Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Personal Student Loan Consolidation: Why to Choose It

Whether you are in college or have graduate from college you likely have a large financial burden that you are carrying as a result of your student loans. In addition to these expensive loans you likely also have to pay for rent, mortgages, care payments and maybe even support a family. With all this responsibility it is easy to see why many are looking for a way to ease their financial responsibilities. One place where you can start is with personal student loan consolidation.

What Is It?

The student loan consolidation process, regardless of whether you are consolidating private or federal loans, involves taking out a new loan.  That means that the process of personal student loan consolidation will require you to borrow a new loan whose funds will be used to pay off all of your previously existing debt related to your student loans.  Personal student loan consolidation is a great way to simplify your life financially.

Benefits of Consolidating

The simplicity of consolidation isn't the only reason why you should consider personal student loan consolidation. There is the benefit that you can have a lower monthly payment if your consolidation interest rate is less than the average interest rate on your multiple loans. This way you can save and invest your money, possibly to help you make higher payments that allow you to pay off your loan a lot sooner.

Drawbacks of Consolidating

Remember that there are some negative aspects to consolidating your private student loans.  Even though you may be told that you will be paying less each month, it is important to understand that you might not end up saving any money.  Be sure to check the details of your loan agreement before you sign anything. Beware of student loan consolidation fraud.

If the term of your loan is exceptionally long, such as thirty years, you could wind up paying lots of extra money in interest charges.  A shorter loan term will save you money.

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