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What Are Unicorn Companies?

Unicorns are private companies with valuations of $1 billion or more. The term was coined by venture capitalist Aileen Lee in her 2013 piece “Welcome to the Unicorn Club: Learning From Billion-Dollar Startups.” She used the word “unicorn” in order to convey the rarity of startups that hit the $1 billion mark.

When Lee came up with the term, she counted 39 unicorns in the U.S. It was still considered exceptional for a private company to grow to that size without having an initial public offering or IPO. These days, a combination of trends — companies staying private longer, widespread technological changes, and abundant money in capital markets — has enabled the creation of numerous unicorns.

Top 10 Most Valuable Unicorns

As of July 2023, there are over 1,200 unicorns worldwide, with a cumulative business valuation of $ $3.84 trillion, according to research by CB Insights, a business analytics platform.

Unicorns can be exciting for investors because they can represent rapid — even seemingly magical — growth. But are unicorns actually good investments? It’s important for investors to remember that these companies haven’t yet come under the scrutiny of public markets.

Below is a chart of the unicorn companies with the highest valuations, according to CB Insights, as of May 2023.

Company

Valuation

Date Added

Country

Industry

Bytedance $225 billion 4/7/2017 China A.I.
SpaceX $137 billion 12/1/2012 U.S. Space
SHEIN $66 billion 7/3/2018 China eCommerce
Stripe $50 billion 1/23/2014 U.S. Fintech
Canva $40 billion 1/8/2018 Australia Internet software & svcs.
Revolut $33 billion 4/26/2018 U.K. Fintech
EpicGames $31.5 billion 10/26/2018 U.S. Other
Databricks $31 billion 2/5/2019 U.S. Data management
Fanatics $31 billion 6/6/2012 U.S. eCommerce

Source: CB Insights

💡 Quick Tip: Before opening an investment account, know your investment objectives, time horizon, and risk tolerance. These fundamentals will help keep your strategy on track and with the aim of meeting your goals.

Characteristics of Unicorn Companies

The rapid increase in the number of unicorns has meant that these companies come from a range of industries or sectors, and geographics. Answers to questions like ‘How old are these companies?’ and ‘Who are the founders?’ have also started to vary. Let’s look at some broad-stroke trends.

Unicorns by Industry

According to Embroker, an insurance brokerage, the bulk of unicorns come from seven sectors: e-commerce, fintech, internet software, AI, healthcare, travel technology, and education technology.

Unicorns by Geography

While the Bay Area’s Silicon Valley is still synonymous with startups, a greater number of unicorn businesses have sprung from elsewhere.

Cities Home to Most Unicorns, as of May 2023

City

Number of Unicorns

San Francisco 64
Beijing 51
New York 34
Shanghai 27
London 15
Hangzhou 13
Shenzhen 13
Boston 10

Source: Statista, CB Insights

Other Traits of Unicorns

Lately, U.S. unicorns have tended to be older when they enter the stock market. When Aileen Lee coined the term in 2013, the median age of a tech IPO company was nine years, data from University of Florida shows. Going back further in time, during the height of the dot-com bubble in 1999, the median age was four years. Fast forward to 2023, and the median age has jumped to 12.5 years.

When it comes to profitable businesses, though, the number has dwindled. According to Statista’s most current research, as of June 30, 2022: “The share of companies in the United States which were profitable after their IPO has been decreasing year-on-year over the past decade from a peak of 81% in 2009. In 2021, only 28 percent of companies were profitable after their IPO.”

When it comes to who’s founding these unicorns, there has been some increase in diversity. Back in 2012 or 2013, when Aileen Lee did her initial IPO research, no unicorns had female founding CEOs. However, by 2019, 21 startups founded or co-founded by a woman became unicorns.

Why Are There So Many Unicorns?

There are several reasons behind the proliferation of unicorn companies. Here are a couple.

1.    Expansion of Private Markets: As mentioned above, companies are waiting longer before they go public. Part of the reason for that has been that private investments have exploded. Startups can continue to get investments from venture-capital firms (VCs) and private-equity funds in their later stages, and some prefer that option over the risky, complex process of having an IPO.

2.    Sweeping Technological Change: Significant innovations — such as the rise of social media, smartphones and cloud computing — fueled growth in many unicorns. For example, the iPhone debuted in 2007, while the first Android hit the market in 2008. These events led to businesses that operate mobile apps or capitalize on smartphones to drive up sales.

3.    Well-Funded Capital Markets: Since the 2008-2009 financial crisis, growth in the economy has been sluggish. That’s meant central banks worldwide have kept monetary policies easy, injecting capital into markets that have found their way into fledgling companies.

Meanwhile, tech investing has been one of the few bright spots for investors hungry for growth opportunities, driving up startup valuations.

How Do Unicorns Get Valued?

Many startups — even ones of unicorn size — are unprofitable. Investors put in money under the assumption that profits will eventually come, and that’s why businesses may rely on longer-term forecasting. Similar to how it works when it comes to growth vs. value stocks, valuation metrics like price-to-sales ratios may be used in order to measure the company’s worth.

Investors may also come up with valuations by comparing unlisted firms with similar businesses that are publicly traded. Hence, a rising stock market may also lead to higher valuations for privately held companies.

However, an academic study updated in January 2020 concluded that out of 135 venture-backed unicorns, 48% were overvalued on average, with 14 being 100% above fair value. That means around half of these supposed unicorns aren’t actually unicorns.

How to Invest in Unicorns

Accredited investors — those with $200,000 in annual income or $1 million in assets — can get exposure to unicorns by putting money into venture-capital funds: capital pools that invest in private companies. In recent years, because of the soaring success of some unicorns, they’ve attracted not just venture-capitalists, but also hedge funds, asset-management firms like mutual funds as well as sovereign wealth funds.

When it comes to exiting unicorn investments, a Crunchbase article pointed out that the majority of unicorns — two-thirds over a five-year period — conducted an IPO, giving their investors the opportunity to cash out. But in 2020, the majority of unicorn exits have been through acquisitions.

Can Average Investors Invest in Unicorns?

Unicorns don’t generally accept modest investments from individual or retail investors.

Jay Clayton, former chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, argued that smaller investors should get access to private-market investments. The fact that companies are staying private for longer has also made it true that individual investors are missing out more on businesses in their early stages.

But skeptics say private markets don’t have the same disclosure requirements that public markets require, a situation that could leave retail investors in the dark about a company’s financials and increase the risk of fraud. Mutual funds can put up to 15% of assets in illiquid assets, but often they don’t allocate that much to private companies since these investments are tougher to sell.

Deep-pocketed retail investors can get in early with some startups via angel investing — when individuals provide funding to very young businesses. But these businesses tend to have valuations nowhere near $1 billion.

💡 Quick Tip: Newbie investors may be tempted to buy into the market based on recent news headlines or other types of hype. That’s rarely a good idea. Making good choices shouldn’t stem from strong emotions, but a solid investment strategy.

Risks of Investing in Unicorns

Not all unicorns successfully transition into stock market stars. Some see their valuations dip in late private funding rounds. Some have even scrapped IPO plans at the last minute. Others disappoint after their debut in the public markets, finding that first-day pop in trading elusive or underperforming in the weeks after the IPO.

How do you know whether a unicorn is destined to be the next market darling or flame-out? There is no way to know for sure, but there are a number of risks when it comes to unicorn investing. Here are some:

•   Lack of Profitability: Many unicorns offer deeply discounted services in order to supercharge growth. While venture capitals are used to subsidizing startups, public market investors may be tougher on unprofitable businesses.

•   Market Competition: No matter how great an idea is and how much funding they bring in, there are always competitors. If another company has superior marketing, more users and higher sales, this may not bode well for a unicorn.

•   Consumer/Business Need: Just because a founder has a cool idea and they can build it, doesn’t mean anybody will spend money on it.

•   Management Team: Who are the company’s founders, and what is the culture they are creating at their startup? Many startups fail, and a founder’s management style and lack of experience can be cited as major reasons why.

•   Regulatory Changes: Some unicorns represent new business models or disrupt existing industries. Such changes may come with regulatory oversight that makes operating difficult.

Alternative to Unicorns in Startup Terminology

The surge in private-market tech investing has led to a new vernacular that’s specific to startup valuations. Here’s a table that covers some popular lingo.

List of Unicorn Terminology

Startup Term

Definition

Pony Company worth less than $100 million
Racehorse Company that became unicorns very quickly
Unitortoise Company that took a long time to become a unicorn
Narwhal Canadian company with a valuation of at least $1 billion
Minotaur Company that has raised $1 billion or more in funding
Undercorn Company that reached a $1 billion valuation then fell below it
Decacorn Company with a valuation of at least $10 billion
Hectocorn Company with a valuation of at least $100 billion
Dragon Company that returns an entire fund, meaning the single investment paid off as much as a diversified portfolio

The Takeaway

While they started out as rarities, unicorns have since multiplied. And now a herd founded over the past decade is headed for the stock market.

For investors, unicorn companies may appear to be a good way to diversify and get access to a high-growth business. But it’s important to remember that many unicorns are unprofitable businesses that secure $1 billion valuations by making very long-term projections. Plus, financial information isn’t as readily available as for a company that’s already listed.

It’s important to look closely at a new company’s management team, history, as well as financials before investing in it. Whether you’re a new or seasoned investor, researching which stocks to buy and when to buy them can be time-consuming and challenging.

Ready to invest in your goals? It’s easy to get started when you open an investment account with SoFi Invest. You can invest in stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), mutual funds, alternative funds, and more. SoFi doesn’t charge commissions, but other fees apply (full fee disclosure here).

For a limited time, opening and funding an Active Invest account gives you the opportunity to get up to $1,000 in the stock of your choice.


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Understanding Seller Concessions

Buying a new home requires managing a lot of moving parts, from mortgage preapproval to closing. Even after an offer is accepted, buyers and sellers are still at the negotiating table. If closing costs or surprise expenses become too much for the buyer, a seller concession could help seal the deal.

Although seller concessions can work to a buyer’s advantage, they are neither a guaranteed outcome nor a one-size-fits-all solution for every real estate transaction.

To determine if seller concessions are the right move from a buyer’s perspective, here are some key things to know, including what costs they can cover and when to consider asking for them.

Recommended: How Much Are Closing Costs on a New Home?

What Are Seller Concessions?

Seller concessions represent a seller’s contribution toward the buyer’s closing costs, which include certain prepaid expenses and discount points. A seller concession is not the equivalent of a price reduction; nor is it received as cash or a loan discount.

Closing costs usually range from 3% to 6% of the loan principal on your mortgage. When combined with a down payment, the upfront expense of buying a home can be burdensome, especially for first-time homebuyers.

Buyers can ask for concessions on the initial purchase offer or later if the home inspection reveals problems that require repairs.

Although this can be a helpful tool to negotiate a house price, there are rules for eligible costs and limits to how much buyers can ask for.

Recommended: Home Buyer’s Guide

What Costs Can Seller Concessions Cover?

A buyer’s closing costs can vary case by case. Generally, buyers incur fees related to the mortgage loan and other expenses to complete the real estate transaction.

There are also types of prepaid expenses and home repairs that can be requested as a seller concession.

Some common examples of eligible costs include the following:

•   Property taxes: If the sellers have paid their taxes for the year, the buyer may be required to reimburse the sellers for their prorated share.

•   Appraisal fees: Determining the estimated home value may be required by a lender to obtain a mortgage. Appraisal costs can vary by geography and home size but generally run between $300 and $500.

•   Loan origination fees: Money paid to a lender to process a mortgage, origination fees, can be bundled into seller concessions.

•   Homeowners insurance costs: Prepaid components of closing costs like homeowners insurance premiums can be included in seller concessions.

•   Title insurance costs: A title insurance company will search if there are any liens or claims against the property. This verification, which averages $1,000 but varies widely, protects both the homeowner and lender.

•   Funding fees: One-time funding fees for federally guaranteed mortgages, such as FHA and VA loans, can be paid through seller contributions. Rates vary based on down payment and loan type.

•   Attorney fees: Many states require a lawyer to handle real estate closings. Associated fees can run $500 to $1,500 or more, based on location.

•   Recording fees: Some local governments may charge a fee to document the purchase of a home.

•   HOA fees: If a home is in a neighborhood with a homeowners association, there will likely be monthly dues to pay for maintenance and services. A portion of these fees may be covered by the seller.

•   Discount points: Buyers may pay an upfront fee, known as discount points, to lower the interest rate they pay over the life of the mortgage loan. (The cost of one point is 1% of the loan amount.)

•   Home repairs: If any issues emerge during a home inspection, the repair costs can be requested as a seller concession.

Closing costs can also be influenced by the mortgage lender. When shopping for a mortgage, evaluating expected fees and closing costs is a useful way to compare lenders. Factoring in these costs early on can give buyers a more accurate idea of what they can afford and better inform their negotiations with a seller.

Recommended: Home Improvement Calculator

Rules and Limits for Seller Concessions

Determining how much to ask for in seller concessions isn’t just about negotiating power. For starters, the seller’s contributions can’t exceed the buyer’s closing costs.

Other factors can affect the allowable amount of seller concessions, including the type of mortgage loan and whether the home will serve as a primary residence, vacation home, or investment property.

Here’s a breakdown of how concessions work for common types of loans.

Conventional Loans

Guidance on seller concessions for conventional loans is set by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. These federally sponsored enterprises buy and guarantee mortgages issued through lenders in the secondary mortgage market.

With conventional loans, the limit on seller concessions is calculated as a percentage of the home sale price based on the down payment and occupancy type.

If it’s an investment property, buyers can only request up to 2% of the sale price in seller concessions.

For a primary or secondary residence, seller concessions can add up to the following percentages of the home sale price:

•   Up to 3% when the down payment is less than 10%
•   Up to 6% when the down payment is 10-25%
•   Up to 9% when the down payment is greater than 25%

FHA Loans

FHA loans, which are insured by the Federal Housing Administration, are a popular financing choice because down payments may be as low as 3.5%, depending on a borrower’s credit score.

For this type of mortgage, seller concessions are limited to 6% of the home sale price.

VA Loans

Active service members, veterans, and surviving spouses may qualify for a mortgage loan guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs. For buyers with this type of mortgage, seller concessions are capped at 4% of the home sale price.

VA loans also dictate what types of costs may qualify as a seller concession. Some eligible examples: paying property taxes and VA loan fees or gifting home furnishings, such as a television.

Seller Concession Advantages

There are a few key ways seller concessions can benefit a homebuyer. For starters, they can reduce the amount paid out of pocket for closing costs. This can make the upfront costs of a home purchase more affordable and avoid depleting savings.

Reducing closing costs could help a buyer make a higher offer on a home, too. If it’s a seller’s market, this could be an option to be a more competitive buyer.

Buyers planning significant home remodeling may want to request seller concessions to keep more cash on hand for their projects.

Seller Concession Disadvantages

Seller concessions can also come with some drawbacks. If sellers are looking for a quick deal, they may view concessions as time-consuming and decline an offer.

When sellers agree to contribute to a buyer’s closing costs, the purchase price can go up accordingly. The deal could go awry if the home is appraised at a value less than the agreed-upon sale price. Unless the seller agrees to lower the asking price to align with the appraised value, the buyer may have to increase their down payment to qualify for their original financing.

Another potential downside is that buyers could ultimately pay more over the loan’s term if they receive seller concessions than they would otherwise. If a buyer offers, say, $350,000 and requests $3,000 in concessions, the seller may counteroffer with a purchase price of $353,000, with $3,000 in concessions.

Recommended: Guide to Buying, Selling, and Updating Your Home

The Takeaway

Seller concessions can make a home purchase more affordable for buyers by reducing closing costs and expenses, but whether it’s a buyer’s or seller’s market will affect a buyer’s potential to negotiate. A real estate agent can offer guidance on asking for seller concessions.

The vast majority of homebuyers finance their purchase. So for most buyers, finding the right mortgage is an important step in landing their dream home.

SoFi offers home mortgages with competitive rates and down payments as low as 5%. And prequalifying takes just a few minutes.

Buying a home? Find out how SoFi can help you with a mortgage that fits your needs.



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Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

Third-Party Brand Mentions: No brands, products, or companies mentioned are affiliated with SoFi, nor do they endorse or sponsor this article. Third-party trademarks referenced herein are property of their respective owners.

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What Is the Average Cost of Divorce?

An uncontested DIY divorce could cost $300. For a messy, high-stakes parting, add zeros (knowing that the sum will be short of Jeff Bezos’ $38 billion). When the nuptial knot frays, average divorce costs add up to several thousand. So how much does divorce cost, really?

In 2023, the mean cost of divorce is $7,000, but the average ranges from $15,000 to $20,000, according to Forbes. However, all kinds of factors, from attorney fees to assets, influence the bottom line.

Here are details about types of divorce and what to expect cost-wise with each.

How Much Does It Cost to Get a Divorce?

The cost of a divorce can depend on which state you live in, how amicable the parting is, and whether you work with a divorce attorney, own property together, and have children, among others.

Most cases settle before going to trial. Here are common costs if you need to prepare for a divorce.

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Without an Attorney

A DIY uncontested divorce is the cheapest option. You and your spouse submit paperwork to your local family court, then fill out and file required documents.

DivorceNet found that the median cost of a DIY divorce is only $300. That could be because many filers who don’t hire a lawyer have no contested issues.

With an Attorney

A lawyer can only work with one client at a time, so two attorneys are required if both spouses want their own representation.

A divorce attorney will usually ask for a retainer, or down payment, of $2,500 to $5,000, and will charge from that. If the retainer runs out, the lawyer may bill by the hour. Hourly fees may range from $150 to $500 or more per hour, according to LegalZoom.

A reader survey by Nolo, a publisher that specializes in legal content, found that the average cost of a divorce handled by a full-scope attorney was $12,900, with $11,300 of that lawyer fees. The median, though, was $7,500, including $7,000 in attorney fees.

Of course, the longer it takes to reach a final judgment, the higher your heap of attorney fees will be.

Recommended: Understanding Divorce and Retirement Accounts

Mediation

If you’re dealing with a more convoluted situation and don’t feel comfortable filing yourself, but don’t want to shell out money for a divorce lawyer, you could consider working with a mediator.

In this form of divorce, both spouses work with a neutral third party who has a handle on the financial and legal aspects of divorce and oversees the process.

A non-attorney mediator may charge $100 to $350 an hour, with a couple’s total mediation bill coming in anywhere from $3,000 to $8,000, according to DivorceNet.

Free or low-cost mediation services are often provided by courts, nonprofit organizations, and bar associations.

Collaborative Divorce

In this hybrid of mediation and a traditional divorce using lawyers, each spouse is represented by a collaborative divorce attorney. The goal is to help both parties work toward a mutually satisfactory outcome and, if children are involved, one that keeps their best interests in mind.

Both parties commit, in writing, to using cooperative dispute resolution techniques.

If the process fails, both attorneys must withdraw from the case, and the couple will need to hire new lawyers and continue through family law court proceedings.

Consulting Attorney

If you can’t afford to hire a full-scope divorce attorney, you might be able to hire a consulting attorney for specific tasks. The average total fees for consulting attorneys were $4,600, and the median was $3,000, Nolo’s survey found.


💡 Quick Tip: Fixed-interest-rate personal loans from SoFi make payments easy to track and give you a target payoff date to work toward.

Who Pays for the Divorce?

Most of the time, each spouse pays their own attorney fees and costs.

In select cases involving income disparities or one party unnecessarily complicating the proceedings, a judge may order a spouse to pay his or her partner’s divorce costs, LegalZoom says.

The following are some of the factors that affect the costs of a divorce.

Child Custody

In a contested divorce, the issue of child custody will likely come up. If the couple is able to agree on a child custody schedule that works for both parents, that is usually the easiest path forward.

For divorces involving children that require an attorney to iron out custody details, costs tend to increase significantly thanks to the additional time spent working with parents to reach an agreement.

A contested divorce involving custody could also include working with a court-assigned professional, who may interview the parents and children, observe each parent at home with the kids, and make an evaluation based on their findings.

A county custody evaluation could cost between $1,000 and $2,500. A private review could run $15,000 or more, according to DivorceNet.

Real Estate

Couples who share a property may require the help of real estate attorneys or agents who focus on helping couples ascertain the disposition of their homes.

A home appraisal is an unbiased, third-party estimate of a property’s value. It can cost between $300 and $450.

Sometimes couples opt to refinance the mortgage on the marital home into one name, releasing the other spouse from obligation. The cost of refinancing can be several thousand dollars.

Alimony

Another potential consideration in a divorce may be alimony, or spousal support.

If both individuals can’t agree on the amount of payment and the time payments are to be made, the court may have to step in.

That can involve litigation and a review of debts and finances. Since the process requires legal counsel, alimony decisions can quickly drive up divorce expenses.

Do Divorce Lawyers Offer Payment Plans?

Some family lawyers do offer payment plans. The time to ask about that is during an initial consultation.

In most situations, paying for a divorce can be a major stressor.

If you and your spouse are on OK terms and have savings, you could consider pooling together as much as you can to put toward divorce costs. You could also ask to borrow money from relatives or friends. In some cases, couples may know that divorce is looming and start saving for it ahead of time, as unpleasant as that may be.

Some people may opt to put their divorce costs on a credit card and pay the debt over time, with interest. An option that may be more cost-effective is a personal loan.

A personal loan has several potential advantages. The interest rate could be lower than a credit card, depending on your credit score. Most personal loans come with a fixed interest rate, which makes budgeting easier.

And a personal loan might allow you to borrow a significant amount of money and have several years to pay it off.

The Takeaway

How much does a divorce cost? A good answer might be: More than most people hope it will be. Let’s just say average divorce costs are in the thousands.

Think twice before turning to high-interest credit cards. Consider a SoFi personal loan instead. SoFi offers competitive fixed rates and same-day funding. Checking your rate takes just a minute.


SoFi’s Personal Loan was named NerdWallet’s 2024 winner for Best Personal Loan overall.


SoFi Loan Products
SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A., NMLS #696891 (Member FDIC). For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal. Equal Housing Lender.


Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

Non affiliation: SoFi isn’t affiliated with any of the companies highlighted in this article.

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Is an Employee’s Student Loan Repayment Benefit Taxed As Income?

No, an employee’s student loan repayment benefit from their employer is not taxed as income now through the end of December. Thanks to the CARES Act, employees can take advantage of up to $5,250 in tax-free student loan payment contributions from their employer.

For employees lucky enough to work for a company that offers a student loan repayment program, the benefits of this perk are clear: Employees get “free money” from their employers to help pay down their student loans.

Employer Student Loan Repayment Benefit and Taxes

Under employer student loan repayment programs, employers help employees pay back their student loans in amounts that vary from company to company. This monetary assistance can be a great help to individuals struggling with student loan debt — and may even ultimately have an impact on the economy. However, prior to 2020, employer contributions were subject to both payroll and income tax, which means that for employees, the benefit wasn’t quite as big as it might first appear.

That changed in early 2020, when the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act expanded on this financial assistance by making all employer-match contributions up to $5,250 tax-free, exempt from both payroll and income tax.

While the measure implemented in the CARES Act was due to expire in January 2021, the new stimulus bill signed by President Donald Trump in December 2020 has extended that tax-free benefit for another 5 years, with a new expiration of December 31, 2025.

Understanding Employer Match of Student Loan Repayment

What is an employer student loan repayment program? It’s a way for companies to help alleviate their employees’ student loan debt burden by offering them a match (up to $5,250, tax-free) on payments they make toward their student loans every year. Employers make a regular contribution to an employee’s student loan balance, say $100 a month for example, while the employee continues to make regular payments.

In this way, employees can pay down more of their student loan balance and/or interest. Prior to the CARES Act, an employer’s student loan contributions were considered taxable income, but now through the end of 2025, they will be tax-free and fall under the same maximum (up to $5,250), as tuition reimbursement benefits from an employer.

There are a number of services available to companies who are looking to manage this kind of benefit. Just like the companies designed to help HR departments manage other benefits like health care, financial institutions can help assist with student loan repayment plans.

Companies with Student Loan Repayment Benefits

Employer student loan repayment programs are still rather new — only about 17% of companies offer them. However, close to 50% of companies say they plan to offer student loan repayment assistance in the future. To get a sense of what kinds of programs different employers offer, here are several examples of companies who have this incentive in place:

•   In 2019, Chegg, the education technology company best known for online textbook rentals, began offering its employees $1,000 annually toward student loan debt, with an additional equity grant of up to $5,000 annually.

•   Estée Lauder, the cosmetics company, launched their student loan benefit program in 2018 by offering $100 monthly for payback, with a cap of $10,000 total.

•   In 2017, Fidelity, the brokerage firm, began offering up to $5,250 per year in student loan repayment for its employees.

•   Also in 2017, Live Nation, entertainment and events, began contributing $100 monthly to student loans, maxing out at $6,000 in repayment.

•   Penguin Random House, the book publisher, began in 2018 to reimburse up to $1,200 yearly (capped at $9,000) for student loans to full-time employees who have been with the company at least one year.

•   PwC, also in the financial services industry, offers $1,200 annually and up to $10,000 total for student loan payments.

•   SoFi offers one of the more unique employer student loan repayment programs on the market, offering $200 a month in reimbursement with no cap.

Implementing a student loan repayment program with a matching contribution will depend on a company’s size and resources.

But this kind of incentive can appeal to potential new employees. Most companies do not require employees who leave the organization to repay the benefit. Paid out monthly, it can help with the most burdensome student loan payments, which some employees might find more valuable than, say, a year-end bonus.

Save on Student Debt while Saving for Retirement

Helping employees pay down student loan debt, while also still saving for retirement, is a benefit that could really increase the appeal of an employer loan repayment program.

In 2018, the IRS cleared a path for employers to create a different kind of student loan payoff program that could help attract employees. The program was created by Abbott Laboratories, but companies of all sizes could use a similar approach.

The IRS allowed Abbott to help its employees save for retirement and pay down student debt with a new program that allows people who direct a certain amount of their paycheck to pay off student loans to also get a contribution from Abbott for their retirement accounts.

Abbott’s program might inspire more employers to implement similar programs, where the company can make a tax-free contribution to the employee’s 401(k) on the condition the employee makes student loan payments.

The Takeaway

With the recent extension of the rules set forth in the CARES Act, employer student loan repayment contributions up to $5,250 are payroll-tax and income-tax free until December 31, 2025. For individuals whose company offers such a benefit, this makes it more useful than ever before in paying down student loan debt.

Just like a 401(k) retirement match, a company that offers a student loan repayment program is basically offering you extra money. For many employees, even an extra $100 a month could be enough to help them get out of debt faster and feel more confident about their financial security.

To make the most of student loan repayment benefits and pay down loans in the most efficient way possible, it’s always a good idea to evaluate your current payment plan. For some individuals with federal student loans, switching to an income-driven repayment plan or consolidating your loans could make monthly loan payments more manageable.

For individuals with both private and federal student loans, it might make sense to consider refinancing your student loans through a private lender, such as SoFi.

Refinancing combines multiple student loans — federal or private — into a single loan with one monthly payment. It can potentially lower your interest rate or give you access to more favorable loan terms. That said, refinancing with a private lender means forfeiting access to federal loan benefits like income-driven repayment plans, deferment, and public service loan forgiveness. Nonetheless, if your credit score and earnings have improved since graduating from college, refinancing might be a way to pay less in interest with a lower interest rate and a shorter repayment term.

With SoFi, refinancing is fast, easy, and all online. Also, we offer competitive fixed and variable rates.


SoFi Student Loan Refinance
SoFi Student Loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A. Member FDIC. NMLS #696891. (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org). SoFi Student Loan Refinance Loans are private loans and do not have the same repayment options that the federal loan program offers, or may become available, such as Public Service Loan Forgiveness, Income-Based Repayment, Income-Contingent Repayment, PAYE or SAVE. Additional terms and conditions apply. Lowest rates reserved for the most creditworthy borrowers. For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal.


SoFi Loan Products
SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A., NMLS #696891 (Member FDIC). For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal. Equal Housing Lender.


Tax Information: This article provides general background information only and is not intended to serve as legal or tax advice or as a substitute for legal counsel. You should consult your own attorney and/or tax advisor if you have a question requiring legal or tax advice.

Non affiliation: SoFi isn’t affiliated with any of the companies highlighted in this article.

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

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6 Strategies to Pay off Student Loans Quickly

Life can get expensive. When you factor in things like rent or mortgage, groceries, child care expenses, transportation costs, and more, it adds up quickly. And for more than 43 million Americans, their monthly budget also includes student loan payments.

If you’re able to lower or eliminate student loan debt, you’ll have more money at your disposal. So what’s the fastest way to pay off student loans? There’s no one right answer, but these tips could help you hasten repayment so you can focus on other financial goals.

Six Tips to Accelerate Student Loan Repayment

1. Putting Extra Toward the Principal

One of the most effective ways to get ahead of student loan debt is to pay more than the monthly minimum. There are no prepayment penalties for federal or private student loans, so it might be one of the fastest ways to shrink your debt.

As a bonus, when you put extra money toward the principal loan balance, you’re also shaving off the total cost of interest you may otherwise pay over the life of the loan.

You might be surprised how much an additional monthly $50 payment can trim off your debt. If your monthly budgets are too tight to make an additional monthly contribution, you might consider increasing your payments every other month or quarterly.

To make the most of prepayments, the additional payments should be applied to the loan’s principal. Some loan servicers may apply a payment to the next month’s payment instead of deducting it from the loan balance. You may want to contact your loan servicer to make sure prepayments are applied to the principal.

2. Making a Lump Sum Payment

If making extra monthly payments to your student loans is out of the question, consider making a lump sum payment. That means making use of “found money.” Instead of treating a tax refund, financial gifts, bonuses, or a raise at work like “fun money,” you could use it to double down on your debt.

It may also be a good time to review your spending habits and see where you might be able to find some extra cash. Even minor adjustments like taking public transportation instead of a cab or finding street parking instead of paying at a garage could add up.

When you find areas in your spending to cut back, consider adding that money to an account dedicated to your student loan repayments.

3. Finding a Side Hustle

If you’re still searching for how to pay off student debt faster, you could try finding an additional source of income and putting that money toward debt.

What are your skills, hobbies, and interests? While it may take perseverance to find the right side hustle, it could wind up being one of the fastest ways to pay off student loans.

There are apps that offer flexible, part-time side hustles. If you’re crafty, you could try selling your creations at an online marketplace. If you’re a photographer, writer, or editor, you could try finding a freelance gig. Once you get your side hustle going, the additional income could be regularly put toward extra student loan payments.

Recommended: 15 Low-Cost Side Hustles

4. Getting Help Paying Off Your Loan

You could speed up loan repayment if you can find a way to have someone else contribute, such as:

Seeking an employer perk. Before the coronavirus pandemic, an estimated 8% of employers offered student loan repayment assistance as a benefit. The CARES Act of 2020 gave companies an incentive to offer the benefit, which was then extended through 2025.

Employers can contribute up to $5,250 per employee each year toward qualified education expenses, such as student loan assistance, without raising the worker’s gross taxable income.

Volunteering. Some volunteer opportunities might ease your student loan balance. For example, members of the Shared Harvest Fund can get a stipend applied to their student loans if they match up with a nonprofit organization that needs their talents.

You can choose the cause you like or filter by project. For instance, if you’re a lawyer, you can consult with a nonprofit organization looking to change its structure. A social media whiz can help set strategy for a therapy-pet agency.

Asking. Your family members and friends want you to succeed, so why not ask them to contribute to your student loan instead of buying something you don’t really need on your birthday? One site, GiftofCollege.com, lets you set up a profile, link to a student loan, and ask for contributions via social media.

5. Rolling Out the Debt Snowball Method

When it comes to finding the fastest way to pay off student loans, you could try using the debt snowball method. Here’s how that works.

First, take a look at your loans and focus on the balances. While you should be making at least the minimum monthly payment on all your loans, the debt snowball method has you put any additional money toward the loan with the smallest balance first.

Once that loan is paid off, you’d use the money you were paying on the old loan payment amount and roll it to the next smallest debt. The idea is to continue using this method until all of your loans are paid off. Each time you pay off a loan, it feels like a win that helps you see the progress you’re making.

6. Refinancing or Consolidating Loans

Refinancing your student loans with a private lender means taking out a new loan that pays off your existing loans and has a new interest rate, term, and monthly payment.

Depending on your credit score and income (among other factors), you may be able to secure a lower interest rate when you refinance your student loans with a private lender — which means the loan may accrue less interest over time (depending on the loan’s term). Lenders generally offer both fixed-rate and variable-rate loans, and often give you the option to extend or shorten your repayment term.

If you have exclusively federal student loans, you could consolidate them into a Direct Consolidation Loan, with one monthly payment. The new, fixed interest rate will be the weighted average of your existing interest rates rounded up to the nearest one-eighth of a percentage point.

Consolidation can lower your monthly payment by giving you up to 30 years to repay your loans, but a longer term means more payments and more interest.

Before refinancing federal student loans, it’s best to weigh the borrower protections of those loans against refinancing with a private lender, who can’t offer the same federal benefits. For example, if you are enrolled in an income-driven repayment plan or are applying for Public Service Loan Forgiveness, refinancing might not be your best option. When you consolidate your loans, you keep your access to federal benefits; when you refinance your loans, you lose this access.

The Takeaway

Wondering how to pay off student loans quickly? There are a few strategies to explore. One or more of these six suggestions could be the ticket to chipping away at the debt faster.

To see what refinancing student loans with SoFi could mean for your finances, you may want to look at estimates with this student loan refinancing calculator and then check your rate.

SoFi offers competitive fixed or variable rates, no application or origination fees, and an easy online application.

See if you prequalify with SoFi in just two minutes.


SoFi Student Loan Refinance
SoFi Student Loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A. Member FDIC. NMLS #696891. (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org). SoFi Student Loan Refinance Loans are private loans and do not have the same repayment options that the federal loan program offers, or may become available, such as Public Service Loan Forgiveness, Income-Based Repayment, Income-Contingent Repayment, PAYE or SAVE. Additional terms and conditions apply. Lowest rates reserved for the most creditworthy borrowers. For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal.


SoFi Loan Products
SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Bank, N.A., NMLS #696891 (Member FDIC). For additional product-specific legal and licensing information, see SoFi.com/legal. Equal Housing Lender.


Disclaimer: Many factors affect your credit scores and the interest rates you may receive. SoFi is not a Credit Repair Organization as defined under federal or state law, including the Credit Repair Organizations Act. SoFi does not provide “credit repair” services or advice or assistance regarding “rebuilding” or “improving” your credit record, credit history, or credit rating. For details, see the FTC’s website .

Non affiliation: SoFi isn’t affiliated with any of the companies highlighted in this article.

Financial Tips & Strategies: The tips provided on this website are of a general nature and do not take into account your specific objectives, financial situation, and needs. You should always consider their appropriateness given your own circumstances.

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