Why You Should Consolidate Your Student Loans

by Dennis Powell

Recent college grads and former students will find many benefits to consolidating their student loans. Frequently set up during the initial grace period after the borrower leaves school, consolidation programs offer the borrower a chance to reduce payments, lock in a fixed interest rate, and extend payment terms if necessary.

Student Loan Consolidation is a great way to simplify payment options. The typical student leaves school with loans from a variety of sources. By using a single consolidation loan, you can reduce the stress of keeping track of different monthly payments and payoff schedules by rolling all of your loans into a single package.

Student loan consolidation programs also offer a way for the borrower to lock in a single fixed competitive interest rate for the duration of the loan. Fixed rate loans give the borrower the ability to plan for their future since they know up-front how much their payment will be each and every month. The single loan also makes life easier when calculating interest deductions at tax time, since the borrower only has to review one piece of information rather than scrambling to find how much interest they paid to each of several different vendors.

Lower monthly payments are also possible with a student consolidation loan. By reducing the number of lenders you are working with the borrower can often get a single payment that is lower than the sum of all of their other payments. Sometimes you can reduce this number even more by selecting the automatic payment option which will automatically make payments each month out of the bank account you designate.

Consolidated student loans allow the borrower to extend their payment terms. Extended terms can help push monthly payments even lower - a big help for recent grads who are just starting their careers. As the borrower advances in their career, they can refinance the loan or make additional payments to pay off the financing earlier if they choose.

There are many benefits to securing a student loan consolidation program. Especially for recent grads just starting out on their career path, reduced monthly payments, fixed interest rates, and simplified record keeping provide borrowers with the tools they need to make a successful transition once they have completed their formal education.

About the Author:

Consolidate your student loans to save time and money. Dennis Powell specializes in writing about federal government student loan consolidation.