By now, you've likely heard a little (or a lot) about the state of the economy — including the Federal Reserve decision to drop several key interest rates.

Have you thought about how these changes will affect your student loans?

We know some Student LoanDown readers have — several of you have been asking great questions through comments and Ask the Expert. Well, ask and you shall receive…

Private loan rate changes
Most private loans have variable rates that are generally based on the Prime Rate  (taken from the Money Rates column of The Wall Street Journal). Some lenders base their rates on other rates like the LIBOR  (London Interbank Offered Rate). If you're not sure what your rate is based on check the terms of your loan or call your lender for more details.

These base rates change with the economic conditions. You can see the historic changes of the Prime Rate here . As those rates change so does your student loan interest rate. When the rate change occurs will vary by lender. Some lenders adjust your rates quarterly (every three months ). Others change on a monthly basis. Again, if you're unsure, your lender is just a call away.

Some bloggers  noticed their rate change after the last time the Federal Reserve cut rates. So check your rate! It may have already changed without you knowing!

Federal loan rate changes
Federal loans are a bit different. For those of you with loans made after July 1, 2006, your rate is fixed and won't change. But loans made before that date are generally variable. However, federal loans aren't based on an interest rate index like the Prime Rate or LIBOR. They are based on a Treasury bill  auction and may change each July.

This means that they aren't directly affected by recent interest rate cuts, but in general they tend to follow the trend . Some industry experts are predicting the rates will drop. Check out the quote from Mark Kantrowitz (of finaid.org)  at the end of this article .

For you December graduates currently in a grace period or for those of you set to graduate this May, possible rate changes could play a large part in your decision to consolidate your loans — or at least when you consolidate.

If your reason to consolidate is to lock in a fixed interest rate, then it could behoove you to wait and see if they lower. If you take the risk, however, know that rates aren't guaranteed to change.

Right now variable interest rate Federal Stafford Loans are 6.62% during in-school, grace period, and deferment and 7.22% during repayment. May graduates will be able to see if the rates change while they're in their grace period. But for you December grads, you could miss the 0.60% difference if you let your grace period expire to wait for the possible rate change. Signs point to the rates lowering, but again, it's not guaranteed (just playing Devil's advocate  for you!).

Posted by Barbara at 01:01 PM |  Contact Barbara |  Permalink  |  Comments (12)
Found in Federal loans, Financial aid, Financial education, Paying, Private loans, Student loans, Wells Fargo Bank

Did you know that there's a lot more to this February than Black History Month, Ash Wednesday, Valentine's Day, President's Day weekend, and Leap Day ? It's also Financial Aid Awareness Month, which we certainly would be remiss not to acknowledge (being that we're a student loan blog and all)!

In the spirit of awareness, I offer the following tidbits of advice for making the best of financial aid:

1. Save, save, save. Save your birthday money from Great Aunt Millie, your summer job earnings, and your tax return. I know it's hard. But save at least part of it, and sock it away for the biggest investment you'll ever make — your own education.

2. Find all the free money you can. Apply for every scholarship and grant that's applicable to you. Be tenacious — there's money out there for those who are willing to do a little digging. If all else fails, look for spare change on the sidewalk.

3. If you're gonna borrow, borrow a federal student loan first. Federal student loans have the lowest interest rates and the most flexibility for repayment, so you have options when the time comes to pay them back. Take the bit of time and effort it takes to complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and get a federal loan first. Seriously, it's worth it.

4. Only AFTER you have secured federal funding should you borrow a private student loan. Private student loans are based on credit, and they're usually more expensive than federal student loans. You'll probably need a cosigner to get one, too. For some, private loans are necessary — that's why Wells Fargo provides them. But before you borrow, check out all the loan terms very carefully and think about what it'll cost to pay the loan back. (You will have to pay it back.)

5. Borrow only what you really, really need. C'mon, do you really, really need a BMW, a daily $4 latte, or a spring break trip to Cancun? No, you do not. You're in college. Be poor and whiny now so you don't have to be poor and whiny later.

Recently there was a great article in BusinessWeek  that provides some family financial aid strategies and an overview of the student lending landscape. In honor of this special month, check it out to boost your financial aid awareness, or share your own thoughts with the community here!

PS: I actually have a Great Aunt Millie.

Posted by Staci at 12:03 PM |  Contact Staci |  Permalink  |  Comments (0)
Found in Financial aid, Financial education, Money management, Paying, Preparing, Private loans, Saving, Student loans, Wells Fargo Bank

Post car breakdown, my father suggested I start thinking about purchasing a new vehicle when summer rolls around.

A car loan can be a large undertaking. Before I got too committed to the idea of a new vehicle, I decided to first research my credit score and credit report. Both affect the rate I would get on a car loan.

There are a number of ways to see how you're using your credit. I chose to take advantage of a free trial of FICO® Score Watch® —a program that allows you to check your credit score and credit report through Equifax, one of the nationwide consumer credit reporting agencies.

The program lets you know what’s helping your score and what’s hurting it. I found out that my history of no late payments is an advantage, while my short credit history is one of my pitfalls.

You can also check your various credit accounts, any inquiries by lenders or business looking into your credit, reports from collection agencies, and any public records you may have like tax liens, bankruptcies, foreclosures, and garnishments.

For me, the coolest part of the program was the Score Simulator. This tool allows you to see how different scenarios would affect your credit score. It also gives you a best course of action—the plan of attack that will help your credit score the most.

So I simulated applying for an auto loan. Applying for this new credit in my current situation could lower my credit score by 30 points. It really got me thinking about what I could do to improve my current credit score before applying for new credit.

Just for fun (well, it wouldn’t be fun if it actually happened), I simulated my score if I maxed out all my revolving credit accounts—those include credit cards, store cards, and lines of credit. With that, my score dropped about 100 points! Yikes!

Better just follow my best course of action and pay off my credit cards over the next 24 months.

If you’re curious about your credit score, what you could do to improve it or what future actions could hurt it, Score Watch might be something to check out.

Do you check your credit/scores on a regular basis?

Posted by Barbara at 10:05 AM |  Contact Barbara |  Permalink  |  Comments (2)
Found in Credit, Credit cards, Credit history, Credit score, Default, Paying, Private loans, Wells Fargo Bank

An experience this past weekend got me thinking about unplanned expenses. I had my first homeowner emergency – the water and sewer drain starting backing up...into my basement. Yay, homeownership!  

Nearly $200 on the credit card later, I can once again shower, flush my toilets, do my dishes, and wash my clothes. Luckily, I created my emergency fund for situations like this. So I'm just a transfer and payment away from getting that cost off my credit card.

My situation got me thinking about student loan borrowers. College is full of unexpected expenses – higher book costs than anticipated, bigger utility bills, etc. Caroline suggested earlier this year to plan for the unplanned expenses. But if you didn't, what other options do you have?

If you've already used federal funding for tuition, but need more to cover the cost of your education (which includes your books, housing, etc.), one option to consider is a private loan. Depending on your situation, you may choose a certified or non-certified loan.

What's the difference? Check out this comparison with some of the big differences:

Here are two examples of Wells Fargo's certified and non-certified options for undergraduate students.

How have you dealt with unexpected expenses in college? Was your savings enough to cover them, or did you turn to a private loan?

Posted by Barbara at 10:07 AM |  Contact Barbara |  Permalink  |  Comments (2)
Found in Banking, Budgeting, Federal loans, Financial education, Money management, Paying, Preparing, Private loans, Wells Fargo Bank

Some of the comments we've been receiving as of late—and I haven't been able to publish them all because they don't meet our Comment Guidelines—indicate that the Student LoanDown blog hasn't been spending enough time discussing student loans.

I'm not going to argue with that—we have diversified our content a bit this summer, adding new bloggers and broadening our topics. But here's what I would argue: that we're here to talk with you about financing college and managing debt, and that includes much more than just student loans.

These days, what I hear from so many young people is that their student loans feel like Monopoly®  money—abstract, unreal amounts with no consequences attached. That they're not even sure how much they owe. That they have no idea how they'll pay it back. Wait, you mean I have to pay it back?

Earlier this week I read an article quoting a 22-year-old college grad who said something along the lines of "we're too young to understand that we're going to owe this much" and that "it doesn't feel real until later."

I don't want to be judgmental here, but it's this kind of attitude that frustrates me. You're not too young to grasp the concepts of borrowing—you're just not doing it.

That's why we discuss the broader topics of debt and credit and wants and needs and budgeting and saving on a "student loan blog." We share our personal experiences for the same reason. If we can get any of these financial concepts to resonate with you in any way, we will have built a better educated, more responsible community of past, present and future student loan borrowers.

Because, my friends, it's not Monopoly money—it's as real as it's ever going to be. So do not pass Go, do not collect an unnecessary $200 at 6.80% interest, and, above all, do not claim ignorance. You're old enough to know.

Posted by Staci at 10:39 AM |  Contact Staci |  Permalink  |  Comments (10)
Found in Back to school, Banking, Budgeting, Credit cards, Debt, Federal loans, Financial education, Lenders, Money management, Online banking, Paying, Post-college, Preparing, Private loans, Student loans, Wells Fargo Bank

It's August, which means that it's tuition time for the many of us heading back to school.

*GULP*

Over the next few weeks, the loans I am borrowing will be disbursed to my university to pay off the tuition and fees I owe as I continue my education. Once I have settled my bill with the school, the remaining funds will be deposited into my bank account in a ceremony I affectionately refer to as "Student Loan Payday."

Let's face it, getting a degree is expensive, and many of us need to borrow money just to cover our cost of living. Here in the San Francisco Bay Area , that burden is especially high. I am eagerly awaiting the additional money in the bank so I know I'll be able cover all of my expenses for the next few months!

The kicker about "Student Loan Payday" is that it only comes about once a semester, which means you have to figure out how to make those funds last. Creating a budget—and sticking to it—is crucial to making that happen!

What tips do you have to help stretch your student loan dollars?

Posted by Kathy at 09:39 AM |  Contact Kathy |  Permalink  |  Comments (3)
Found in Back to school, Banking, Budgeting, Consolidation, Debt, Federal loans, Financial aid, Financial education, Money management, Online banking, Paying, Preparing, Private loans, Student loans, Wells Fargo Bank

This week I'm in our nation's capital—Washington, D.C.—attending the National Association of Financial Aid Administrators  conference.

It's unbearably hot and humid. The weather is triggering memories of the two Julys I lived here—when I'd walk the four blocks to my Capitol office in shorts and a T-shirt and change into hosiery and a suit after I arrived, drenched in sweat; when there was a brownout in my northeastern D.C. neighborhood and I sweltered through a sleepless, 100-degree night without air conditioning; when my friends and I would drive to Rehoboth Beach  in the middle of a weekend afternoon just to get some relief from the heat.

When I was much, much younger.

On Sunday afternoon I attended a seminar on the legislative and regulatory changes happening in the student loan industry. Here at the conference, it's a topic as hot as it is outside.

I've mentioned before that lately there's been a lot of media attention given to inappropriate relationships between some financial aid directors and some student loan lenders. But the operative word is some. The majority of those who work in financial aid aren't in it for money or glory. In their profession, there isn't much of either to be had. Rather, financial aid counselors, directors and administrators are doing this work for one reason: to help students and families pay for college educations. And it's complicated, stressful work.

So I'd ask this: Instead of believing all the negative stuff you see in the media about financial aid professionals, give 'em the benefit of the doubt. When you enter their offices, don't automatically be skeptical about their motives or intentions. Remember that they have knowledge to share, experience upon which to draw, and compassion beyond compare.

If they didn't, they wouldn't do what they do. And they certainly wouldn't be sweating it out here at the conference, trying to learn new information about how to help families navigate the choppy waters of financial aid. They really are good nuts, here to help. Let them.

Posted by Staci at 08:42 AM |  Contact Staci |  Permalink  |  Comments (2)
Found in Federal loans, Financial aid, Financial education, Grants, Lenders, Looking back, Paying, Preparing, Private loans, Refinancing, Remember, Student loans, Wells Fargo Bank, Work-study

For me, the answer isn't as easy as it was when I was a 10-year-old. Back then, I wanted to be a marine biologist —never mind my inability to swim without a nose plug and the obvious geographical hindrance, being in landlocked Nebraska .

My answer changed over the years—to teacher, nurse, lawyer, writer and more. Frankly, I haven't quite solidified a final answer.

For those trying to answer that question, there are a couple of other logical questions to consider: What should I major in? Where should I go to school?

When it comes to paying for an education, those questions can have a very large effect on your financial future. Obviously, your college price tag varies depending on what and where you're studying. When you're making these decisions, you should also be thinking about what you'll be doing after graduation—and asking yourself: "Will I be earning enough money to repay what I borrowed?"

Most advisers suggest  not exceeding monthly student loan payments over 10% to 15% of your expected salary .

I'll give you an example. Let's say our student:

• Has a major in psychology—both a bachelor's and master's degree
• Eventually wants to teach psychology at a university
• Is taking on about $40,000 of Federal Stafford loan debt

Is that decision financially sound?

Well, if the expected salary is around $50,000 out of college, our student will have a monthly income of about $4,200. By using a payment calculator (at 6.8% interest rate for 10 years), you can see that the monthly loan payment is $460—about 11% of the estimated monthly income. Our student is pushing their suggested borrowing amount. In this case, it might make sense for our student to get extra income from a part-time job during school instead of borrowing so much.

Seems to me that the question to answer isn't what do you want to be when you grow up, but can you afford it?

Posted by Barbara at 09:12 AM |  Contact Barbara |  Permalink  |  Comments (0)
Found in Budgeting, College selection, Federal loans, Financial education, Jobs, Paying, Post-college, Preparing, Private loans, Student loans, Tuition, Wells Fargo Bank

Since July 4th is tomorrow, let's talk about another kind of "Independence Day"—the financial type.

I've always liked feeling financially independent. I had a paper route  as a kid and relished having my own money for movies, candy and Ms. Pac-Man . I worked as a grocery checker  in high school, spending my cash on clothes and other extras I wanted for myself.

In college, I was able to pay my own way through school with a combination of grants , scholarships, student loans, work-study  and regular jobs. And after college, I was soon on my own and paying all my own bills from cable to car insurance.

But I distinctly remember the day I felt truly financially independent. I was 29 years old and had just purchased my first car without consulting my parents in any way, shape or form. Finding that little Mazda  all on my own and securing the financing was a little scary, but it felt great. I'd crossed that final bridge to true financial independence. Light the sparklers!

Got any stories to share about your own Financial Independence Day?

Posted by Caroline at 09:02 AM |  Contact Caroline |  Permalink  |  Comments (6)
Found in Budgeting, Cars, Federal loans, Financial education, Grants, Independence Day, Jobs, Looking back, Parents, Paying, Preparing, Private loans, Remember, Scholarships, Student loans, Wells Fargo Bank, Work-study

After July 1, you'll have an even bigger reason to apply for federal aid—increased Federal Stafford Loan  limits.

In case you need a couple of reminders why it's a good idea to max out your federal funding before turning to private loans, check out some discussions we've had earlier on this blog.

• They're guaranteed: What's so special about federal loans?
• Almost everyone qualifies for some kind of aid: Is financial aid for you?
• They can be consolidated: Raising my hand with consolidation questions

I know you're wondering how much you could be able to borrow. So, see the chart below with the new Stafford Loan limits for dependent and independent students.

Remember two things:

1. An independent student is someone who meets one of these criteria:

• A graduate or professional student
• A married person
• An individual with legal dependent(s) other than a spouse
• A veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces
• An orphan or a ward of the court
• At least 24 years old by December 31 of the award year
• Deemed independent by the school's Financial Aid Office due to special circumstances

2. A subsidized Stafford Loan:

• Is need based
• Means any interest that accrues during school or deferment paid by the government

Posted by Barbara at 08:29 AM |  Contact Barbara |  Permalink  |  Comments (0)
Found in Consolidation, Federal loans, Financial education, Lenders, Paying, Preparing, Private loans, Student loans, Wells Fargo Bank

I'm a sucker for breaking the awkward silence. If a professor waited long enough after asking a question in college, I would always pipe up. Well, if I kind of knew the answer.

I asked y'all for questions about student loan consolidation, and so far you haven't asked any! Well, the awkward silence is getting to me—so I'm going to raise my hand and ask (as well as answer) questions that I've been asked in the past.

What exactly is consolidation?

Consolidating means taking out one new student loan that combines your other student loans. Your consolidation loan lender will pay off the loans you are combining, so you'll have one new loan for the total amount. BTW, when people talk about student loan consolidation, they're usually referring to federal loan consolidation. Some lenders also offer options for private loan consolidation.

Am I eligible?

If you have federal student loans—no matter which lender holds them—you can consolidate them with any lender. Here are the federal loans that I'm talking about:

• Federal Family Education Loan Program loans (Stafford, PLUS, SLS, and Consolidation Loans)
• Federal Direct Loan Program loans (Stafford, PLUS, and Consolidation Loans)
• Federal Insured Student Loans (FISL)
• Federal Perkins Loans
• Health Professions Student Loans (HPSL)
• Nursing Student Loans (NSL)

And yes, you read that right. If you already have a federal consolidation loan and take out another federal loan (say you go back to school after a couple years to get a master's degree), you can "reconsolidate" and add more federal loans.

You can also consolidate a single Federal Stafford or Federal PLUS loan if you want to lock in the rate.

Why should I consolidate?

Consolidation offers a couple key benefits:

• You might see a lower payment each month—which can help when you're trying to manage other monthly payments while paying back your loan.
  
  
• Instead of making several payments, you'll only have to make one.
  
  
• Your loan will have a fixed interest rate—this is a big one, especially if you have variable-rate federal loans. The next questions tell you why.

What kind of rate will I get?

For federal loan consolidation the rate is an average of the rates on all the loans you are consolidating, rounded to the nearest one-eighth of a percent. But it won't get higher than 8.25%. Speaking of rates …

When should I consolidate?

This is an important question right now because students with variable-rate federal loans will see an interest-rate increase on July 1, 2007. If you have a federal loan that was issued before July 1, 2006, you're in this boat. These loans also increase by 0.60% when your grace period ends, so it's better to consolidate while in grace.

Why shouldn't I consolidate?

In some situations, there may be a better option to ease your loan repayment—like different payment options.

Also, you need to be aware of the disadvantages of consolidation. Since you might be extending your repayment term, you could end up paying more interest in the long run. And, it's possible you might lose any borrower benefits you've been reaping on your loans.

Here's a good checklist  that walks you through your decision.

What else should I know about consolidation?

• You can't "unconsolidate" your loans. Once you consolidate, your old loans don't exist anymore—your consolidation lender paid them off.
  
  
• Until your lender tells you your consolidation is complete, you need to continue making payments on all your separate loans.

OK, now that the silence is broken, is there anything else that you're wondering? If so, raise your hand.

Posted by Barbara at 07:52 AM |  Contact Barbara |  Permalink  |  Comments (5)
Found in Consolidation, Federal loans, Lenders, Paying, Post-college, Preparing, Private loans, Refinancing, Student loans, Wells Fargo Bank

Remember the self-absorbed, spoiled Veruca Salt from "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" ? In the first film adaptation of Roald Dahl's book (which I was a wee bit obsessed with in my youth), Veruca sang my favorite song, "I Want It Now!" 

(Note: The following links to a video from a non-Wells Fargo website )

While I doubt anyone has golden egg-laying geese or Oompa-Loompas  on their wish list, there are a lot of things that we want NOW—like a car, a home, or an education. But unlike young Veruca, we don't all have a rich father willing to pay whatever price for whatever we want.

Enter the lending industry: entities that will pay for what you want NOW, if you pay them back later—plus some. Sometimes that "plus some" (we're talking money in interest here, not your first-born child) can be pretty hard to swallow.

Take my home purchase. Each month, I'll be paying an average of $370 in interest on my mortgage. If I actually had my loan for the entire 30-year term without paying more than what's required toward the principal, that's almost $120,000 in interest.

Bleh. Just typing that number makes me a little sick.

But here's the deal: I'm choosing to pay the interest because, like Veruca, I want it NOW! I don't want to wait until I've saved enough to simply write a check for a house—I'd be waiting a long, long time. Instead, I'm relying on a lender to help me, and I'm willing to pay for it.

Sometimes I get frustrated by people—myself included—complaining about the debt they've taken on and the amount of interest they owe. When I become one of the complainers, two reminders help put things into perspective:

1. Borrowing to get things NOW is a privilege—not a right, and
2. Had I not taken on debt, I'd still be saving for many of the things I enjoy NOW.

My fellow Verucas, what frustrations do you have with borrowing to get what you want NOW?

Posted by Barbara at 09:18 AM |  Contact Barbara |  Permalink  |  Comments (0)
Found in Financial education, Lenders, Paying, Post-college, Preparing, Private loans, Student loans, Veruca Salt, Wells Fargo Bank, Willy Wonka

Have you noticed that there's been a lot of scrutiny surrounding the student loan industry lately? We certainly have—and as a result, Wells Fargo decided it was time to make our student loan business policies public. Earlier this week, on May 29, we announced our Responsible Lending Principles and Marketing Practices for Education Financing.

What do we mean by these principles and practices, exactly? Well, essentially it's our commitment to our customers—both our borrowers and our schools.

As part of our own lending principles for borrowers, Wells Fargo will:

• Promote responsible borrowing by encouraging students to consider all education financing options available to them and borrow only what they need.
  
  
• Offer attractive financing solutions, which include competitive interest rates and other incentives.
  
  
• Provide consumers with full disclosures about loan options and costs on our website.
  
  
• Provide superior customer service to students and families.
  
  
• Use our best efforts to ensure that borrower benefits offered during loan origination continue even if the loan is transferred, purchased, sold, or the servicer is changed.
  
  
• Disclose to a borrower any agreement to sell a loan if Wells Fargo will no longer service the loan. Wells Fargo wants to establish long-term relationships with our customers and has only rarely sold its loans in the past.

I know it probably goes without saying, but we're very proud of our record of following responsible business practices and our history of providing high-quality educational loan products and customer service to the schools, students and families we serve.

We welcome the recent changes in the student lending industry because we believe it's important that all lenders follow the same set of rules.

Posted by Staci at 09:18 AM |  Contact Staci |  Permalink  |  Comments (6)
Found in Financial education, Lenders, Paying, Post-college, Preparing, Private loans, Student loans, Wells Fargo Bank

Recently we had a good question from one of our readers, Pam:

How do I go about contacting my lenders?? I see the "notify your lender(s)" things everywhere, but nobody actually tells me how to do this!!

Sometimes we do forget to cover the most basic questions! That's why we're glad Pam asked it.

Contacting your lender sounds simple enough, but it's possible—especially if you have multiple student loans—that you may not know who your lender is. It's common for student loans to get sold, so the lender you originally borrowed from may not be the lender you contact when you're in repayment.

So what to do?

1. Check your student loan paperwork. Anything your lender has sent you in the mail should have contact information on it. If your student loan has been sold, you should have received notification in the mail with contact information for your new lender. (If you haven't been saving your paperwork all along, start now!)
   
   
2. Do some research. If you don't know who your lender is, and you don't have any paperwork with contact information, it's time to do some research. It might be easiest to contact the financial aid office at your school and ask them who your lender is. (You can probably find the phone number for the financial aid office on your school's website.)
   
   If you have federal student loans, you can also learn who your lender is by checking the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS)  website. If you have private student loans , you won't be able to research them on this site, so you may have to rely on your school to let you know who your private loan lender is.
   
   
3. Find your lender online. Once you know who your lender is, look them up online to find their phone number(s). Many student loan lenders offer their phone number pretty prominently online (proof that they really do want you to stay in touch!). Some lenders offer a way to email them as well.

If Wells Fargo happens to be your lender, you can reach a student loan representative by calling 1-800-658-3567.  Here are some other ways to contact us as well.

Posted by Caroline at 02:35 PM |  Contact Caroline |  Permalink  |  Comments (0)
Found in Federal loans, Financial education, Lenders, Paying, Post-college, Private loans, Student loans, Wells Fargo Bank

If you're about to graduate from college, congratulations! And, if you've taken out student loans , guess what?

You have a new best friend.

If you took out federal loans , you may have already been through an "exit counseling"  session. That's where they tell you all about your rights (blah, blah, blah) and responsibilities (blah, blah, blah) as a student loan borrower.

With the excitement of graduation looming, you may have only heard "blah, blah, blah" during this session. But your responsibilities as a borrower are important. So let me boil them down to one easy-to-remember rule: Treat your student loan lender like your new best friend.

Got it?

Now let me break it down a little further …

• When you make a life change, you tell your friends. Well, since your lender is your new best friend, remember to tell them when you change your name, when you move to a new address, change your Social Security number, or if your school status changes.
  
  
• If you're in trouble, you tell a friend, right? If you're having problems making your student loan payments, tell your lender—don't hide from them. Your lender can help you work out a payment plan and avoid default .
  
  
• You wouldn't borrow money from a friend and try to get out of repaying it. You can't do it to your student loan lender either. You HAVE TO repay your loan as agreed. No exceptions if you didn't finish school, didn't like your major, can't find a job, yada, yada, yada.
  
  
• If your friends can't get  hold of you for a few days, you don't ditch them. Same with your lender—if you don't get your bill, YOU STILL HAVE TO PAY IT. There's no "get a free month" if your bill doesn't arrive for whatever reason.
  
  
• You go to your friends' parties. Consider entrance and exit counseling sessions less-than-exciting parties given by a great friend. You gotta go.
  
  
• You read texts, emails and IMs from your friends. You new friend will probably get in touch with you in a more traditional way—like through the mail . But you're required to open and read everything your lender sends you. So, hello mailbox!
  
  
• For better or worse, relationships change. Learn about your consolidation and refinancing options—these could be good things for you. But you also have to know what will happen if things go south in your relationship with your lender—as in, if you default. (Don't do it, it's so not good.)



• Know how to reach your friends. This is Friendship 101—you KNOW their phone numbers, addresses, etc.  Same with your lender—be sure you know where to send payments and written correspondence.

Posted by Caroline at 09:21 AM |  Contact Caroline |  Permalink  |  Comments (5)
Found in Consolidation, Default, Federal loans, Financial education, Paying, Post-college, Preparing, Private loans, Refinancing, Student loans, Wells Fargo Bank