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If I consolidate my Stafford loans, but then get extra money, can I pay them off early without being charged? Also, how does that impact my credit score?
Early Payoff for Consolidation Loans?
- Thread starter Dallman
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yes, it is illegal for them to charge you early repayment penalty on federal staffords.
i don't *think* student loan $$ in deferral, repayment, in-school status, whatever plays much of a role (if any) in your fica score, or so i've been told, so long as you aren't late or defaulting. but honestly i don't know all the specifics on that, and i've yet to go into repayment.
i don't *think* student loan $$ in deferral, repayment, in-school status, whatever plays much of a role (if any) in your fica score, or so i've been told, so long as you aren't late or defaulting. but honestly i don't know all the specifics on that, and i've yet to go into repayment.
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Stafford loans are part of the federal loan program - which by law allows you to pay them off early without penalty - even after you consolidate them.
Before you decide to pay them off early consider your other debts. For example, if you have credit card/car loan debt it probably has a much higher interest rate than your student loans. In that case, focus on paying those credit cards/car loan off first. Besides that, student loans look better on your credit score than other types of debt.
In fact, student loan consolidation can actually HELP your credit score.
By consolidating, borrowers not only reduce their long-term debt but also can help change their credit score for the better over time.
More Open Accounts = Lower Score: Over a borrower's life, he may have taken out up to eight separate loans to pay for school. Each of those loans has a different payback amount, interest rate, and payment terms. The more credit and loan accounts a person has open, the lower his overall credit score. With consolidation, older accounts will be merged into a single account, thereby lowering the amount of open credit lines on a credit report.
Lower Payments = Higher Score: When a credit report is evaluated, the total amount of a borrower's monthly minimum payments is taken into account. When you have multiple loans, each of the payments is part of a borrower's monthly payment obligation. Borrowers who consolidate have only one payment to make, which is typically lower than the minimum amounts of the separate loans.
Your Debt To Credit Ratio - It Matters: Credit bureaus typically determine if you're in debt by evaluating the amount of your available credit you actually use. If you have a total of $10,000 available on three credit lines and you owe $2,000, your score will be higher than if you have maxed out your one credit line with a $2,000 limit. If a borrower has multiple loans with a maximum used, it will reflect negatively on the person's credit score. So it is important to consolidate accounts in order to reduce the number of open accounts being used.
Before you decide to pay them off early consider your other debts. For example, if you have credit card/car loan debt it probably has a much higher interest rate than your student loans. In that case, focus on paying those credit cards/car loan off first. Besides that, student loans look better on your credit score than other types of debt.
In fact, student loan consolidation can actually HELP your credit score.
By consolidating, borrowers not only reduce their long-term debt but also can help change their credit score for the better over time.
More Open Accounts = Lower Score: Over a borrower's life, he may have taken out up to eight separate loans to pay for school. Each of those loans has a different payback amount, interest rate, and payment terms. The more credit and loan accounts a person has open, the lower his overall credit score. With consolidation, older accounts will be merged into a single account, thereby lowering the amount of open credit lines on a credit report.
Lower Payments = Higher Score: When a credit report is evaluated, the total amount of a borrower's monthly minimum payments is taken into account. When you have multiple loans, each of the payments is part of a borrower's monthly payment obligation. Borrowers who consolidate have only one payment to make, which is typically lower than the minimum amounts of the separate loans.
Your Debt To Credit Ratio - It Matters: Credit bureaus typically determine if you're in debt by evaluating the amount of your available credit you actually use. If you have a total of $10,000 available on three credit lines and you owe $2,000, your score will be higher than if you have maxed out your one credit line with a $2,000 limit. If a borrower has multiple loans with a maximum used, it will reflect negatively on the person's credit score. So it is important to consolidate accounts in order to reduce the number of open accounts being used.
