Working for yourself can be rewarding, and is becoming increasingly common in our so-called gig economy. However, being self-employed often comes along with having a variable income. One given month of income could be the highest in your work history, while the next month could be the lowest. You also might have to deal with various payment schedules from clients. This is a different lifestyle than getting a regular paycheck every two weeks.
This can certainly be stressful when it comes to paying bills such as student loans. So, how can people with a variable income pay off their student loans and ensure they have enough money to live on and pay their other bills? Here are a few tips to consider:
1. Be aware of your regular monthly expenses
2. Make your student loan bill a top priority
3. Know your income averages
4. Have an emergency fund
Other things to consider when paying off student loans with a variable income
1. Be aware of your regular monthly expenses
If you have a variable income, it’s important to be very aware of your expenses, and to create a budget comprised of both necessary and discretionary expenses. The necessary expenses must be paid no matter what your income is in any given month. Discretionary expenses are in the “unnecessary” category.
Keep in mind that people who have variable incomes also need to consider other responsibilities that traditionally employed people do not, including quarterly estimated tax payments and health insurance premiums.
If you create a budget to include your student loan payment as a necessary expense, you may increase your chances of being prepared to lay out that money when it’s due.
2. Make your student loan bill a top priority
If you always ensure your bills are covered in key areas such as housing and utilities, you can do the same with your student loan payment. Once your student loan is paid off, you’ll have more money each month to devote to improving your business, or to put toward retirement, or even to pay for items such as fun nights out and travel.
Because of these considerations, you can treat your student loan payment as one of the most important bills you have, along with your rent and utilities.
If you’re short on cash, you can opt to cancel your cable service, try to get a better internet package, skip the co-working space or scrimp on extra office supplies, but never skimp on your student loan bill. By treating your student loan bill as a top priority and a “need” rather than just another monthly bill, you can give it more focus.
3. Know your income averages
Knowing your average monthly income can be a useful tool in helping you decide how high of a student loan payment you can make. It can be scary to send in, say, an extra $500 — or even $50 — to your student loan servicer, especially if you don’t know what the next month will bring as far as income goes.
However, if you have a sense of your monthly averages and there hasn’t been a major shift in your business, you can feel more confident knowing you can afford a certain payment.
Still, this will take time to figure out. If you are new to having a variable income, you should wait until you can average several months of income. If you’ve had variable income for years, you can average 12 months to get a sense of what to expect. If you continue to network and add clients, your monthly income will likely increase over time, allowing you to potentially make higher student loan payments.
Our prepayment calculator can help estimate how much money and time on your loan you might save by making extra payments. We should note here that one thing you should consider before making extra student loan payments is any other debt you might be carrying, such as high-interest credit card debt. If you have a lot of credit card debt, it may be more worthwhile to concentrate on making extra payments toward that debt while making just the minimum payments on your student loan debt, as student loans typically have much lower interest rates than credit cards.
You should also understand that, with a freelance lifestyle, something may unexpectedly happen and dramatically change your income average. This can be either a positive or a negative. For instance, you might gain some new business that adds a significant boost to your income. On the other hand, you may lose a big client who has been providing a significant portion of your income for several months or even years. You should aim to always be prepared for this scenario.
4. Have an emergency fund
One way in which you can be prepared for the unexpected is by having an emergency fund. Such a fund can help ensure you always have backup cash to make your student loan payments and cover other regular expenses.
For example, if you’ve calculated that you can afford a $400-per-month student loan payment based on your monthly expenses and income averages, you should continue to pay that each month, always keeping it a top priority with your other vital monthly expenses.
However, if you have a bad month in which a key client doesn’t pay, or a large expected contract doesn’t come through, you might be concerned about making that $400 payment in addition to all your other financial responsibilities. This is where having an emergency fund will help you to keep your monthly budget on track. You can borrow from yourself, and as soon as you have a high income month again, you can refill your emergency fund.
You can start an emergency fund slowly, funnelling what you can into a high-yield savings account whenever you get a payment from a client. You might make it a goal to grow it to cover six months of expenses, an amount many financial experts recommend, although even having just $1,000 to $2,000 on hand at all times can be helpful.
Using all these tips, you should not only become more aware of your monthly spending and business expenses, but you should also have a better handle on just how much you can afford in student loan payments. This estimate might allow you to pay well above the minimum to pay off your student loans faster, or it will let you know where you need to cut back so you can make your payments on time. Then you’ll be well on your way to being student loan debt-free.
Other things to consider when paying off student loans with a variable income
Making student loan payments a priority is a good rule of thumb, but sometimes life gets in the way. This can be especially true if you are someone who makes a variable income.
One of the benefits of student loan debt is that, if you are having trouble making payments, you can work with your loan servicer on getting a deferment or forbearance. This means that, in times of hardship, you can avoid having to make student loan payments. There are also income-driven repayment programs you may be able to take advantage of, which can help lower your monthly student loan bill.
So even though it can be a good idea to treat your student loan payment as a necessary one, the fact is that it doesn’t always have to be, particularly if you are in a rough financial situation. You don’t have the same options with, say, your electric bill, that you do with your student loan bill.
Check out our deferment, income-based repayment and public service loan forgiveness calculators to further explore these student loan options.
Rebecca Stropoli contributed to this report.
Interested in refinancing student loans?
Here are the top 9 lenders of 2021!| Lender | Variable APR | Eligible Degrees | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 1.88% – 6.15%1 | Undergrad & Graduate | |
 | 1.88% – 5.64%2 | Undergrad & Graduate | |
 | 1.88% – 5.64%3 | Undergrad & Graduate | |
 | 2.50% – 6.85%4 | Undergrad & Graduate | |
 | 2.25% – 6.39%5 | Undergrad & Graduate | |
 | 1.90% – 5.25%6 | Undergrad & Graduate | |
 | 1.89% – 5.90%7 | Undergrad & Graduate | |
 | 2.39% – 6.01% | Undergrad & Graduate | |
 | 2.13% – 5.25%8 | Undergrad & Graduate | |
| Check out the testimonials and our in-depth reviews! 1 Important Disclosures for Splash Financial. Splash Financial DisclosuresTerms and Conditions apply. Splash reserves the right to modify or discontinue products and benefits at any time without notice. Rates and terms are also subject to change at any time without notice. Offers are subject to credit approval. To qualify, a borrower must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident in an eligible state and meet applicable underwriting requirements. Not all borrowers receive the lowest rate. Lowest rates are reserved for the highest qualified borrowers. If approved, your actual rate will be within a range of rates and will depend on a variety of factors, including term of loan, a responsible financial history, income and other factors. Refinancing or consolidating private and federal student loans may not be the right decision for everyone. Federal loans carry special benefits not available for loans made through Splash Financial, for example, public service loan forgiveness and economic hardship programs, fee waivers and rebates on the principal, which may not be accessible to you after you refinance. The rates displayed may include a 0.25% autopay discount The information you provide to us is an inquiry to determine whether we or our lenders can make a loan offer that meets your needs. If we or any of our lending partners has an available loan offer for you, you will be invited to submit a loan application to the lender for its review. We do not guarantee that you will receive any loan offers or that your loan application will be approved. Offers are subject to credit approval and are available only to U.S. citizens or permanent residents who meet applicable underwriting requirements. Not all borrowers will receive the lowest rates, which are available to the most qualified borrowers. Participating lenders, rates and terms are subject to change at any time without notice. To check the rates and terms you qualify for, Splash Financial conducts a soft credit pull that will not affect your credit score. However, if you choose a product and continue your application, the lender will request your full credit report from one or more consumer reporting agencies, which is considered a hard credit pull and may affect your credit. Splash Financial and our lending partners reserve the right to modify or discontinue products and benefits at any time without notice. To qualify, a borrower must be a U.S. citizen and meet our lending partner’s underwriting requirements. Lowest rates are reserved for the highest qualified borrowers. This information is current as of June 1, 2021. 2 Rate range above includes optional 0.25% Auto Pay discount. Important Disclosures for Earnest. Earnest DisclosuresInterest Rate Disclosure Actual rate and available repayment terms will vary based on your income. Fixed rates range from 2.59% APR to 5.79% APR (excludes 0.25% Auto Pay discount). Variable rates range from 1.88% APR to 5.64% APR (excludes 0.25% Auto Pay discount). For variable rate loans, although the interest rate will vary after you are approved, the interest rate will never exceed 36% (the maximum allowable for these loans). Earnest variable interest rate student loan refinance loans are based on a publicly available index, the one month London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR). Your rate will be calculated each month by adding a margin between 2.04% and 5.8% to the one month LIBOR. Earnest rate ranges are current as of 6/8/2021, and are subject to change based on market conditions. Auto Pay Discount Disclosure You can take advantage of the Auto Pay interest rate reduction by setting up and maintaining active and automatic ACH withdrawal of your loan payment. The interest rate reduction for Auto Pay will be available only while your loan is enrolled in Auto Pay. Interest rate incentives for utilizing Auto Pay may not be combined with certain private student loan repayment programs that also offer an interest rate reduction. For multi-party loans, only one party may enroll in Auto Pay. Student Loan Refinancing Loan Cost Examples These examples provide estimates based on payments beginning immediately upon loan disbursement. Variable APR: A $10,000 loan with a 20-year term (240 monthly payments of $72) and a 5.89% APR would result in a total estimated payment amount of $17,042.39. For a variable loan, after your starting rate is set, your rate will then vary with the market. Fixed APR: A $10,000 loan with a 20-year term (240 monthly payments of $72) and a 6.04% APR would result in a total estimated payment amount of $17,249.77. Your actual repayment terms may vary.Terms and Conditions apply. Visit https://www.earnest. com/terms-of-service, e-mail us at [email protected], or call 888-601-2801 for more information on our student loan refinance product. Earnest Loans are made by Earnest Operations LLC or One American Bank, Member FDIC. Earnest Operations LLC, NMLS #1204917. 535 Mission St., Suite 1663, San Francisco, CA 94105. California Financing Law License 6054788. Visit earnest.com/licenses for a full list of licensed states. For California residents (Student Loan Refinance Only): Loans will be arranged or made pursuant to a California Financing Law License. One American Bank, 515 S. Minnesota Ave, Sioux Falls, SD 57104. Earnest loans are serviced by Earnest Operations LLC with support from Navient Solutions LLC (NMLS #212430). One American Bank and Earnest LLC and its subsidiaries are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America. © 2021 Earnest LLC. All rights reserved. 3 Important Disclosures for Navient. 4 Important Disclosures for CommonBond. CommonBond DisclosuresOffered terms are subject to change and state law restriction. Loans are offered by CommonBond Lending, LLC (NMLS # 1175900), NMLS Consumer Access. If you are approved for a loan, the interest rate offered will depend on your credit profile, your application, the loan term selected and will be within the ranges of rates shown. All Annual Percentage Rates (APRs) displayed assume borrowers enroll in auto pay and account for the 0.25% reduction in interest rate. All variable rates are based on a 1-month LIBOR assumption of 0.15% effective Jan 1, 2021 and may increase after consummation. 5 Important Disclosures for SoFi. SoFi DisclosuresFixed rates from 2.74% APR to 6.74% APR (with autopay). Variable rates from 2.25% APR to 6.39% APR (with autopay). All variable rates are based on the 1-month LIBOR and may increase after consummation if LIBOR increases; see more at SoFi.com/legal/#1. If approved for a loan your rate will depend on a variety of factors such as your credit profile, your application and your selected loan terms. Your rate will be within the ranges of rates listed above. Lowest rates reserved for the most creditworthy borrowers. SoFi 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 Income Based Repayment or Income Contingent Repayment or PAYE. SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Lending Corp. or an affiliate (dba SoFi), a lender licensed by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation under the California Financing Law, license #6054612; NMLS #1121636 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org). Additional terms and conditions apply; see SoFi.com/eligibility for details. SOFI RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MODIFY OR DISCONTINUE PRODUCTS AND BENEFITS AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE. 6 Important Disclosures for LendKey. LendKey DisclosuresRefinancing via LendKey.com is only available for applicants with qualified private education loans from an eligible institution. Loans that were used for exam preparation classes, including, but not limited to, loans for LSAT, MCAT, GMAT, and GRE preparation, are not eligible for refinancing with a lender via LendKey.com. If you currently have any of these exam preparation loans, you should not include them in an application to refinance your student loans on this website. Applicants must be either U.S. citizens or Permanent Residents in an eligible state to qualify for a loan. Certain membership requirements (including the opening of a share account and any applicable association fees in connection with membership) may apply in the event that an applicant wishes to accept a loan offer from a credit union lender. Lenders participating on LendKey.com reserve the right to modify or discontinue the products, terms, and benefits offered on this website at any time without notice. LendKey Technologies, Inc. is not affiliated with, nor does it endorse, any educational institution. Subject to floor rate and may require the automatic payments be made from a checking or savings account with the lender. The rate reduction will be removed and the rate will be increased by 0.25% upon any cancellation or failed collection attempt of the automatic payment and will be suspended during any period of deferment or forbearance. As a result, during the forbearance or suspension period, and/or if the automatic payment is canceled, any increase will take the form of higher payments. The lowest advertised variable APR is only available for loan terms of 5 years and is reserved for applicants with FICO scores of at least 810. As of 04/07/2021 student loan refinancing rates range from 1.90% APR – 5.25% Variable APR with AutoPay and 2.95% APR – 7.63% Fixed APR with AutoPay. 7 Important Disclosures for Laurel Road. Laurel Road DisclosuresAll credit products are subject to credit approval. Laurel Road began originating student loans in 2013 and has since helped thousands of professionals with undergraduate and postgraduate degrees consolidate and refinance more than $4 billion in federal and private school loans. Laurel Road also offers a suite of online graduate school loan products and personal loans that help simplify lending through customized technology and personalized service. In April 2019, Laurel Road was acquired by KeyBank, one of the nation’s largest bank-based financial services companies. Laurel Road is a brand of KeyBank National Association offering online lending products in all 50 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. All loans are provided by KeyBank National Association, a nationally chartered bank. Member FDIC. For more information, visit www.laurelroad.com. As used throughout these Terms & Conditions, the term “Lender” refers to KeyBank National Association and its affiliates, agents, guaranty insurers, investors, assigns, and successors in interest.
Assumptions: Repayment examples above assume a loan amount of $10,000 with repayment beginning immediately following disbursement. Repayment examples do not include the 0.25% AutoPay Discount. Annual Percentage Rate (“APR”): This term represents the actual cost of financing to the borrower over the life of the loan expressed as a yearly rate. Interest Rate: A simple annual rate that is applied to an unpaid balance. Variable Rates: The current index for variable rate loans is derived from the one-month London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) and changes in the LIBOR index may cause your monthly payment to increase. Borrowers who take out a term of 5, 7, or 10 years will have a maximum interest rate of 9%, those who take out a 15 or 20-year variable loan will have a maximum interest rate of 10%. KEYBANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MODIFY OR DISCONTINUE PRODUCTS AND BENEFITS AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE. This information is current as of April 29, 2021. Information and rates are subject to change without notice. 8 Important Disclosures for PenFed. PenFed DisclosuresAnnual Percentage Rate (APR) is the cost of credit calculating the interest rate, loan amount, repayment term and the timing of payments. Fixed Rates range from 2.89%-4.78% APR and Variable Rates range from 2.13%-5.25% APR. Both Fixed and Variable Rates will vary based on application terms, level of degree and presence of a co-signer. These rates are subject to additional terms and conditions and rates are subject to change at any time without notice. For Variable Rate student loans, the rate will never exceed 9.00% for 5 year and 8 year loans and 10.00% for 12 and 15 years loans (the maximum allowable for this loan). Minimum variable rate will be 2.00%. These rates are subject to additional terms and conditions, and rates are subject to change at any time without notice. Such changes will only apply to applications taken after the effective date of change. |
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