Top Tips For 2018: Student Loan Hacks

by

22 October 2018

Finance

Student Loan

Students are always having a tough time when they get into college because they do not have enough funds. In that case, they are left with no options but to take students loans. However, taking loans is not the end of your problems because then you have to worry about repaying them back on time and live comfortably during your student life. There are a few things that you can do to make your student loans repayment a bit easy. Here are some pointers for you.

1. Crowdfunding:

Crowdfunding is getting very popular these days. Whether you are an ambitious businessman or a student wanting to pay your way through the tuition fee of college, crowdfunding is a great way to overcome your financial issues. Raise funds from your inner social circle, including your family and friends, as a kind of graduation present from them to you. GoFundMe and Zerobound are sites that will help you raise such funds towards the student loan debt, and in exchange, you have to volunteer for some community work.

2. Borrow Federal Student Loans:

If you think that the loan debt is unavoidable, you can always consider borrowing federal student loan first. The major reason is that federal student loans are usually not that expensive and are easier to qualify for as well. There are far more repayment options for you in federal students loans as compared to the private student loans.  You will also have protection programs in federal loans also. For example, if you lose your job, the federal loan program will offer you the option to defer payments. Click here to know more about it.

3. Total Student Debt Should Be Less Than Your Income:

There is a set of rules that you must follow. Your expected annual starting salary should be more than your total debt from your student loans at the time of graduation. How else will you be able to repay your loans AND survive through your normal life? Many students take student loans so they can afford college, but it is advised that students should keep not take too many loans. What you should do is not to take out more loan than your salary.  Donโ€™t take out more than your first yearโ€™s salary. What you can do is to keep the costs to a minimum and attend the college that you can afford comfortably. If you are able to do it as such, you might be able to repay student loans in less than ten years.

Financial experts advise that if you are out of your federal loan options, you should consider a private student loan. However, if you will qualify for one private loan, you can qualify for more of them. You are the customer, so you should always ask for any benefits the loan provides. If you have any medical issues, you should buy college tuition insurance. The option will protect you from taking on more loans in case you get ill or have to withdraw.

4. Make A Budget:

Most of the kids during their school and college years do not have any source of income, so you just have to keep living like that in college until you have a stable income. Build up an emergency fund for yourself, and start saving money for the things you want to buy. Remember, living modestly right now will help you in the longer run.

When you graduate out of high school, it can be overwhelming, but it is important to remember to see the bigger picture here. These hacks will help you manage your student loans efficiently.

Read Also:

Content Rally wrapped around an online publication where you can publish your own intellectuals. It is a publishing platform designed to make great stories by content creators. This is your era, your place to be online. So come forward share your views, thoughts and ideas via Content Rally.

View all posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related

LIC Portal

How New User Do Online Registration at LIC Portal

Life Insurance Corporation of India has been one of the most trusted names since its incorporation in the year 1956. This state-owned insurance company is also the largest insurance company in India- have been by the years and still gaining customers patronage with quality products and ease and simplicity of operations. To bring about a simpler access to their policies by the customers, LIC has recently introduced LIC e-Services which would enable LIC customers to get an access to their policies and every other thing related to it get done online such as paying monthly premiums, keeping track of the policy status, keeping track of premium dues and more such stuff online without having to approach any branch office. It is to the utmost benefit of the customer that they can have a transparent view of the policies and plans that they have opted for and get things done with just a click avoiding long queues in the branch office. While availing e-Services might seem like an amazing idea, some people are surely yet to figure out how to get themselves availing these services. If you be among them, worry not. Here we have for you a complete guideline on what exactly LIC e-Services are like and how to get yourself registered on the LIC login portal if you are a new user. All you have to do is to stick to the article until the end. How New User Do Online Registration at LIC Portal: What is LIC e-Services? LIC e-Services is the recently launched online service provided by LIC to its customers. LIC with integration with all the latest digital initiatives comes with its own e-Services to enable wider access to unlimited policy-related information to its customer with utmost simplicity and ease. There is a myriad facility one can derive from availing these e-Services. These benefits include: Online Payment Facility Policy Status Bonus Status Loan Status Claim Status Premium Due Calendar Revival Quotations Premium Paid Certificate Claim History Policy Bond Various devices and online forms available Locators and FAQs Who Are Eligible For Availing LIC e-Services? Of course, anyone who is a policyholder with LIC can avail the benefits of LIC e-Services. For the same one has to register themselves at the online portal. The ones who have already had their registrations done can just simply register the policies held by them in the portal to get all the information and updates on the respective policies. How To Register For LIC e-Services? Now, that you have already had an idea about LIC e-Services and the benefits that you can avail from it, you need to know how to register yourself at the portal for availing the same. The process is rather simple, definitely for the ones who have already had their registrations done and also for the new users who are yet to get themselves and their policies registered. If you are already registered at the portal, all you need to do is click on e-Services. You will find the button somewhere to the right of the official  LIC webpage. Click on Registered User button and log in with your User ID and password. Then you need to fill-up the form provided so as to register your policies at the portal. Take a print out of the form, sign it and upload the scanned copy of the form. Also upload the scanned image your Aadhaar Card, PAN card or Passport. The officials would take some time to verify the same and after the verification process has been completed you will receive an SMS or an email stating that you are prepared to use the e-Services. For the Ones Not Yet Registered at the Online LIC Portal: In case you be among the ones who have not registered already at the Online LIC portal, go through the registration process which is very simple to get through. All you have to do is to click on the New User button on the right of the official LIC web page and select your User ID and password. On the completion of the simple process, you are a registered portal user. You need to register your policies in the portal and therefore all you need to do is to click on e-Services and log in with your User ID and password. For the registration of your policies, you need to fill in the form provided with all the necessary details. Print the form, put down your signature and upload the scanned image of the same. Note that the size should not be below 100 KB. Also, you need to upload the scanned image of the Aadhaar Card or Passport or PAN card or any other equivalent document that works as your official ID proof. Once you are done with the process you need to leave it to the officials to verify it. Once your application is duly verified, you will receive an email or an SMS dating that you are good to go with availing the e-Services at the LIC portal. Read More : Get A Return On Investment With Your SEO. Six Low-Investment Business Ideas You Can Start Today

READ MOREDetails
HAMP Program

When Is The HAMP Program Beneficial To You?

The Home Affordable Modification Program, called HAMP, provided individuals with aid in modifying their existing mortgage loans. This program was designed to provide homeowners with some financial relief to reduce the risk of foreclosure. The application of the HAMP program can make things work for you in all aspects. Do not make your choices in grey. Is HAMP Program Available? At the time of this writing, the Home Affordable Modification Program is no longer available as it was. The United States Department of Treasury established the program in March 2009. It was a part of the Making Home Affordable Program. It was effective on mortgages that were originated on or before January 1, 2009. The program was set to expire on December 31, 2016, with individuals able to apply for it through September 30, 2017. As of now, it is no longer available to individuals. What Did the Home Affordability Mortgage Program Do? The goal of this program was to encourage loan modifications for homeowners who were at risk of becoming delinquent on their loans. It worked to help reduce the frequency of missed monthly mortgage payments. HAMP program was beneficial for you and you have to make sure you do not make your choices in the wrong direction. Who Was Eligible for HAMP? Not all homeowners qualified for the home affordability mortgage program. To meet the requirements, individuals had to meet specific rules including the following: The loan had to be a first lien mortgage (second mortgages and home equity lines of credit did not qualify). It had the be a Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae loan. It applied to single-family homes, homes with up to four units, condos, cooperatives, and some manufactured homes. Individuals with an FHA or VA loan could use the program (but this was not a requirement of obtaining the modification). No vacant abandoned or condemned homes could obtain help. Modifications could happen only one time through the HAMP program. If the home met these requirements, a homeowner could then work with their existing lender to adjust their mortgage under some key guidelines. HAMP was not easy to qualify for, but for individuals who needed it, it provides a lifeline of important support. To be eligible for the modifications, the borrowers had to meet specific requirements as well. These included the following: Property owners that were current or no more than 60 days behind on their mortgage payments could be considered for a HAMP Trial Period. However, they must be determined to be in imminent default. Borrowers could be in bankruptcy or foreclosure, or in some type of pending litigation regarding the property, such as in a judgment from lenders. The key to obtaining these loan modifications was proving the borrower was struggling with some type of financial hardship. Borrowers had to have an expense-to-income ratio related to housing expenses of no more than 31 percent (applied to their gross monthly income). Individuals must still have some ability to make their monthly mortgage payments reliably after the modification occurs. Why Did Borrowers Consider HAMP? Borrowers were able to get help if they were struggling with financial hardship with the goal of avoiding foreclosure. This program was designed to help stop the flood of foreclosures entering the market after the housing crisis and financial difficulties that began in 2007. Individuals who qualified benefited by getting some type of modification to their loan. This may have included: A reduction in their interest rate Modifying the loan from an adjustable-rate mortgage to a fixed-rate mortgage Getting a principal reduction or a forbearance Getting a long term to help reduce the monthly payment Over its lifetime, HAMP saw several modifications to determine which type of properties qualified and to reduce some financial strain. Most importantly borrowers were able to modify their loans so they could remain in the long term. Lenders benefited from these modifications as well. Lenders were able to secure the loans for borrowers facing immediate financial hardship but had the likelihood of maintaining their mortgage payments over their lifetime. This helped reduce the risk of foreclosure, and an expensive process for lenders. Most importantly, it helped families remain in their homes. What Options Are Available Now? A home modification program is still an option for some homeowners. Other programs are available to help some borrowers such as the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Flex Modification Program. Many lenders offer modifications in-house as well. Borrowers who may be late on monthly mortgage payments or are facing financial hardship should consider speaking to their lender directly. Additionally, the Home Affordable Refinance Program, or HARP, is available. This option remains in place and can help a homeowner to secure a lower interest rate on their loan, get into a shorter loan term, or adjust their loan from an adjustable-rate to a fixed rate. Individuals facing financial hardship should seek out solutions from lenders. While the HAMP program is no longer accessible, other solutions may be available to help borrowers to avoid foreclosure, late payments, or even the loss of their home. Read Also: Getting Your Personal Finances In Order With A Proper Budget Strategy Work With A Local Mortgage Broker Company For Your Vancouver 4 Payday Loan Facts You Should Know Before You Borrow

READ MOREDetails
Your Retirement

7 Important Things You Must Do Right After Your Retirement

Retirement can be a time of mixed emotions. Everyone certainly wants to enjoy their retirement with prosperity and happiness.  According to professionals, 93% of formal workers worldwide have yet to learn about their retirement. Along with that, the health risk also increases as you age and decrease in physical condition.  It is important to remember that happiness is not just a comfortable life after retirement but essential for mental and physical health. Thus, investing in your happiness can be the best thing you can do for yourself in retirement.  One of the biggest challenges is finding a new meaning and purpose in your life. This article will help you discover some important things you can do after you retire.  Things To Do Once You Reach Your Retirement  Retirement is a perfect time to pursue your passion and allows you to explore new interests. Whether it is traveling to your favorite destination or assisting in some care centers, there are endless things that you can do after your retirement. Here is a list of things you must do after your retirement. 1. Maintain Your Physical And Mental Health  Staying healthy and active is important for your mental and physical well-being right after your retirement.  Doing yoga or exercise is one of the best ways you can stay healthy with your physical abilities. If you practice it regularly, it will assist you in regulating a well-maintained weight, improve your mental health, and minimize the risk of any chronic disease.  You can make a schedule to exercise at least once a day or go for a walk in the nearby park or garden.  Besides meditation or yoga, there are many fun and enjoyable ways to remain active in retirement. You can take a Zumba class, a swimming class, or a local sports team. There are endless options to keep yourself healthy and active in retirement.  2. Diversify Your Income Stream  While you still actively work and make a monthly income, you can consider your spending habits. Thus, you can start with a frugal living so that you can save money and later use it as your retirement fund.  Financial stress is a major source of worry and anxiety in retirement. However, it is important that you manage your finances strategically and plan for the future to remain stress-free.  To ensure a comfortable retirement, you can also contact pension consultants to develop a retirement plan. This will help you meet your goals and meet your needs.  Furthermore, you can further develop and start paying off your debt with the small things.  3. Start Investing In Your Hobby  Think about your favorite hobby or activity that you like to do. Start doing it regularly. Therefore, this will help you maintain good health, specifically your mental health.  Thus, you can enter your retirement phase and continue to do your hobby to remain active, relieve stress, and be productive. In addition, constantly practicing your favorite hobby will keep you away from heart disease, enhance mental well-being, and normalize high blood pressure. However, learning new things can assist you in staying mentally sharp and engaging with the people around you.  4. Clear All Your Debts Whether you have planned a retirement plan or not, remember to pay your debts before your retirement.  This would help you fill retirement without any loans or debts.  Hence, you can start paying off your debt from the smallest one. Thus, make sure you avoid getting tempted to add extra loans so that it does not become a burden in retirement.  5. Prepare A Source Of Fund Start preparing for your fund at your early employment stage. In order to maintain your lifestyle after your retirement, it is important that you plan while you are still working.  Apart from your savings or recurring, you can start with other investments for your retirement and protect yourself from various life risks, such as stock markets, mutual funds, and other schemes that will help you build hefty retirement funds.  All you would require is a well-prepared plan that will make sure you love a wealthy and happy retirement. Hence, in order to reach there, you need sufficient funds for your retirement.  Remember to protect your retirement plan with insurance, which will help you secure your retirement life and protect you from various life risks.  6. Give Back The Community  Helping in charity or volunteering in home care centers is a great way to give back to the community and create a positive surrounding around you.  It can also teach a sense of purpose and meaning in your life in retirement.  There are several ways to volunteer in retirement, from mentoring people in your community to helping in local food banks.  While volunteering can be a great way to meet new people, it also assists in building a respectful relationship within the community.  7. Travel And Explore New Places  Retirement is a perfect time to plan trips and explore places that have been on your bucket list for a very long time.  Whether you are exploring a new country or simply exploring a park, travel can bring a sense of excitement and adventure to your life in retirement.  On the other hand, travel can be a great way to learn new things and make new friends. Whether you are traveling with friends or family, there are endless options to explore the world and create new memories.  Wrapping Up  Thus, sticking to the program will be fine if you are determined to follow the plan. It is only possible to achieve this with active participation and a good advisor's support.  Therefore, remember that retirement is a chance to look back with happiness on all the great achievements in your career. Similarly, you are being able to draw and enter an exciting new stage of your life.  From drawing up your favorite hobby to diversifying your income streams, you can set up a plan that fits your needs and preferences.  All you need is to remain stress-free. Yoga, meditation, and other relaxation techniques can help manage stress and improve overall well-being.  Hence, start to plan the key decisions and let them play out in their own time.  Read Also: Smart Ways to Invest in Gold How To Start Your Investor Journey: 5 Credible Options To Explore What Investors Should Know about Investment in Gold and Silver Assets

READ MOREDetails