Refinancing is the process of paying off one loan by obtaining another loan which is usually at a lower interest rate or with better terms. When it comes to student loans it’s generally done to reduce monthly student loan payments. There are several ways to accomplish this through student loan consolidation programs through banks or programs through the government.

When refinancing your student loans there are several things to consider. If you have both federal student loans and private loans, you will have to refinance them separately. With federal loans, you can usually receive a lower interest rate than with private loans. Private student loans are personal loans based on the assumption that the income level will increase with more education. Therefore, refinancing is rated at a much higher level. If you were to mix the two together when you refinance, you would wind up paying a higher interest rate on the combined principal than you would if you financed the two loans separately.

Shop around because student loan rates vary by lender. Check out your credit scores prior to applying. Rates are based on your credit history. Before refinancing makes sure your credit history is in good shape. By contrast, rates for refinancing federal student loans change only once a year on the first of July. While currently pretty low, they are subject to annual fluctuation.

If you are struggling to repay your student loans then you most certainly are not alone. Many times students and graduates that hold student loans look to refinance in order to lower their monthly payments. Before considering this, please read the following article. It may just change your mind.

Refinancing student loans can be a good idea under certain circumstances, but not always. As of late, interest rates have been low but they are in fact rising and most economists agree that they will continue to rise. Most student loans are based on a variable interest rate and will not be locked-in until you refinance or get a loan consolidation.

The option to refinance is only available to those individuals who have established good credit by paying their loans back on time. If you have missed payments or have been late then you can pretty much forget about it. As a rule, refinancing rates are usually offered at 1 or 2 points below what your current rate is. This is to make the loan more attractive, but you must take caution.

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.

Merits of Refinance Student Loans

A loan refinance means applying for a second loan to replace the existing or first loan. In case of a refinance the loan amount remains the same but some of the other loan conditions change. Because of the changes in the other loan conditions the borrowers get some additional benefits. And these benefits prompt a borrower to go for a loan refinance.

These loans are available in secured and unsecured forms. If you require a larger amount to settle your previous debt you need to apply for secured one and furnish an asset that can secure the loan amount. In case of unsecured loan scheme you need not offer any security.

Student loans are like every other type of bank loan that you receive in the sense that you borrowed the principal upfront and now the true cost of the loan can only be calculated after all of the principal and interest has been paid back in full. That is probably where a great many students find themselves having difficulties. Far too many treat their student loans as if they were free money. No doubt a great many do the same with credit cards as well but that is a subject for a different day.

Student loans are godsend in assisting millions to get their education. They are an integral part of our society and play a huge role in bettering ourselves and the world we live in through education. If you hold a student loan then you owe it to yourself to know exactly where you stand with it and make the proper adjustments if need be.