Tag Archives: penalty
Student loan – help at hand for students
It is extremely difficult to go through college directly from high school without taking a break to work, earn and save money for further education. Working while learning is an option but you cannot always manage the time and a part-time job does not pay enough to get you through college as well as provide for your other needs. Education loans, also known as student loan, are the only way for such people who want to pursue higher education but do not have the requisite financial ability to manage it and students all over the globe go for such loans to fulfil their dreams and needs of college education.
Different lending organizations have different terms and conditions for student loan and it is strongly advised that you collect as much information possible before opting for a particular lender. Apart from terms and conditions, the interest rate, the time given for repayment of loan as well as penalty for defaulting. You should know about each aspect of the loan thoroughly and clearly before getting into any kinds of contract so as to avoid any unwanted situations later. Most of all, you should at least be very clear about penalty for loan default as a defaulted student loan can have grave consequences on your career as well as your life.
It is of course better to avoid defaulting a loan as regardless of the penalty, it will affect your credit rating and stop you from getting any loans in future. However, if you feel you are absolutely unable to repay your loan in time it is advised that you be transparent with your student loan lender. Before your lender declares your loan as defaulted student loan, let them know about your predicament and they might defer your repayment date or make some other arrangements such that you do not become a defaulter. The whole point is to try and avoid defaulting any which way possible.
When you are pursuing higher education with the help of student loan, you need to be extra careful regarding the course as well as the institute or university you choose since the kind of job you will be offered and the kind of salary you will be receiving once you join a particular industry or company, after the completion of your education depends very much on these two factors. Even if you are dreaming of starting something of your own, it is advised that you take up a stable job that ensures fixed payment for a certain period of time, till you repay your loan. A new venture will be a risk when you already have the burden of student loan on your shoulders and a defaulted student loan will in no way be helpful for your business prospect.
Fulfil your dreams of higher education with the help of student loan but try and avoid converting it into a defaulted student loan by just being extremely careful and a little sensible. Remember the good points of student loan and you would dare not default it.
Are 401k Loans a Good Idea?
Are 401k loans a good idea? No, not really, but they may still be your best option in certain situations.
Until you reach retirement age, 59 1/2 years old, there is a large penalty for withdrawing from your retirement account. If you take an early withdrawal you have to pay federal taxes, state taxes, and a ten percent penalty.
One way to avoid this and still take advantage of this money you’ve saved is to take a loan from your 401k, this is not available for everyone but some companies have worked it into their plans. There are a lot of downsides to doing this, however.
First of all, and this is often overlooked, the money you’ve borrowed isn’t being invested anymore. If you leave the money where it is in your account then you can keep earning returns on it, but while you’ve been borrowing it the money isn’t earning you more for your retirement.
You have five years to repay the loan, period. If you haven’t finished repaying it at that time then the remaining balance is treated as though you had cashed out in the first place, and you’ll then be charged taxes and the ten percent penalty on those funds.
Also, if you lose your job the balance becomes due and you’re typically given somewhere between one to two months to finish repaying the loan. If you don’t, then the balance is treated as though you cashed it out originally, and you’ll be charged the penalty and taxes on whatever you can’t repay.
On the upside, however, the internet on a 401k loan is very low compared to any of your other borrowing options, and the interest you pay goes straight into your retirement plan, so you’re paying the interest to your future self instead of a company. This is a big plus, and a large part of why so many people decide to take the risk.
If you feel you have no other option except to cash out your retirement account than borrowing instead and trying to make payments is certainly a better option for you, but if you have another option for getting funds I’d definitely recommend considering that first.