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School Loan Deferments and Forbearance
Student loans are designed to be quite easy to pay off, but there are times when students simply can’t make the payments. Because student loans and school loan consolidation can make the balance of your loan add up, there may come a time when you have trouble meeting your required payment. In this case, it is important to take steps to protect your personal credit in order to build a financial future in the long term. It is never good to default on a loan, and it is even worse to default on a federally funded student loan.
When you can’t make your payments and student loan consolidation isn’t an option, you might want to consider a last resort. Gaining a deferment on your student loan is an excellent way to get a break. Many people have trouble paying back loans of all kinds, so lenders have developed this option to help. They are just as eager to get their money back as you are to pay it, so they will work with you in order to find a solution that works for everyone.
And important thing to remember about school loan deferments is that you can not apply for this type of help after you’ve already defaulted. If you feel like the burden of the student loan is going to be too much to bear, talk to your creditors before it gets to that point. Once you go into default, your credit will be ruined and there will be no deferment option to bail you out.
Deferments will allow you to put off the payments until a later time. Obviously, this will not eliminate your debt, but it will give you some room to breathe. There are fees and charges associated with putting off the repayment of a loan, but it is better to pay these fees than to have a large student loan go into default.
Before you get to the point where deferment is necessary, consider calling up a student loan consolidation company. If you have private lenders for the student loan, they can sometimes work with your lenders in order to lower the rates that you pay. In some cases, they can even help to develop a repayment plan to keep you out of default. This is an option that works for lots of folks.
If you aren’t comfortable with school loan consolidation, then forbearance is another option to strongly consider. As with deferment, this isn’t the most pleasant outcome to the problem, but it beats the alternative of defaulting on the loan. Like deferment, forbearance must be applied for specifically. Some cases will be granted and some will not. It all depends upon your lender and your circumstances. During forbearance, you payments are temporarily suspended or reduced for a certain period of time. This is usually more of a short term fix when deferment or student loan consolidation is not an option.
School loan forbearance and deferment is a good way to keep yourself out of financial trouble. Defaulting on a loan can be financial death, so any way around that is a good thing.
Copyright (c) 2008 USUniversityReviews
Top 10 Credit Card Tips (Page 1 of 2)
The credit card has been one of the most popular inventions of this time, helping consumers acquire convenience and boosting consumer spending for the economy. However, credit cards have been exploited for the wrong reasons, and thus have become the main source of debt for many consumers. Thus, in order for credit cards to be beneficial, consumers would need to be well-informed on the proper usage of credit cards.
1. Pay off your outstanding balances each month
Rolling over outstanding balances will only result in snowballing debt. Credit card interest rates are amongst the highest as compared to other types of debt. With this, your cost of expenses is increased without any apparent benefit to you.
2. Transfer your high interest credit card balances to 0% APR credit cards
If your outstanding credit card balances are high, you should work out a balance transfer to other credit cards that offer introductory 0% APRs. This way, you can stagger monthly payments and pay off your credit card debt gradually without incurring additional interests.
3. Cut up high interest credit cards
Its time you evaluate your credit card interests, and cut up those that charge high interest rates, no matter how wonderful their reward programs at. At the end of the day, the rewards attained will not equate the additional interests incurred.
4. Be careful with your credit limit
As your credit limit may be 2 or 3 times greater than your monthly income, it can be fairly easy for you to overspend. Thus, when using your credit card, be sure that you dont charge more than what you can truly afford.
5. Check your credit card statements
Contrary to what you may believe, banks and credit card companies may make errors in their billing statements to you. Thus, it is best to have a habit of cross checking your credit card charges before making payment.
6. Automatic transfer payments
If your credit card is being used for grocery shopping, you can always arrange for an auto-payment with your bank to ensure that you always pay on time. However, you would still need to cross-check your credit card statements and make a complaint if you find any discrepancies.
7. No credit cards when window shopping
Do you have bad control over your shopping habits? If you are on a window shopping spree, it may be advisable not be bring your credit card. How else would you buy anything if you are out of cash with no credit cards? This is a good way to stop yourself from impulse purchases.
8. Be aware of your rights
Consumers are entitled to rights when it comes to making purchases. The government has set forth many guidelines for retailers in order to protect consumers. Thus, if you have paid for something which did not get sent to you, or if you purchase something that turns out to be faulty, you have every right to demand for a refund or make a report to the Federal Trade Commission.