EASYE BLOG
Refinancing Student Loans: A Comprehensive Guide – Now that we’ve covered some of the less common options for dealing with student loan debt, let’s look at an approach that at least 85% of optometrists take: paying off student loans the traditional way.
Optometrists often borrow from both federal and private lenders to finance their education, resulting in an average debt load of $220,000. Most of these loans are federal loans and have average interest rates between 5.5% and 6.8%.
Refinancing Student Loans: A Comprehensive Guide
Most opticians refinance their student loans to save thousands of dollars in interest. So here’s what you need to know about the student loan refinancing process, including understanding how insurance works.
How To Apply For Student Loan Forgiveness
Student loan refinancing involves securing a new loan from a private lender to replace your existing loan. These new loans come with different interest rates and repayment terms. Refinancing through a private lender changes the existing terms of your loan, especially those related to interest rates and repayment schedules.
Refinancing is free, can be repeated multiple times and can result in significant savings through lower interest rates. Many lenders also offer cash sign-up bonuses to new customers.
It is important to distinguish this from Federal Direct Consolidation. The latter essentially combines multiple loans into one loan with a weighted average interest rate. This can streamline the repayment process by making it easier for you to keep track of your debt. Federal loan programs usually offer these consolidation options.
In short, when you refinance your student loans, you’re essentially consolidating multiple federal loans into one loan, but doing so at a more favorable interest rate.
Will Refinancing Student Loans Save You Money?
Interest rates can range from 2.5% to 4.9% depending on a number of factors, including the lender, the term and whether the interest rate is variable or fixed.
Example: A typical optician can get a $200,000 loan at 6.8% interest. By refinancing at 2.5%, we saved $8,600 in interest in the first year alone. Over 20 years, the total interest savings could be $112,049. This is more than half of the original amount!
Many banks offer cash bonuses of up to $1,000 when you refinance, which can boost your savings.
Most applications can easily be submitted online as long as you have all the required financial documentation. The whole process usually takes 2-3 weeks. In addition, private lenders generally provide better customer service than federal lenders to keep your business afloat.
The Pros And Cons Of Refinancing Student Loans Earnest Blog
You don’t have to refinance all of your loans. Depending on the interest rate, you can choose which product you want to refinance. Additionally, if your credit score improves or interest rates decrease, you may be able to refinance to get a better interest rate. Unlike refinancing your home mortgage, refinancing your student loans costs you nothing because there are no origination fees.
Because refinancing is free, many opticians “refinance” multiple times, switching lenders to take advantage of sign-up bonuses. Remember, you must meet the minimum loan requirement for a cash bonus and wait 90 days for the bonus to be paid out.
For the lowest interest rates (usually between 2 and 3 percent), you may need to commit to a five-year term and choose a variable interest rate. But be careful. If your federal tax rate jumps, your monthly payment may also go up. Most optometrists end up opting for a 10-year fixed term, which carries a slightly higher interest rate.
Private lenders typically require a minimum credit score of 700, proof of regular income and a reasonable debt-to-income ratio (often 2.5:1). These requirements may vary, but will affect your eligibility and the rates offered.
Best Student Loan Refinance Companies
Refinancing gives you flexibility if you want to actively pay down your debt or manage your cash flow. People who are focused on paying off their debt quickly can choose a shorter time frame, such as five or 10 years, and aim to achieve their financial goals within that time frame. If you’re juggling multiple financial goals, such as buying a home or starting a practice, a longer term, such as 15 or 20 years, may be more appropriate. In any case, you can make additional payments without penalty.
Given the competitive market, most private refinance lenders offer military deferments, hardship deferments, and even full loan forgiveness in the event of death or disability. This brings us closer to federal loan servicing.
While we strongly advocate using low interest rates to aggressively pay down your student loans, we also want to make you aware of certain situations where refinancing may not be the best option.
If you are an optometrist employed by the VA or a non-profit organization and plan to stay there for 10 years, you should already be enrolled in the 10-year Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. In such cases, stick to your original plan and do not change course along the way.
Best Student Loan Refinance Companies Of Novembe 2023
If your debt-to-income ratio is this high, consider enrolling in a federal income-based loan forgiveness program for 20 to 25 years and making payments based on your income for now. This is especially important if you make $100,000 a year but are facing $300,000 in debt. In these situations, it’s difficult to aggressively pay down debt without jeopardizing your retirement investments or other financial goals. But remember, your financial circumstances can change. As your career progresses, your income will likely increase and your debt will likely decrease.
Example: Let’s say your salary increases to $130,000 and after a year of repayments, your debt is reduced to $270,000. This improves your debt-to-income ratio to 2:1, which is a good time to consider refinancing at a lower interest rate.
Only consider refinancing if you have a stable full-time job or work part-time consistently for at least five days a week. For new graduates, it’s wise to wait at least six months before looking into refinancing options. If you are currently a resident, your income may be too low to secure a favorable interest rate. For any other major life events, such as an anticipated pregnancy, job loss, or transition to a new job, it’s best to wait until things stabilize.
Refinancing with a personal loan means losing federal benefits such as hardship deferment and loan deferment. Missing even one personal loan payment can automatically put you in default and significantly worsen your credit score. This is something you should definitely consider if you are planning to apply for a mortgage or business loan. However, some private lenders, such as Sophie and Laurel Road, offer deferment and forbearance options.
Best Student Loan Refinance Bonus Programs (november 2023)
If you are at high risk for a disability or life-threatening condition, we 100% recommend that you proceed with federal loans. This is because it may not be possible to get adequate life or disability insurance. However, many private lenders now offer forgiveness in the event of death or disability. If not, make sure you have adequate disability and life insurance before refinancing.
Refinanced student loans can be fully discharged in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy, just like credit card debt. However, the downside is that if you die, the lender can claim any remaining debt from the value of your assets (401K, IRA or rental investments, etc.), potentially leaving your heirs with less money.
If your spouse signs the agreement during the refinance process, the loan will not go away if you die. It becomes their debt. We generally do not recommend co-signing unless both parties are fully aware of the risks involved or unless their financial circumstances are extremely difficult. However, many private lenders offer cosigner immunity in the event of death, so it’s a good idea to check your lender’s policy.
So you’re thinking about refinancing your student loans. Simply put, you need to find a lender that offers a lower interest rate, compare and then apply. If approved, your new lender will pay off your existing loan and you will begin making monthly payments on that loan. But let’s take a closer look at the seven steps involved in this process.
Mortgage Refinance Checklist
Most doctors prefer to refinance the entire loan amount for simplicity and consolidation of payments. Plus, it usually comes with a bonus of around $1,000 if the loan amount exceeds $150,000.
At first glance, many student loan refinancing providers look very similar. However, each company has unique requirements and restrictions that may affect your individual situation.
For example, if you have a visa, only certain lenders, such as Sophie, can approve you, but they are likely to charge higher interest rates. If your credit score is poor (less than 740), some banks may penalize you with a higher interest rate.
It is therefore important to get interest rate quotes from at least two or three lenders. This is a quick process, usually taking about 2 to 3 minutes for online pre-approval. These estimates will give you an idea of the market interest rates you could get from different lenders.
Refinance Medical School Student Loans [complete Guide]
While shopping, some lenders may ask you to pre-qualify by providing basic information to get an estimate of the interest rate you may qualify for. Others can only show their prices after you submit a full application, which then becomes a real offer.
⚠ A prequalification loan soft withdrawal generally does not affect your credit score. However, submitting an actual application requires a rigorous credit check, which can temporarily lower your credit score.
The Splash and Credible platforms are a good place to start your search, as they cover about 90% of all refinancing banks. After that, get at least one or two additional quotes from lenders like Laurel Road, Sophie and Earnest.
This approach provides a comprehensive perspective.
