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Thursday, March 4, 2010

How to Get Rid of Student Debt!

Higher Interest Rate Debt Must Go First

Whether to pay off or make investments is a question that needs to be answered at a later time, once the student has prioritized his loan payment schedule. The loans with high interest must be settled first. Most noted Debt Consolidation and Management experts agree that one must first make provisions to pay off debts with the highest after tax interest rates. Currently, the rate of interest for federal student loans is at its lowest in the last 30 years. Hence, the recent graduates have the opportunity to settle their loans at the low interest rates and can request loan term extensions for deferring repayments. Recent Tax Law amendments have also made provisions for exemption of taxes on interests for Student Loans.

Joining The Forces Can Aid Debt Elimination

However, debt elimination may sound easy but can turn out to be really complicated. There are options available that can help students to reduce their debts. Students may consider the Armed Forces, i.e. The Army, The Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and the Coast Guards that provide great educational benefits. At the same time, students must decide about some effective loan payback programs. One of the better payback programs is offered by the U.S. Army that pays back up to $65000 worth of loans over a period of three years.

U.S. Peace Corps are another excellent choice. In case a student has an outstanding Perkins Loan, then 15% of the loan amount is paid off every year of active service in the U.S. Peace Corps. At the end of two years of service 30% of the loan gets eliminated. In case of any other federally guaranteed loans, students are entitled to defer loan payments while they are serving in U.S. Peace Corps. Thus, Peace Corps can be a viable alternative for reducing some debt and at the same time upgrading your resume.

Paying Off or Investing

Counseling Services Organizations providing advice on student loans agree that investments can be made every month with the saved money after consolidation of loans. A student can take benefit of the sharp decline in interest rates by quick consolidation of several loans, thus saving money that he can further use towards loans repayment. He may even consider investing the excess funds in some meaningful venture.

Ideally, it will be best to invest excess funds in ventures that can offer a higher rate of interest than the rate of interest the student has to pay in order to cancel his student loans. Similarly, it will be a good decision if the student wishes to open an Individual Retirement Account with the excess cash left after paying off the loan.

Actually, there is no definite answer to whether one must consider investing the excess cash or not. In any case, even if the student decides to utilize the funds for repayment of loans, he is actually making a long-term investment for current debt elimination will increase the ability to obtain finance in the future with better terms.


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