.

There are two options that you should consider when seeking to refinance your loan. Each of which will help you in managing your monthly loan payments. A good refinancing package may provide the opportunity to lock in a lower interest rate. In addition you may be able to extend the life of the loan by as much as 15 years. Both have the advantage of immediately reducing your monthly payments and allowing you to have a better standard of living. In terms of real savings reducing the interest rate is a better option in that it will reduce the total amount you will have to pay over the life of the loan.

In order to make a good decision on which refinance package you are going to apply for you should find out if you can combine all the different loans into one package. In many cases you may not be able to refinance student loans that are from different sources. Co- mingling private and federal loans is frequently not a possibility. Even it is possible to combine both federal and private loans you most likely will end up with a higher interest rate.

It is very important that you do a good job of comparing loans features and requirements before you sign the application. Seeking good student loan consolidation advice from your former university is an option that you may want to consider. You also may want to check out the blogs that are related to student loans to find out what is working and what is not. The more information you gather the more likely you will have the ability to make a good decision as what loan refinance package you need. Remember doing a good job now will mostly likely save you significant money over the life of your loan.

By: Jim Kesel

Loan Refinance

admin — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 21:29:50 +0000

There are many ways in which Loans can be categorized. When we say Loan, we are talking about big Loans, not payday Loans. If we categorize them based on their nature, there are 4 types: Mortgage Refinance Loans, Home Equity Loan, Debt Consolidation Loans and Personal Loans.

Whatever the type of Loan, the process involves certain procedural steps.

A Home Equity Loan is a type of Loan in which the borrower is expected to repay a fixed amount of money over a fixed time period. This is confirmed by a `line of credit’, an agreement that is signed by the borrower. However, there is a flexibility option in which the borrower can pay interest only on the amount used.

A Debt Consolidation Loan is the best option if the person is repaying several different Loans simultaneously, such as numerous credit card balances. The debt consolidation process combines all these into one Loan. In other words, the person gets one monthly statement and pays only once a month. Though debt consolidation is a good option, there are limitations. If the Loan is stretched out over a longer time period, the interest may become higher.

Next is the Personal Loan. It includes any large amount of Loan meant for higher studies [Student Loans], starting a business, or other options.

Whatever the type of Loan Refinance, credit situation tracking remains of fundamental importance. Though this can be done by one’s self manually, or by hiring a Loan professional, there are excellent alternatives available today, with many computer tools such as Microsoft Money 2005 Deluxe. They come with price tags in the $30 – $60 range.

By: Ken Marlborough

Refinance Loans

admin — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 20:04:27 +0000

The most common reason that people refinance is to save money, but there are many other reasons why you should refinance.

1. What about refinancing to lower payment on a current loan:

You may be able to refinance your current loan at a much lower interest rate thus reducing your loan payments monthly. With interest rates at their lowest in years, you might be able to find some lower rates – sometimes far much better than what you are currently paying for your mortgage. Refinancing your mortgage or loan when rates are down could save you lots of money over the life of your mortgage loan.

2. Refinancing and Consolidating Debts:

Some choose to consolidate debts and refinance to replace loans of high-interest with a low-rate loan. Most loans being consolidated and or refinanced may include higher student loans, home loans and those “bad” credit cards. So, by refinancing and consolidating you will clear all your current loans and replace them with one low monthly payment with a better interest rate. Example of this would be on a 3,000 loan some homeowners can save in excess of $60 a month which is a big saving. A debt consolidation loan is one of the best solutions for anyone who has several monthly payments. Refinance loans will allows you to repay your existing loans from the money of a new loan .

3. Refinancing to Reduce the life of the Loan:

Reducing the term or life of your loan can help you save money over the loan duration. Example might be refinancing from a 9-year loan to a 5-year loan will result in higher monthly payment, however your total of the payments made on the loan can be reduced significantly. Also keep in mind that by doing this you will be able to build up your home equity much faster. A refinance loan often will save you thousands in interest charges over the term of the loan.

4. Refinancing your Variable to Fixed Rates:

Some people will often refinance in order to change their loan from a variable rate to a fixed rate . This will help you to achieve stability and the security of a fixed loan. Your Fixed loans are most popular when interest rates are low, and variable rates tend to be more popular when rates on the higher side. Rates that are low will allow you to refinance to lock in the low rates. When rates are high, you might prefer the short term discounted variable rates on a loan to obtain a lower payment. One of the biggest benefits to refinancing is having the ability to lock a low interest rate for the life of your loan.

When considering to refinance you should carefully look at all of your options so that the savings you make by refinancing out weigh the costs and penalties. Most homeowners can refinance, but the point is to find a loan that will better the existing loan or mortgage.

By: Troy Francis

Refinance Scams – Shady Loan Officer Tactics – Part 1

admin — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 01:49:20 +0000

Refinancing scams are big news lately, and for good reason. If you are considering refinancing your home, I urge you to read this article in its entirety. It might save you tens of thousands of dollars in the long run.

I used to work for a major, US direct lender who specialized in home-loan refinancing. This corporation taught its loan representatives how to manipulate customers into agreeing to loans that were not in the borrower’s best interest. Although we were taught many methods of psychologically coercing customers into signing loan documents, this article will only discuss one of those methods.

Before I discuss this tactic, you should realize that when a lender evaluates your loan application, they are primarily looking at three things:

1) FICO Score

2) Mortgage-related late payments

3) Bankruptcies

Credit-card payment history, car-payment history, student loans, collections, charge-offs, and pretty much any type of credit problem that is not directly related to a mortgage is irrelevant to getting your loan approved. Why are these credit issues irrelevant? Because that is what the FICO score represents. Your FICO score is a numerical value that takes into consideration all of these factors and lumps them into a number that will range from 500 to 800+.

Mortgage-related late payments will typically increase your interest rate. Bankruptcies will also increase your interest rate or (depending upon the lender) make you “un-lendable”.

Here is the tactic that you should be aware of:

Your loan officer may want to talk with you about your credit history. He or she will ask you specific questions regarding credit-card late payments or otherwise non-mortgage related issues on your credit report. Your loan officer will ask that you explain yourself and provide a valid reason why you were late on those payments.

How is this manipulative?

For starters, those credit issues are irrelevant to your loan approval. Your loan officer should not be discussing them. By asking about your credit history and requesting an explanation, your loan officer is accomplishing three things:

1) Making you feel insecure about your credit history so that you will be less likely to request a quote from another lender

2) Forcing you to “open up” about your personal life, which will help develop a stronger relationship between the two of you

3) Make you feel more appreciative of the loan that your loan officer offers you

The more battered your credit history, the more ammunition a ruthless loan officer will have to use against you and try to manipulate you into accepting a loan that is not in your best interest.

Remember, the majority of loan officers know exactly what type of loan you are approved for the moment they pull your credit. There is absolutely no need for them to delve into your past.

If you experience this type of tactic from your loan officer, I strongly suggest you find a more reputable company to work with.

By: Christian Rios

How to Refinance Student Loans – 5 Tips

admin — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:47:25 +0000

Once you have been in college for one or two years, you may start getting offers to refinance student loans. The offers will all sound tempting, but you should definitely get your facts straight before going through with anything. There are many things you will need to discover and compare.

Refinancing is generally a good idea at any stage of your education. You can save a lot of money on interest and finance charges by consolidating into one loan. However, you want to be careful that you do not actually make things more difficult for yourself in the long run.

1. You need to keep track of the interest rates being offered. Know what the interest rates on your current loans are, and what interest rates may be offered in the future. You should also be aware of the current average interest rate so you can be sure the rate you are being offered is fair. Additionally, find out if the interest rate being offered in the refinance is a fixed or adjustable rate.

2. Find out what the payment terms will be. If you are still enrolled in college, you should be able to continue holding off payments on the principal until you have graduated. This is called an economic deferment. Interest will likely accrue during the deferment, and you should be able to pay that monthly without penalty.

3. Ask the company or lending institution when payments will be expected to start. In most cases, you should be given at least six months from the date of your graduation before you have to start paying on your student loans. However, when you refinance student loans the rules can change. Good companies will still give you the six months grace period.

4. It can be beneficial to you to refinance your loans every year or two, keeping them consolidated and with one company. Additionally, you will definitely want to refinance when your education is complete to make the loans more manageable. Make sure that the terms of the refinance do not exclude this option.

5. Try to choose a company that can work with you over time to continue refinancing until your education is complete. When that time comes, you may need to make additional arrangements as you seek out employment in your new career. The company should also be willing to accept early payment of the loans without penalty, in case you find yourself able to pay ahead, or even pay off the loan early.

By: Joe Eitel