How To Save On Student Loan Interest Rates
Nearly every college student knows the importance of consolidating a student loan after graduation because of the impact it has on student loan interest rates. However, not all students know that you can reduce student loan interest rates right now while still in school. This can be done by taking advantage of lender incentives.
When you are choosing a student loan it is important to compare student loan interest rates as well as the incentive programs offered by the lender. By comparing incentive programs you can save thousands of dollars beyond consolidation savings on student loan interest rates.
Incentive Options
Some lenders have the option of on time payments and student loan interest rates deduction. These incentive programs reward the borrowers by giving a lower interest rate for just making your payment on time as scheduled. A common incentive you will find is a reduction of up to one percent on student loan interest rates for each 36 months of consistent on time payments made by the borrower. Although the percentage and length of time will vary by lender so it is important that you comparison shop by incentive program when looking for student loans.
Another incentive you may find lenders offering is auto pay interest rate reduction. With these incentives you get a discount on student loan interest rates simply for choosing to have your payments automatically deducted from your account through electronic transfer. For these incentive programs the student loan interest rates can be reduced up to .25%.
Consolidating To Save More
No matter what incentive programs you use through your lender, consolidating is still a good way that you can save money on student loan interest rates. In addition to cutting your interest rate greatly, consolidating can also give you the convenience of writing just one check. Consolidation also gives you the benefit of lowering your monthly payment by stretching the term of a new loan. Just keep in mind that consolidating does mean you will pay out more in student loan interest rates over time.
Finding a way to reduce student loan interest rates can have a great impact on the total amount you repay. Just reducing your loan interest rate by 1.5% on a thirty thousand dollar loan can save you over two thousand. In addition, with competition increasing in the student loan market, the incentive programs keep getting better. So consider how you can lower your interest rates and save a lot of money.
