To a college graduate, the call to “consolidate” is almost as familiar as her school fighting song. But consolidating student loans might not be as warranted as it was in years past-especially in light of recent rate changes.

Most college students spend a great deal of time with advisors. They receive guidance on class work and their various areas of study. The smart student should also seek out guidance on financial matters- especially if she has student loans.

For the last several years, students have been told to consolidate their loans before a July 2007 rate hike took place. Now that the deadline has passed, many factors need to be considered before initiating a loan consolidation.

Rate matters

The first thing that you want to do is compare the rates of your current loan with today’s market. When you consolidate your student loans, a weighted average of all the interest rates of the loans is taken and rounded up to the nearest 0.125 percent.

To find out what your new monthly payment would look like after consolidation, meet with a lending official and/or do it yourself with an online loan calculator. You may discover that the new rates don’t justify a refinance. You’ll also want to see if the rates on your current loans are fixed. If they are, it may not make sense to refinance everything just so that you have the convenience of one loan payment. If you’re uncertain about the terms on your loan, review your portfolio with a lender. Many will be happy to help you, free of charge.

Act quickly for student debt consolidation

Consolidation works most effectively if the transaction occurs within six months of graduation. That stretch of time is considered a grace period for students-they receive a price break if they start repaying their loans during that time. When the grace period ends, the interest rate on the loan increases by nearly 1 percent.

Unfortunately, if you choose the rate discount, you’ll have to start repaying the student loans almost immediately after graduation. However, there are lenders willing to hold the package until the end of the grace period. Check with your bank to see if they have the same policy.

Long-term costs vs. consolidation

Ultimately, you’ll need to determine your top priority. If you need low monthly payments on your loans, you may want to consider refinancing and stretching out your loan terms. However, if you’d like to be rid of a monumental debt as quickly as possible, you can opt to keep your loans at their current rate and pay down your principal.

As any academic advisor will tell a student, there are many variables to consider when making a decision. When it comes to student loans, take a good look at your current financial situation and consider your short-term job prospects. Don’t jump at the easy money that a consolidation can bring. The best advice dictates that you understand all the factors at play before you make your consolidation decision.

To consolidate or not to consolidate? Hamlet might have asked this question if he had graduated from college with student loans. If you’re considering a loan consolidation, you’d be wise to follow a few simple tips.

The great thing about graduating from college is that you don’t have to worry about homework hanging over your head. On the flip side of the coin, you may have something far worse to be concerned about-a student loan payment.

Many graduates consolidate their loans to lessen the pain of repayment. But no financial transaction should be taken lightly. Not only must you carefully analyze your current situation and goals, you need to consider what types of student loans are on the market. Here are some student loan consolidation tips to keep in mind.

1. Shop until your payment drops

You don’t have to stick with the same lender if you’re going to consolidate your loans. Shop around and look at different opportunities. Rates may not vary, but you could find that different lenders offer different discounts (see next tip). You may also find that the lender that you’re currently with has included extra charges that you don’t need to pay. It’s always wise to comparison shop, no matter what your purchase.

2. Go discount shopping

As you’re shopping for the best consolidation package, ask about discounts. Lenders today offer them for a variety of items, including everything from making a payment on time, to using automatic withdrawals from your checking account. Lenders highly value graduates who can make their student loan payments on time, primarily because so few of them do. Discounts for on-time bill paying might include reducing your payment by one full percentage point if you can rack up a 36-month consecutive payment streak.

3. Tame the terms

By extending the repayment term of your loan, you can lower your monthly payment. For most graduates struggling in an entry-level job, that’s a very enticing prospect. But don’t judge a payment book by its cover-an extended loan term can be as frightening as term papers. Those lower payments don’t come cheap-you’re going to get whacked long-term by higher interest costs. Ask your lender to tell you the difference in long-term interest costs for loans with different repayment terms. The results will startle you.

4. Do a reality check

Most importantly, don’t choose a lower loan payment just so that you can buy a really cool car. Unless you’ve landed an exceptionally high-paying job out of college, you’ll probably have to choose more of a utilitarian vehicle until you can afford a nicer ride.

As a graduate, it’s great to be free from the constraints of endless exams and required reading. Unfortunately, the financial equivalent to academic pain is waiting in the wings. Repaying a student loan will be a concern of yours for a long time to come. Make sure that the debt isn’t with you one day longer than necessary by carefully shopping for the right consolidation loan.

Impossible – Loans Even With Bad Credit?
by Landon McGehee

There are ways to consolidate your debt, even if your credit is bad. You may not even know you have bad credit until you check it, right before you really need good credit. Most of the time, bad credit accumulates when you fail to pay credit card bills and the interest that goes with it. When you accumulate too much credit card debt without being able to repay it, you will no longer be able to use the credit cards, and your credit score will drastically drop. You can fix your credit by getting help from a debt consolidation company.
The debt consolidation company will look at your finances, then talk to your creditors to work out the best way to help. They will consolidate all your bills into one, while at the same time, reducing the interest rate.

Consolidation will relieve a lot of stress, and it will also show that you are paying off your credit, which will take away your negative credit. Next time you want to get a loan, it will be much easier.

You can also repair your credit by taking out a debt consolidation loan to immediately pay off all of your debts to credit card companies. You will then owe just the consolidation company, but it will show that all of your credit cards are paid off. You have to qualify to take out this type of loan, though, just like any other loan.

Be very careful that you negotiate all of the details of the loan. You have to make sure it will really help you.

If you have bad credit, need a loan, and don’t have time to consolidate before getting the loan, it is possible to get a private loan from a bad credit loan lender. You can use this loan to consolidate your debt, or for anything else that you really need. Beware, though, the bad credit loans have quite a high interest rate, and a high down payment requirement.

You can even get some loans, such as payday loans or cash advance loans, without a credit check. You can only borrow a small amount though, and it has to be paid back quickly.

You should only get a bad credit loan if multiple financial institutions have turned you down. If you need to get a bad credit loan, you should not have the payment period exceed 12 – 18 months, because of the high interest rate.

If you have bad credit, you should try to fix it any way you can so you can acquire lower interest loans. The high interest loans are more difficult to pay back, and if your credit isn’t great in the first place, this can be even more difficult. You’ll be amazed how much lower interest rates will reduce your payments. Contact a debt consolidation company to see how they can help you.

About the Author
Landon McGehee continues to learn more and enjoys shares that knowledge providing resources, advice and tips on topics like bad credit secured consolidation loans.