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Date July 2, 2009

Students Carrying Heavy Debts Will Benefit From Debt Consolidation Options

Nowadays, with the economic difficulties American consumers are facing and the ongoing credit crunch, graduating students are facing a worrying future, most especially those who are carrying large credit card debts. Currently, graduating students carry an average of $23,000 in debts.

Students Carrying Heavy Debts Will Benefit From Debt Consolidation OptionsThat’s a very large debt to be carrying for students and the parents who support them. Fortunately, after July 1, students are going to be able to participate in a few debt consolidation programs that will offer them better chances at paying off their debts through much lower costs and a more agreeable payment arrangement.

Students can easily apply for a debt consolidation arrangement which usually comes with no extra fees. The special offers are usually available for a grace period of six months after the student graduations. This is a typical scenario and may not be true for all. If a student applies for a debt consolidation during this grace period, they can get very affordable rates for their debt consolidation loan.

Students who are using the Stafford loan could see a rate drop from 3.61 percent to 1.88 percent. For students who are already repaying their loans at 4.21 percent, the drop could be as low as 2.4%. Students who are in the PLUS loans could see a drop from 5.01 percent to 3.28 percent.

Mark Kantrowitz, the publisher of the college financial aid industry tracking website FinAid, says that these rates being offered are “historically low”. He also adds that it is unlikely that these low rates will be available later on.

Up to July of 2006, federal student loans had variable rates with an upper limit of 8.25 percent for Stafford loans and 9 percent for PLUS loans. Afterwards, the rates were fixed to 6.8 percent for Stafford loans. Subsidized Stafford loans have been decreasing for every year. Starting from 6.8 percent, it is now at 3.4 percent though it is scheduled to return to 6.8 percent unless Congress acts against it. The FFEL Plus loans are also currently at a fixed rate of 8.5 percent while the Direct PLUS loans are at 7.9 percent.

With the new, lowered rates of these student loans, students carrying heavy debts after graduation should now have a better chance of tackling with their debts. Debt consolidation is also a necessity for students who want to opt for a deferred payment plan for their loans. A deferred payment plan can give students ten to twenty years to pay off their debts, depending on the plan that they get.

However, students should know that a deferred payment plan can significantly increase the cost of the loan.

Date June 9, 2009

Debt Consolidation Pros and Cons

Debt Consolidation Pros and ConsIf you find yourself in heavy debt, panicking is probably the worst thing that you can do. So, first relax and take a deep breath. Remind yourself that it is not the end of the world and you can get over it, with a bit of luck and a lot of hard work. Now you’ve probably researched a lot on how to get out of debt and have run across these two words: “debt consolidation”. If you’re thinking about using this to help you get out of debt, then read on.

Because of the state of the economy and the increasing number of people going into heavy debt, debt consolidation has become very popular. Paying off debt is of utmost importance to most Americans because a large debt can have a negative effect on their credit card scores. And, as you know, a low credit score means low chances of getting loan approval.

Debt consolidation can be quite helpful for people with debt problems. Debt consolidation is essentially taking out one big loan to pay off all your other loans. By consolidating all their debts into one, they need only worry about the payments of one single debt. Most people with debt problems often find juggling between bills to be one of the most difficult parts of debt payment. With only one bill to pay every month, debt payment is much simpler.

If you plan on consolidating your debts into one you also get the advantage of having only one interest rate to keep track of. If you are smart, you can also get a debt consolidation loan that has a lower interest rate than all your other loans combined. If you are really in dire straits financially, you can also opt for a debt consolidation loan which offers low monthly payments to be paid over a longer period of time.

However, you must remember that, when you are taking out a debt consolidation loan, your debts do not decrease. Your debts are the same, only the payment scheme has changed. So you still must make sure to pay your debts every month. You must also discipline yourself to avoid getting into more loans outside of your debt consolidation loan as you are paying it off so that you don’t overextend your finances and worsen your debt situation. Constant monthly payments of your debt consolidation loan and avoiding other loans can help you keep your credit score healthy too.

If you are now considering applying for a debt consolidation program, make sure to research properly the debt consolidation company that you are going to use. While there are many reputable companies out there, there are also bad seeds which you should try to avoid. A good guide to remember is this: if a deal looks too good to be true, it is.