When you are considering consolidating your private student loans, you should always (at minimum) research 3 basic things: Are there any fees associated with the private consolidation loan, are there any prepayment penalties associated with the private consolidation loan, and is the interest rate on the private consolidation loan fixed or variable?
Your current private student loans are most likely variable rate interest rate student loans, meaning that at anytime your loans interest rates could fluctuate (typically interest rates will go up and not down). If you are already considering consolidation, a Fixed Rate Private Student Loan Consolidation could lock you into a lower rate for the life of the loan (a fixed interest rate will not fluctuate). Fixed Rate Private Student Loan Consolidation consolidation can help reduce the amount of your monthly student loan payments, because Fixed Rate Private Student Loan Consolidation extends the repayment period of your loans. When considering student loan consolidation you must always weigh your options, though your monthly payments may be lower, you could end up paying more over the lifetime of the loan. Read more about student loan consolidation here.
If you can find a low or fair interest rate, it will generally be to your benefit to opt for a fix rate loan. If you can not find a fixed rate private consolidation loan (and you are a homeowner) you could consider using a fixed rate home equity loan to pay off your private student loans. Do your research, but typically private student loans have comparable rates to home equity loans, and a home equity loan may offer a fixed interest rate, where as a private lender may not.
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