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How to refinance student loans through Credible
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Should I refinance my student loans?
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for student loan repayment, and you may want to explore other options depending on your current financial situation and the type of student loan debt you have.Frequently asked questions
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What is student loan refinancing?
When you refinance student loans, you’re taking out a new loan to pay off your old loans, leaving you with one loan and payment to manage. Depending on your credit, you might be able to lower your interest rate through refinancing.
You could also extend your student loan repayment term through refinancing, which could reduce your monthly student loan payments. It’s important to remember that choosing a longer term means you will pay more in interest over time.
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What are the benefits if I refinance my student loans?
Refinancing could have several benefits, including:
- You might get a lower interest rate: Depending on your credit, you could lower your student loan interest rate through refinancing. This could save you money on interest charges and might even help you pay off your loan faster.
- It could reduce your monthly student loan payments: If you choose a longer repayment term, you could reduce your monthly payments. It’s important to remember that doing so means you’ll pay more in interest over time.
- You can combine multiple loans: If you refinance your student loans, there’s only one loan and payment to focus on.
- You can remove cosigners: If you’d like to remove a cosigner from your student loans, you can do so when you refinance as you’ll be paying off the old loan.
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Are there any downsides to consider if I choose to refinance student loans
There are some potential downsides you should consider before making a decision, including:
- If you have poor or fair credit, it could be harder for you to get approved for refinancing. You also might not qualify for the best interest rates.
- If you refinance a federal student loan, you could lose out on federal benefits. You’ll no longer have access to federal benefits and protections, such as student loan forgiveness programs and federal forbearance options.
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What types of student loans are eligible for refinancing?
There are several types of student loans that are eligible for refinancing, including loans for undergraduate, graduate and professional studies. These loan types include:
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How do I refinance my student loans?
If you’re ready to get started, you can follow these four steps:
- Research and compare lenders. Be sure to compare as many lenders as possible to find the right loan for you. Consider interest rates, repayment terms, any fees charged by the lender and eligibility requirements.
- Pick your loan option. Review your options carefully and choose the loan option that best suits your needs.
- Complete the application. Once you’ve picked a lender, you must complete a full application and submit any required documentation.
- Manage your payments. If you’re approved, continue making payments on your old loans while the refinance is processed. Afterward, you’ll start making payments on your new loan.
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When should I refinance my student loans?
That depends on your financial situation, needs and long-term goals. Here are some scenarios where refinancing might be the right move:
- You can qualify for a better interest rate, which will save money on your student loan payments.
- You need a lower monthly payment based on your current budget and financial needs.
- You have multiple student loans and want to combine them to simplify your repayment plan.
- You have private student loans, so you won’t lose any federal benefits by refinancing.
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I want to refinance my student loans. What do I need to qualify?
The requirements for refinancing can vary based on the lender. Here are some common requirements:
- Good credit score: You’ll typically need good to excellent credit to qualify for refinancing. While some lenders offer refinancing for bad credit, these loans generally come with higher interest rates.
- Verifiable income: You’ll likely need to provide proof of income, and some lenders have minimum income requirements.
- Low debt-to-income (DTI) ratio: Your DTI ratio is the amount you owe in debt payments each month compared to your income. A DTI ratio of 50% or below is usually preferred but some lenders might require even lower ratios.
- Current student loan information: This may include loan balances, current lenders and what schools you attended.
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Can you refinance a student loan more than once?Yes, there’s no limit to how often you can refinance a student loan. For example, you might choose to refinance again if your credit score has improved and you can get a better rate. Or you might refinance again to extend your repayment term and reduce your monthly payment.
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Can you refinance only some of your student loans?Yes. If you refinance student loans, you can choose whether to refinance some or all of your student loan debt. For example, if you have a mix of federal student loans and private student loans, you could refinance just the private student loans so you can maintain the federal protections on your federal loans.
Just keep in mind that once you’ve refinanced, it can’t be undone — you’ll have to decide beforehand how much of your student loan balance you want to refinance. -
Can I refinance if I have bad credit?You might be able to refinance with bad credit. While many lenders require good to excellent credit, others work with borrowers who have poor or fair credit. However, keep in mind that you’ll likely be offered higher interest rates.
Prequalified rates are based on the information you provide and a soft credit inquiry. Receiving prequalified rates does not guarantee that the lender will extend you an offer of credit. You are not yet approved for a loan or a specific rate. All credit decisions, including loan approval, if any, are determined by lenders, in their sole discretion. Rates and terms are subject to change without notice. Rates from lenders may differ from prequalified rates due to factors, which may include, but are not limited to: (i) changes in your personal credit circumstances; (ii) additional information in your hard credit pull and/or additional information you provide (or are unable to provide) to the lender during the underwriting process; and/or (iii) changes in APRs (e.g., an increase in the rate index between the time of prequalification and the time of application or loan closing. (Or, if the loan option is a variable rate loan, then the interest rate index used to set the APR is subject to increases or decreases at any time). Lenders reserve the right to change or withdraw the prequalified rates at any time.
The calculations from the tool are accessible to you through a third-party vendor arrangement with Credible. Credible is not affiliated with Equitable Financial, Equitable Advisors or its affiliated companies and neither Equitable Financial, Equitable Advisors nor its financial professionals are responsible for the output data or the determination of your eligibility for the Student Loan Refinancing program. Those services are the sole responsibility of Credible. Equitable Advisors, Equitable Financial and its affiliated companies are not responsible for the output provided by Credible.
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