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Yes, student loans can be refinanced if you’re looking to combine multiple loans into one, lower your interest rate, or lower your monthly payment. You can refinance both federal and private student loans, but refinancing federal loans with a private lender will remove access to federal protections and benefits.

Here’s a detailed look at student loan refinancing so you can decide if it’s the right decision for you.

How to Refinance Student Loans

When you refinance your student loans, you’re essentially taking out a new loan and using it to pay off your existing student loans. Refinancing may allow you to secure a lower interest rate or reduce your monthly payments.

Student loan refinancing may also allow you to change your repayment term. If you took out a private student loan to pay for your education, the repayment terms were set when you borrowed the loan.

If you borrowed federal loans, there are student loan repayment plans you can choose from, including the Standard 10-year Repayment plan or one of four income-driven repayment plans. If you refinance, you can choose a shorter or longer repayment term, but you will lose access to the federal repayment options.

A shorter repayment term will mean that your monthly payments will increase, but that you’ll most likely pay less in interest over the life of your loan. In contrast, a longer repayment term will mean that your monthly payments will decrease, but you might pay more in interest overall.

Can I Refinance Student Loans?

Yes, you can technically refinance your student loans at any time. However, while in school, federal loans (and most private loans) do not require you to make payments. Unless you’re able to start making payments and can lock in a lower rate with a refinance, it may make sense to wait until you graduate, leave school, or drop below half-time enrollment.

Recommended: How Soon Can You Refinance Student Loans?

When you refinance student loans with a private lender, the lender is going to look at your credit profile and debt-to-income ratio to qualify you and determine your interest rate. It may make sense to build your credit and have a stable job prior to applying for a refinance. You can also choose to refinance your loans with a cosigner to secure a better interest rate.

Is It Worth It to Refinance Your Loans?

You might be wondering if it’s worth it to refinance your student loans. The answer to that will depend on your personal financial situation, but using a student loan refinance calculator can help you see if and how much you could save by refinancing.

Depending on how much you have in student debt, reducing your rate by just a few percentage points could save you thousands of dollars over the life of your loan if you keep your loan term the same. If you’re hoping to lower your monthly payment, you most likely will have to extend your loan term, which could result in paying more in interest overall.

Also note that refinancing federal student loans with a private lender removes federal student loan benefits and protections, such as income-driven repayment plans, deferment, and student loan forbearance.

What Types of Student Loans Can Be Refinanced?

Both federal and private student loans can be refinanced with a private lender. All types of loans can be refinanced, including Direct Loans, Direct PLUS Loans, Direct Consolidation Loans, and private student loans.

If you want to combine federal loans only into one loan with one monthly, you could consider a student loan consolidation. A student loan consolidation won’t save you money in interest, as it’s the weighted average of the loans you’re consolidating rounded up to the nearest one-eighth of a percent, but it could lower your payment if you extend your loan term.

Consolidating your federal loans allows you to keep access to federal benefits and protections. If you’re using them now or plan to in the future, this could be an excellent option to simplify your loan repayment.

If you don’t plan on using federal benefits and want to reduce your monthly payment or lower your interest rate, a student loan refinance could be the right choice for you.

Recommended: Pros and Cons of Student Loan Refinancing

What to Look for in a Student Loan Refinance Company

When it comes to refinancing student loans, consider finding a lender that doesn’t charge origination fees or prepayment penalties. Usually, you’ll have the choice between a fixed or variable rate loan.

Other things to look for in a student loan refinance company include excellent customer service ratings, an easy online application process, and possible member benefits, such as career coaching, financial advice, and rate discounts on loans.

Refinancing Student Loans With SoFi

Looking to lower your monthly student loan payment? Refinancing may be one way to do it — by extending your loan term, getting a lower interest rate than what you currently have, or both. (Please note that refinancing federal loans makes them ineligible for federal forgiveness and protections. Also, lengthening your loan term may mean paying more in interest over the life of the loan.) SoFi student loan refinancing offers flexible terms that fit your budget.

FAQ

Is it legal to refinance student loans?

Yes, it is legal to refinance student loans. You can refinance both federal and private student loans with a private lender. You may be interested in refinancing if you’re wanting to lower your monthly payment or lower your interest rate. Keep in mind that refinancing federal loans will eliminate federal protections and benefits.

What happens when you refinance a student loan?

When you refinance your student loans, you pay off one or more of your existing student loans and have a new loan with a new interest rate, new terms, and a new monthly payment. You will then make your monthly payment to your new lender until it is paid off or you refinance it again with another company.

Why would you refinance student loans?

You may choose to refinance your student loans to lower your monthly payment, lower your interest rate, extend or shorten your loan term, and/or simplify your repayments.

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.

Doctors tend to make a good amount of money. For instance, primary care physicians report earning about $265,000 a year while specialists make approximately $382,000 annually, according to a 2023 survey from Medscape.

But compared to other high-earners, doctors also have high amounts of student debt. Med school graduates owe about $200,000 to $215,000 in student debt, reports EducationData.org. In addition, physicians spend extra years in school, rather than building equity in their future, such as having a 401(k) or an IRA.

That’s why it makes sense to know how to save money on taxes as a doctor and learn about physician tax deductions.

Here are five easy ways doctors can save on taxes, plus tax deductions for doctors.

1. Contribute to multiple tax-advantaged retirement accounts.

One way to save? Instead of only paying into one company-sponsored 401(k) or 403(b), spread your retirement savings across as many tax-advantaged accounts as you can. By having multiple accounts like this, you can substantially increase your savings each year.

2. Consider a 529 plan account to save for children’s college funds.

A 529 account grows tax-free when used for qualifying educational expenses. You might even get a tax deduction on your state taxes the year you fund it. Check your local tax laws to find out more.

3. If you own a practice or you moonlight, consider deducting all business-related expenses.

For physicians, owning a practice comes with a perk: tax deductions for doctors. Think advertising, license fees, exam fees, website fees, professional publications, dues, memberships, medical associations, and conferences. The general strategy is to deduct as much on Schedule C or your personal tax return as possible.

4. For investments, consider the tax benefits of long versus short term gains.

Owning an investment for more than one year means any profit will qualify as a long-term gain. That makes sense. What’s important to consider is that long-term capital gains are typically taxed lower than short-term capital gains (which are taxed at your ordinary income rate). For those with portfolios to manage, this is one factor worth keeping in mind.

5. For charitable donations, don’t forget you can donate investments.

Most people know that donating cash or used items qualifies as a tax deduction. But for physician tax deductions, it’s good to remember you can donate appreciated stocks and funds. In this case, you can gain a double tax benefit by getting a tax deduction for the gift—and avoiding the capital gain on the sale.

Another way to possibly save money is with student loan refinancing. When you refinance, you replace your existing student loans with a new loan, ideally with a lower interest rate and better terms.

Should you refinance your student loans? One very important thing to keep in mind is that refinancing federal student loans makes them ineligible for federal protections and programs, like income-driven repayment plans. If you think you may need these federal benefits, refinancing may not be right for you.

This student loan refinancing guide may be helpful as you weigh your options.

If you decide to explore refinancing, this student loan refinance calculator can help you figure out what you might save. For instance, a lower interest rate or a longer loan term may help lower your monthly payment. However, a longer loan term means you may end up paying more interest over the life of the loan.

SoFi offers loans with competitive fixed and variable rates, flexible terms, and no fees. And you can find out if you prequalify in 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.

Inflation has hit all aspects of daily life, including that fun and romantic ritual known as date night. The average cost of dinner and a movie for two now rings in at a steep $159. Ka-ching!

But that doesn’t mean you need to go broke enjoying fun times with your sweetie or getting to know someone new.

Here, you’ll find 27 ideas for date nights that don’t cost much. In fact, some of these date night ideas are more than cheap; they’re free.

Fun Date Ideas for Couples on a Budget

Whether you’re just getting to know each other or you’ve been married for years, here are some ways to enjoy a romantic day or evening out without busting your monthly budget.

1. Watching the Sunrise or Sunset Together

Watching the sun come up or sink over the horizon with your sweetie can be a very romantic and cute date idea. Depending on which time of day you choose, you can bring coffee and donuts or a bottle of wine and some cheese and crackers to mark the occasion.

2. Taking Dance Lessons

Couples can show off their moves while taking a lesson in salsa, ballroom dancing, or swing. Consider a home viewing of “Dirty Dancing” afterwards to close out the date.

💡 Quick Tip: If you’re saving for a short-term goal — whether it’s a vacation, a wedding, or the down payment on a house — consider opening a high-yield savings account. The higher APY that you’ll earn will help your money grow faster, but the funds stay liquid, so they are easy to access when you reach your goal.

3. Going on a Hike

Getting some fresh air and walking in a beautiful area together can be a great bonding experience. To make sure you don’t take on more miles (or hills) than you can handle, you can read reviews of hikes and check out trail maps online before you head out.

4. Picking Apples or Berries

This can be a great idea for a “sweet” date. In the fall, couples can pick apples together and then go home and make some baked apples or an apple pie. In the summer, consider heading to a local farm to pick berries. You can use your harvest to make some tarts or smoothies afterwards.

5. Checking Out a Botanical Garden

Many towns have beautiful botanical gardens where people can walk around. This is a lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon and it should be either free or low cost.

6. Staying In and Watching a Movie

One (or both) or you may have a Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime subscription. Why not take advantage and watch a movie together at home? You can open some wine and order a pizza or inexpensive takeout.

Not a member of those networks? Look into free services like Hoopla or Kanopy.

Recommended: How to Save Money on Streaming Services

7. Gardening Together

Another cute date idea is to garden together. Whether you and your honey live together or apart, you can start your own garden and fill it with flowers, herbs, and vegetables. At the end of the day, you’ll have a shared sense of accomplishment.

8. Checking Out a Free Museum

Some museums are always free, while others will have free days throughout the month. Couples can go and see cool artwork and have stimulating conversations about the artists.

💡 Quick Tip: An emergency fund or rainy day fund is an important financial safety net. Aim to have at least three to six months’ worth of basic living expenses saved in case you get a major unexpected bill or lose income.

9. Going to a Free Concert

Many towns will hold free concerts in the park during the summer. You can bring a blanket and some food and enjoy a picnic dinner while listening to great live music.

Recommended: How to Save Money Daily

10. Taking a Scenic Drive

You can pick somewhere you’ve never been or head to a favorite spot, such as a nice drive in the country or along the coastline. Consider creating a playlist of tunes you both love for the ride.

11. Breaking Out the Board Games

Who doesn’t love a little competition? This can be a great idea whether you play against one another or with another couple. You can even throw in some prizes from the Dollar Store to up the ante just a bit.

12. Eating at Happy Hour

Want to sidestep a pricey dinner? Here’s a way to save money on food: Couples can find out which establishments have a happy hour and then enjoy some appetizers and drinks for a cheap date idea.

13. Visiting Open Houses

Whether you are actually looking to buy a house or just want to be a voyeur, or pick up some design ideas, consider checking out open houses in your area. You can search for open houses on sites like Redfin and Zillow.

14. Cooking a Dish Together

For a fun and tasty evening, you might go to your local farmer’s market or grocery store and then come home and make a gourmet meal together. If neither of you are skilled in the kitchen, you can order a meal delivery service that sends all the instructions and ingredients you need.

15. Checking Groupon for Deals

You can often find some interesting things to do for date night by checking Groupon to see what experiences are on sale. You might find a wine-and-paint night or perhaps a sale on arcade tickets.

16. Renting a Pool

For a fun date on a hot summer day (or night), consider checking out Swimply to see if you can rent out a private pool in your area by the hour. Pool toys and snacks may not be included, so you may want to pack everything you need before heading over for a swim.

17. Going on a Bike Ride

Another cute date idea is to go on a bike ride together. If you don’t own bikes, you may be able to rent them from the city or a local company. You can research local biking trails online before you go.

💡 Quick Tip: When you feel the urge to buy something that isn’t in your budget, try the 30-day rule. Make a note of the item in your calendar for 30 days into the future. When the date rolls around, there’s a good chance the “gotta have it” feeling will have subsided

18. Taking a Ferry Ride

Typically, ferry rides are pretty cheap. They may even be free. Consider taking a ride at sunset so you can enjoy a beautiful view.

19. Checking Out a Local Park

When the weather is nice, you might want to pack a blanket and some food and head to a nearby park to enjoy a lazy afternoon together. Have any leftover bread? Maybe you can feed it to the ducks or birds.

20. Going to a Pet Cafe

Pet cafes are now located in many towns around the county. Couples can sip on lattes while petting cute dogs and cats at the same time.

Recommended: Tips to Save Money on Pets

21. Renting a Canoe or Kayak

If you split the cost of a kayak or canoe rental, you can enjoy a relatively inexpensive afternoon paddling around a lake or bay together.

22. Taking a Walk in the Mall

Just because you go to the mall, it doesn’t mean you have to shop. Instead, you can do some browsing and not spend any money. Though you might want to share some favorite cheap mall food like Cinnabons and Auntie Anne’s Pretzels.

23. Listening to a Podcast

Podcasts can be just as entertaining as television and movies. Consider grabbing some drinks and snacks and listening to a great podcast together.

Recommended: What Are Average Monthly Expenses for One Person

24. Thrifting Together

Here’s a great way to save money on clothes and spend time together: Hit some local thrift stores for a cute and cheap date night. Maybe you’ll find some treasures or just try on outfits from decades past and make each other laugh.

25. Competing in a Video Game Competition

If you and your mate enjoy playing video games, consider challenging each other in a video game competition. You can offer fun rewards, such as the winner gets a gourmet home-cooked meal or doesn’t have to do any dishes all week.

26. Having a Spa Night

For couples who live together, a nice date night idea is to have a spa night at home. You can include foot massages, a bubble bath, and face masks for some relaxation, and laughs.

27. Doing Crafts Together

Couples that are feeling crafty can go to their local art store and buy supplies they need to create something together. You might even choose a sentimental project like a wreath made of corks from bottles you’ve shared or a scrapbook of vacation memories.

Recommended: How to Create a Budget in 6 Steps

The Takeaway

Going out on a “date” doesn’t have to mean dinner at a fancy restaurant followed by a movie. With a little bit of imagination and planning, couples can enjoy a night (or day) out that costs considerably less, yet can be just as romantic and fun.

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