Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been tagged as “interest rates”
With mortgage rates near record lows, many student loan borrowers are thinking about using a mortgage refinance to attack their student debt. The process is called a “cash-out” mortgage. Instead of refinancing the amount currently owed on a house, in a cash-out refinance, homeowners borrower more than what they owe. …
Several readers have asked how the student loan refinance rankings on this site are determined. Many lenders have also asked to have their company moved to a higher spot in the rankings. In the interest of transparency, a clear explanation of the rankings criteria is probably necessary. While there is …
When it comes to negotiating interest rates and other terms on a student loan, the lenders hold nearly all the power. Borrowers with existing student loans have signed a contract, and there is little incentive for the lender to cut the borrower a break. Those who are shopping for student …
Student loan borrowers who have to work with Firstmark Services usually don’t have a choice. Many lenders pay Firstmark to handle the day to day management of student loans, including answering borrower questions and collecting payments. For the over half a million consumers that are forced to work with Firstmark, …
When it comes to student loan interest rates, there are two basic options: Option one is a fixed-rate loan, where the interest rate does not change over the life of the loan. Option two is a variable-rate loan. The advantage with variable-rate loans is that the interest rates start much …
Growing student loan balances are a very frustrating and very real problem. I frequently receive emails from borrowers who have much larger balances on their debt than what they originally borrowed. In some cases the larger balances can be explained by missed payments and late fees. However, in many cases, …
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on February 8, 2014. It has been updated on January 22, 2020, to reflect up-to-date lender practices and edited for clarity. With interest rates at low levels, I decided to see if I could lower the interest rate on my existing auto loan. …
Setting up an automatic monthly debit for student loans is usually a relatively simple process with most lenders. Many even offer a slightly reduced interest rate as an incentive for auto-debits. Is giving a student loan servicer the authority to auto-pay student loans a good idea? In many cases, automatic …
Interest is the enemy of a borrower trying to repay their student debt. Payments towards interest do not lower the loan balance. Instead, payments towards interest are how lenders generate profit. It should come as no surprise that most lenders will try to maximize the portion of payments that count …
Editor’s Note: The Rate Tables on this Page are Updated Monthly. With well over a trillion dollars in student loan debt in the United States, it is no surprise that new lenders continue to pop up in the refinance marketplace. Finding the lender offering the lowest interest rates can be …
