It's not unheard of, surely. But let's get to the basics. There are two student loan types that are made available to financially struggling students. The federal student loan is a loan given by the government, particularly the country's Department of Education's Federal Student Aid program. If you have a federal student loan, this is easier to get debt consolidation for. The second type would be a private student loan. You get this loan from non-government lending institutions. Usually, they charge higher rates compared to those with the federal student loan type so it's harder for debt consolidation specialists to take care of. In this article, we won't bother discussing about how to get a student loan because that's another topic entirely.
So anyway, now you've got your student loan, as well as other bills and you lack enough money to pay things off. Again, that's where debt consolidation comes in. Debt consolidation is also known as bill consolidation, debt negotiation and debt settlement. Usually, the two latter terms somehow end up being connected with illegal means so it's best to stick with debt consolidation for the moment. Debt consolidation is the process of totaling the amount of all your loans and bills put together and asking the help of a debt consolidation specialist to negotiate with your creditors in your behalf.
If you're worried then about paying off your student loan, you now have an alternative. Usually, the school you attended or still attending can give you suggestions on which debt consolidation companies to approach. Failing that, if you've got a federal student loan, you can easily go to the nearest government branch and they can hook you up with a recommended debt consolidation specialist. Since the rates of a federal student loan differs from that of a private one, it is better that you don't refinance the two together.
Now, you can only have your federal student loan consolidated if you're no longer in school, you're not behind payment and minimal amount of loan that you took is $10,000. So if you don't meet one of those three requirements, your student loan can't be part of your debt consolidation program.
When it comes to private student loan types however, it's much more lenient when it comes to requirements but it costs a bit more. If you don't prefer any debt consolidation in particular, Citibank can offer you a program that would benefit you. You can check out StudentLoan.com for more details.
Statistics show that most student loans cost more than your income so this
is at odds with the expectations of private lending institutions who give out
student loans because they believe that your income will go higher as you complete
a higher degree of educational level. Nonetheless, since you already took a
loan and there's no going back, it's entirely understandable that
you see debt consolidation as a solution, even though a lot of debt consolidation
companies nowadays are being sued for fraud and malpractice. The importance
is learning from your mistake. You took a student loan because you believe
it was worth it. So now, you learn if it's worth the financial worry.
And later on, you'll also learn if debt consolidation is worth the risk.
All in a student's day's work.
7 Ways to Spot a Credit Repair Scam
If you've recently had an application turned down because of bad credit, you know the importance of good credit as well as anyone. Having bad credit can make life a little inconvenient. You might find yourself paying high security deposits or getting turned down for credit cards, loans, and even jobs.
Credit repair services look very attractive when your credit is damaged. Many consumers who've used these companies have found themselves out of hundreds, even thousands of dollars, with no better credit than when they started. Credit repair scams are rampant and it's up to you to recognize them. Read 7 Ways to Spot a Credit Repair Scam.
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7 Ways to Spot a Credit Repair Scam originally appeared on About.com Credit / Debt Management on Tuesday, July 27th, 2010 at 00:56:07.
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...(more)12 Reasons Your Budget Isn't Working
Are you about to give up budgeting because you can't get your budget to work? Check out these 12 reasons your budget isn't working before you throw in the towel. Usually when budgets go wrong, it's because of the method, not the budget itself.
Budgets are an essential tool to getting out of debt and staying there. So don't give up on your budget just yet. Try to figure out what's not working, fix that problem, and give your budget another try.
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12 Reasons Your Budget Isn't Working originally appeared on About.com Credit / Debt Management on Sunday, July 25th, 2010 at 02:02:18.
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...(more)Beware Email and Phone Credit Card Scams
Credit card thieves come up with more clever ways of tricking you into giving your credit card information. They like to pose as your credit card company, calling or emailing you to alert you to trouble with your account. Be suspicious any phone calls or emails you receive from someone claiming to with your bank or card company.
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Beware Email and Phone Credit Card Scams originally appeared on About.com Credit / Debt Management on Saturday, July 24th, 2010 at 00:09:39.
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...(more)The Debt Collector Could Be Checking Your Facebook
If you tell the debt collector you're about to file bankruptcy today, you probably shouldn't post pictures of your new Corvette tomorrow. Otherwise, the debt collector could use that information against you. TheĀ Arizona Daily Star report tells of a the debt collector who discovered information on Facebook and used it to confront a businessman who'd lied about his inability to pay a $17,500 debt. That confrontation got him to pay up.
There's nothing in the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act that prevents debt collectors from checking your Facebook or other social networking page. Fortunately, they can't use it to reveal that you owe a debt.
The best way to keep debt collectors off your Facebook page is to make it private and visible only to people you know. Of course, telling the truth about your financial status won't hurt either.
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The Debt Collector Could Be Checking Your Facebook originally appeared on About.com Credit / Debt Management on Tuesday, July 20th, 2010 at 23:06:02.
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...(more)Could This Be the Best Cashback/Balance Transfer Card Ever?
How does this sound for a cash rewards deal? Five percent cashback on gas purchases, two percent on groceries, and one percent on everything else. What about a 4.99% interest rate on balance transfer for two years?
This is a real credit card offer, from a real bank, but I must admit, there's a catch - you must be a member of the Pentagon Federal Credit Union. The good news is - there are seven ways to join the credit union and one of them could apply to you.
Read our review of the PedFed Platinum Cashback Rewards Card to learn more about the credit card offer.
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Could This Be the Best Cashback/Balance Transfer Card Ever? originally appeared on About.com Credit / Debt Management on Thursday, July 15th, 2010 at 03:00:22.
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...(more)2005 All rights reserved - Debt Consolidator