Debt consolidation is a way of reducing your monthly payments by combining various loans to form a single loan. Lower interest rates and longer repayment periods are the main factors that contribute to reduced monthly payments. Borrowers prefer debt consolidation, as it is convenient to repay one loan within a stipulated period instead of several loans with varying repayment terms. The financial market is highly competitive and there are innumerable debt consolidation companies offering a variety of debt consolidation services. It can be an overwhelming experience to choose an appropriate company. Ideally, most borrowers prefer to consolidate their federal loans through a company that offers flexible repayment and affordable monthly payments.
Federal government strives continuously to improve the living standards of the citizens of the United States. They offer a variety of loans to people at affordable rates along with easy repayment options. The most commonly acquired form of federal loans includes student loans and FHA mortgage loans. The most popular types of student loans are the Stafford loans, Plus loans, and Perkins loans. Federal loans can be consolidated through federal consolidation programs namely, Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFEL) and the Federal Direct Loan Program. They can also be consolidated through private commercial consolidators. Typically, the borrowers have the option of applying online for consolidating their loans through these programs. Loan consolidation is not a very complicated process, though the borrowers are required to fulfill certain criteria to qualify for these programs.
There are no deadlines specified by the government for consolidating as long as borrowers apply within the grace period or during the repayment period. However, the borrowers can consult a financial expert to decide the best time for applying for the consolidation programs depending upon individual cases.
The entire process of application, loan processing and receiving a loan may require up to 90 days. After receiving a loan application, the consolidating company verifies the eligibility of the applicant and then contacts the respective lenders for confirming the outstanding amounts of the loans to be consolidated. After confirmation and verification, the interest rates to be applied are calculated and the ‘Disclosure Statement’ is drawn. The consolidating company issues the settlement checks to the lenders to close previous loan accounts. The disclosure statement is then offered to borrowers after the consolidation loan is approved. Borrowers are allowed to include new or existing loans in the debt consolidation plan for up to 6 months from the date of issue. However, the rates prevailing at the time of addition of new loans will apply and the consolidating company will re-evaluate the average interest rate applicable on the loan.
Debtors also have the option of consolidating their federal loans with an online consolidating company. Besides, the borrowers have the option of exploring consolidation options of several financial companies before actually deciding on any one of them. A good research goes a long way in eliminating any future financial complications. It is also very easy to apply for loan consolidation through the websites of these companies. Borrowers are required to fill up their personal details such as name, marital status, contact number, and details pertaining to loan amounts and income.
By Gibran Selman
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