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For doctors and residents carrying high student loan balances, public service loan forgiveness (PSLF), sometimes known incorrectly as public student loan forgiveness, can seem like a sweet deal. After all, when you’ve got tens of thousands of dollars to pay back, who wouldn’t jump at the chance to write off even a few?

But it’s not so easy as just signing up to get it. PSLF is a government-run program that forgives your loans if you meet a certain set of conditions. To actually receive PSLF, you may have to jump through hoops and avoid potential pitfalls.

If you’re thinking about doing PSLF, here are a few considerations to keep in mind ahead of time:

So, PSLF is possible, but there is a lot to keep track of along the way to make sure you qualify once you’ve hit your 120 payments threshold.

It’s no secret that Americans are facing down substantial student loan balances. What is a secret—or might as well be—are the numerous government programs designed to help.

Income-contingent repayment programs such as PAYE might just sound like another government acronym, but considering this program could lower your monthly payments, it’s worth looking into. Expecting new graduates to pay high monthly installments is a tall order, which is why plans like this exist. The government (surprisingly enough) has some options to alleviate your student loan debt burden.

What is the Pay as You Earn Plan?

The PAYE, or Pay As You Earn Plan is exactly what it sounds like; The plan bases your monthly student loan payments on your income, not your debt. PAYE is a government program geared toward aiding graduates struggling with loan payments. So, say you’re having trouble meeting your monthly payments.

With programs like PAYE, your loan payments are tailored to what you can afford. That means if you’re making $30,000 a year, payments might be limited to $100 a month, whether you owe $5,000 or $50,000 in student loans. And, under this plan, if you’ve been making qualifying monthly payments for 20 years, your outstanding debt could be forgiven.

There are other, private-lender options to lower your monthly payments, such as refinancing your loans. But before deciding if that is the right route for you, we put together this helpful guide on the PAYE plan.

How Does PAYE Work?

For those who qualify and sign on for PAYE, payments are generally around 10% of your discretionary income . If your income increases, and your monthly payments get recalculated, your payments will never exceed what you would be paying under the standard plan , as long as your income is still under the qualifying threshold.

So what’s the catch? For one thing, lower monthly payments will, of course, mean a higher accumulation of interest. And while your loan balance could be eligible to be forgiven in 20 years, that forgiveness in many circumstances is seen as income in the eyes of the IRS. So if in 20 years you still owe, say, $20,000, even if the total balance is forgiven, you might have to pay taxes on that $20,000 the same year its forgiven.

Am I Eligible for a PAYE Plan?

Not everyone is eligible for the PAYE program. First off, PAYE only works for federal direct loans. And because PAYE was created for those struggling to meet loan payments, PAYE is only available to those who can demonstrate financial hardship. This makes sense, of course, because 10% of a high discretionary income would be a high monthly payment and over the payments of a federal standard plan.

PAYE plans are given to those whose monthly payments are lower than they would be on the standard 10-year payment plan. You can use the Department of Education’s income-based loan Repayment Estimator to compare this to your payments under the standard plan.

What Are My Other Options Outside of PAYE?

If PAYE isn’t right for you, there are plenty of other options offered by the federal government or by private lenders. If you have federal loans, there are three other income-driven repayment options:

• Income-contingent repayment (ICR), which asks for generally 20% of your discretionary income. Your loans are eligible to be forgiven after 25 years. And just like the PAYE loan forgiveness option, you could be taxed on the amount that’s forgiven.

• Revised Pay As You Earn (REPAYE), which takes generally 10% of your discretionary income. There is a forgiveness option after 20 years if you’re paying off your undergrad degree, or 25 years if you’re paying off undergrad and grad school loans.

• Income-based repayment (IBR), which takes generally 10% to 15% of your discretionary income. Your loans are forgiven after 20-25 years, though you could be get taxed on the amount that’s forgiven.

To see what you would pay under the different plans, just plug your information into the Department of Education’s IBR calculator .

Those looking to lower their interest rates may also want to consider student loan refinancing, especially if you have a combination of private and federal loans. Increasingly, private lenders are offering rates lower than the federal government’s, making refinancing a popular option.

Essentially, refinancing means replacing your student loans with one, brand-new loan with a lower interest rate. If you have a good financial history and a steady income, you are an especially good candidate for loan refinancing.

The information and analysis provided through hyperlinks to third party websites, while believed to be accurate, cannot be guaranteed by SoFi. Links are provided for informational purposes and should not be viewed as an endorsement.
SoFi does not render tax or legal advice. Individual circumstances are unique and we recommend that you consult with a qualified tax advisor for your specific needs.
Notice: SoFi refinance loans are private loans and do not have the same repayment options that the federal loan program offers such as Income Based Repayment, Income Contingent Repayment, or PAYE. SoFi always recommends that you consult a qualified financial advisor to discuss what is best for your unique situation.

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It goes a little bit like this: You’re on a much-needed vacation with your family, having daiquiris on the beach while the kids have the time of their lives playing in the surf. Everybody is happy— you want to come back here every summer.

Then, a timeshare salesman approaches you in the resort lobby and offers you a free three-course dinner at a top restaurant in exchange for hearing out his pitch: a timeshare on this very beach, a great investment opportunity, and a deal that’s on the table for one day only.

The high-pressure timeshare salesman has become a cliché of resort towns everywhere, and with good reason. The timeshare loans they sign vacationers up for often have a high rate of default. But timeshares are still a popular way to vacation, and there are savvy ways to finance a timeshare. In fact, according to the American Resort Development Association (ARDA), 9.2 million U.S households own a timeshare. And some even own several timeshares.

So, are timeshares a good idea? It depends on how you think about it. If you’re looking for a vacation spot you can use whenever you want, you are likely in for an expensive disappointment. But if you’re looking for a vacation spot you can come back to time and again in your favorite location, it might make financial sense.

Staying in resorts and eating out can get expensive. Buying a vacation home can be even more expensive. If you understand that you’re purchasing a timeshare not as an investment but as a vacation experience—to spend time in with family and friends, it may actually be less costly and less stressful than other vacation options.

While purchasing a timeshare comes with risks, there are ways to be smart about timeshare financing. In this article, we’ll walk you through some timeshare financing options, so you can understand how it works and make a decision that’s right for your budget.

How to Finance a Timeshare Responsibly

When you buy a home, you typically finance it with a mortgage. When you buy a car, you can finance it with an auto loan. But there’s no direct lending market for timeshares, and on top of that, they usually don’t increase in value over time.

So what are your timeshare financing options? First, let’s look at how not to finance a timeshare. The first option most interested buyers are faced with is developer financing. Typically, a timeshare resort developer works with a lender that offers high-interest personal loans, and they encourage you to make a decision right away while you’re at the presentations. According to ARDA, buyers pay an average of $20,000 for a timeshare interval, though prices can range from depending on the property.

Developer financing is often proposed as the only timeshare financing option, especially if you buy while you’re on vacation. Another option, however, is to plan ahead. If you’re ready to purchase a timeshare, secure financing beforehand so that you have the funds in hand when you negotiate the sale. This way you have time to shop around for a good financing deal—and possibly save up some money to put toward the purchase as well.

Choosing a Vacation Home

When you purchase a timeshare, you’re sharing the property with a number of other timeshare owners and typically have the right to use the property at the same time every year.

You can trade days with other owners and sometimes even try out other properties around the country (or around the world) in a trade. In addition to the initial purchase price, you’ll also be required to pay your share of the maintenance fees that cover the costs of property upkeep and cleaning. These maintenance fees often increase over time.

Once you’ve considered the financial responsibilities that come with the timeshare and your budget, choosing the right place often comes down to where you want to be, and what you need in terms of space and amenities.

Since selling a timeshare can be difficult and sometimes involve a financial loss, you’ll want to make sure you’re purchasing a timeshare in a place that your family will want to return to for a long time—and can easily get to. That way you don’t end up paying for a place you don’t use.

Preparing Financially for a Timeshare

A good financial scenario to be in when buying a timeshare is to have a steady income that will allow you to keep up with maintenance fees and travel to your timeshare each year. If you plan to finance the purchase, look over your financial profile and creditworthiness.

Your income, creditworthiness, the term of the loan and other factors, will determine the rates that lenders will offer you. Resolving any issues impacting your credit score may help improve your financial profile.

You’ll also want to consider your budget over the next few years. Are there any other major purchases you are planning to take on? Do you anticipate a new added cost like a new family member? Any type of financial shift in coming years should be accounted for before you finally sign on.

Smarter Ways to Finance a Timeshare

There are a few alternatives to financing a timeshare with financing offered by a developer. Of course, you can wait and save up the cash to purchase the timeshare outright. If you’re looking to finance the purchase, there are still several good options.

One option is to use a current credit card. This option often involves less paperwork, but does come with a high cost in terms of interest rates. This option should be used if you are putting most of the purchase price down in cash up front and just need to put the last little bit on a credit card. You should also only do this if you are certain you can pay off the remainder in a relatively short amount of time.

Taking out a home equity loan is another option. With a home equity loan, you are borrowing money against the value of your home. These loans can be relatively easy to secure from a lender, because your home is often used as collateral.

They also come with potentially much lower rates than other types of loans . There are a few drawbacks, however: There’s more red-tape and risk as you’re putting your home on the line. Home equity loans are typically used for expenses or investments that will improve the resale value of your primary residence.

Securing a personal loan at a competitive interest rate can be an even better solution for financing a timeshare. Depending on your financial profile, you may qualify for a much lower interest rate than financing from a developer or a high interest rate credit card would offer. A personal loan also allows you to choose terms that work for you. On top of that, a personal loan is relatively easy to secure.

Timeshares are often thought of as a way to guarantee vacation time in your favorite location each year without having to buy a second home. If you do your homework and weigh the risks, they can be a good way to vacation with family and friends and make a lot of memories along the way.

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 on credit.

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Along with fireworks, the flag, and a deep appreciation of cars, the college debt crisis is unfortunately about as American as apple pie. The average student borrower has about $34,000 in loans to pay off today. The student debt crisis isn’t going anywhere either.

As of March 2018, there were 44.5 million borrowers in the United States who owe over $1.3 trillion, according to the Federal Reserve . And that’s not even the scariest part. The US student loan debt is growing bigger every day as Americans are paying more on average than they did a decade ago for school.

Between 2001 and 2016, the real amount of student debt owed by households more than tripled. This scary rise of college loans has many experts saying we’re in the midst of a student debt bubble .

In 2016, an average college student with a bachelor’s degree graduated with $28,446 in debt . Students entering college now could end up paying even more by the time they graduate.

To put it into perspective, in the past 10 years, student loan debt in the US has grown by 170% . With 45% of recent graduates carrying student debt, the class of 2018 expects to retire by 72 .

Will the Growth of Student Loan Debt Slow Down?

Answer: probably not. In the past 10 years, US student loan debt grew to be worth more than car loans or credit card debt. It is the second-largest source of household debt and the only kind of personal debt that grew in the wake of the Great Recession.

As US student loan debt continues to grow, experts are saying this could be a student debt bubble, as the growth of debt looks eerily similar to the housing bubble of 2008 .

Similarly to how the housing market collapsed in 2008, many worry that as student debt increases and grows larger than what a borrower could reasonably repay, there will be an increase in defaults.

A new study found that using default rates from 1996, nearly 40% of 2004 borrowers may
default on their loans by 2023 . What does that mean for 2014 borrowers, who have taken out even bigger loans than there 2004 cohorts?

How U.S. Student Loan Debt Grew So Big

Although many in the media like to bemoan the increase of people attending colleges who are not qualified, the student debt bubble has little to do with more students enrolling in university. Only one-quarter of the aggregate increase in student loans since 1989 is attributed to students attending in college.

There are a few surprising factors that are causing the unruly rise of the college debt crisis. For one, education costs are continuing to rise – and not in line with the rest of the market. The headline consumer price index between 2016 and 2017 was 2.7%, while tuitions rose by 9% at state universities and 13% at private colleges . If the cost of higher ed continues to rise more than the cost of living, borrowers will continue to feel the pain.

In addition to rising college costs, experts say the monumental amount of debt is linked very directly to the collapse of the housing market. When the housing market crashed in 2008, parents who could borrow against the value of their homes were no longer able to do so, forcing more students to take out debt in their own names.

One economist estimated that a $1 drop in home equity loans due to a plummeting house prices leads to 40 to 60 more cents in student loans.

While it helps to know you are in good company, news of the student debt bubble might have you kvetching. The only thing worse than owing thousands of dollars of money to Uncle Sam is hearing that the millions of others in the same boat might end up tanking the US economy.

Can Refinancing Help with Student Debt?

But don’t run for the hills just yet. If you’re worried about the student debt crisis, you might want to consider refinancing. By refinancing student loans, you can consolidate existing private and federal loans into one new student loan with a lower interest rate. Not only does this mean you’ll only have one payment to worry about, it means you could pay less overall.

According to the Department of Education , interest rates on student loans can range from 3.5% to 8.5%, with most in the 5% to 7% range. Not only is that extremely high – consider the typical auto loan or mortgage rate – but if your interest rates are punishing, it only means you’ll remain in debt longer.

With borrowers paying off around four student loans on average, refinancing would also mean less paperwork each month. Between 2011 and 2016, online lenders have refinanced around $6 billion in student loans . Consolidating loans is a great way to make payments more manageable depending on what kinds of debt you have.

Researching Refinancing Options

There are a wide range of student loan refinancing options available. But it’s important to do your homework as the student debt crisis grows larger, because there are many predatory companies that might take advantage of your financial situation.

A study found that when plagued by anxiety over debt, borrowers were more likely to fall for a scam. With the US student loan debt exponentially rising, this has led to an increase in bad actors. Some estimate that there are over 130 companies that run student loan scams, which could result in even more debt in your lifetime.

But that doesn’t mean refinancing isn’t right for you. Not only could it mean consolidating all your payments into one monthly bill, but you could qualify for a lower interest rate which over your lifetime could spell big savings. It also means you’ll become debt-free sooner. Can you say score?

Although there are ways to consolidate federal loans with the government, refinancing involves a private lender. All of your student loans – both federal and private – are consolidated through refinancing. A private lender typically offers a lower interest rate, depending on a number of factors like your credit score, your payment history, and how much you still owe. This lets you pay your loans off at a more competitive rate, which can translate into thousands of dollars in savings.

When refinancing, it’s also possible to change the term length of your loan. If you’re feeling tight on cash with big monthly payouts, consider a longer term. If you’d rather get rid of your student debt as soon as possible, opt for a shorter term with larger payments.

Use a student loan calculator to see how much you can gain from refinancing. All you need to know is how much you owe and what your interest rates are across both federal and private loans. At SoFi, you can request a quote without actually committing to refinancing, which makes it easier to decide on next steps.

Refinancing with SoFi can help ensure your loans are consolidated and managed properly. Similarly to how using a Certified Public Account to file taxes can save you bundles of moolah, using a reputable lender can help you save money on your student debt. SoFi can help evaluate repayment strategies and potential forgiveness options while staying on top of pesky paperwork.

Scared of the looming student debt bubble? Consider refinancing your student debt with SoFi for one easy monthly payment and potentially thousands in savings.

Notice: SoFi refinance loans are private loans and do not have the same repayment options that the federal loan program offers such as Income Based Repayment or Income Contingent Repayment or PAYE. SoFi always recommends that you consult a qualified financial advisor to discuss what is best for your unique situation.
The information and analysis provided through hyperlinks to third party websites, while believed to be accurate, cannot be guaranteed by SoFi. Links are provided for informational purposes and should not be viewed as an endorsement.
SoFi doesn’t provide tax or legal advice. Individual circumstances are unique. Consult with a qualified tax advisor or attorney.

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