After the recent recession, many people had to find ways to earn an income without a traditional 9-5 job. The result of that dark era in economic history was actually quite influential for freelancers everywhere.
Since then, freelancers in every industry have flourished. The number of freelancers in America now totaling over 53 million people, and that number is only rising. In fact, a recent trends report by Intuit estimates that by 2020, over 40% of the United States workforce will be made up of freelancers.
As someone who has been a self-employed freelancer for over 18 months now, I know firsthand how rewarding it is to be in charge of my own career destiny. However, I also know how difficult it is to stay motivated and ensure that all the bills get paid on a variable income.
One type of debt that is difficult to conquer as a freelancer and business owner is student loan debt. After all, one month of income could be the highest in your work history while the next month could be the lowest.
So, how can you pay off your student loans and make sure you have enough money to live on and pay your other bills? Here are a few tips:
1. Be Aware of Your Regular Monthly Expenses
If you have variable income, it’s important to be very aware of your expenses. It’s great if your monthly income is on average $6,000, but if you have to pay $3,000 just in business expenses every month, you have to budget accordingly.
People who have variable income also need to consider other responsibilities. These include large bills that come in only at certain times a year, like car insurance, tax payments, and healthcare premiums. Because you don’t know exactly how much money you will earn each month, these loan payments can make or break you.
Being closely aware of your regular spending, in addition to knowing your larger yearly expenses, is important. People who have variable income need to be more conscious of their spending since they never know if’ they’re going to have an income dip the following month.
2. Know Your Averages
Knowing your average monthly income is a great tool in helping you decide how high of a student loan payment you can make. It can be scary to send in $500 extra to your student loan servicer, especially if you don’t know what the next month will bring.
However, if you have a sense of your monthly averages and nothing has changed in your business, you can feel confident knowing that you can afford a certain payment. This will take time to figure out. If you are new to variable income, you should wait until you can average a few months of income.
If you’ve had variable income for years, you can average 12 months to get a sense of what to expect. This is my own trick for budgeting with my variable income. If I work hard, my monthly income will likely increase over time, allowing me to make higher and higher student loan payments until I get rid of my debt entirely.
3. Make Your Student Loan Bill A Top Priority
I have several freelancers whom I hire for my own business. These contractors include staff writers, technical help, and a virtual assistant who works up to ten hours every week helping me. I know I have to pay my team in order for my business to run effectively, so I always make sure I have a certain amount of money in my bank account to pay them every month.
I’m sure other freelancers have people they can’t live without, too, like a regular babysitter who helps them get work done without kids climbing all over them.
If you always make sure your bills are covered in these areas, then why should your student loan payment be any less important? After all, decreasing your student loan burden only increases your total net worth. Once your student loan is paid off, you’ll have more money each month to devote to improving your business or even your retirement account.
Because of these considerations, you should treat your student loan-payment as one of the most important bills you have, along the ranks of your rent and electric bill. If you are short on cash, you can get rid of your cable, co-working space, extra office supplies, and even some of your subcontractors before skipping a student loan bill.
By treating your student loan bill as a top priority and a “need” rather than just another monthly bill, you will be more focused on it. And you’ll be well on your way to being student loan debt free.
4. Have an Emergency Fund
I make it a point to keep an emergency fund at all times. This fund, above everything else, makes me sure that I always have a backup to pay my student loans.
An example that may help you is that if you’ve calculated that you can afford a $400/month student loan payment based on your expenses and averages, you should continue to pay that each month, always keeping it a top priority with your other vital monthly expenses like rent or your mortgage payment.
However, if you have a bad month in which a key client doesn’t pay or a large 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.
Most financial experts recommend starting an emergency fund at $1,000-$2,000, which will cover most basic life emergencies. Then, once you have that in place, you can slowly grow it to cover six months of expenses. For people with variable income, a large emergency fund is even more important because they can’t always predict how much they will make from month to month.
My current emergency fund sits at $5,000, and while I’m always adding to it when I can, I feel comfortable knowing that it would cover most major issues.
Using 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.
Over time, you will get more and more used to your variable income and how to predict its highs and lows. I know it’s been a big learning experience for me, but being a part of the freelancer economy and having more autonomy in my life has been more than worth it.
Interested in refinancing student loans?
Here are the top 8 lenders of 2019!| Lender | Variable APR | Eligible Degrees | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Check out the testimonials and our in-depth reviews! 1 Important Disclosures for Earnest. Earnest DisclosuresTo qualify, you must be a U.S. citizen or possess a 10-year (non-conditional) Permanent Resident Card, reside in a state Earnest lends in, and satisfy our minimum eligibility criteria. You may find more information on loan eligibility here: https://www.earnest.com/eligibility. Not all applicants will be approved for a loan, and not all applicants will qualify for the lowest rate. Approval and interest rate depend on the review of a complete application. Earnest fixed rate loan rates range from 3.20% APR (with Auto Pay) to 6.99% APR (with Auto Pay). Variable rate loan rates range from 1.99% APR (with Auto Pay) to 6.89% APR (with Auto Pay). For variable rate loans, although the interest rate will vary after you are approved, the interest rate will never exceed 8.95% for loan terms 10 years or less. For loan terms of 10 years to 15 years, the interest rate will never exceed 9.95%. For loan terms over 15 years, the interest rate will never exceed 11.95% (the maximum rates for these loans). Earnest variable interest rate 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 1.82% and 5.50% to the one month LIBOR. The rate will not increase more than once per month. Earnest rate ranges are current as of December 13, 2019, and are subject to change based on market conditions and borrower eligibility. Auto Pay discount: If you make monthly principal and interest payments by an automatic, monthly deduction from a savings or checking account, your rate will be reduced by one quarter of one percent (0.25%) for so long as you continue to make automatic, electronic monthly payments. This benefit is suspended during periods of deferment and forbearance. The information provided on this page is updated as of 12/13/2019. Earnest reserves the right to change, pause, or terminate product offerings at any time without notice. Earnest loans are originated by Earnest Operations LLC. California Finance Lender License 6054788. NMLS # 1204917. Earnest Operations LLC is located at 302 2nd Street, Suite 401N, San Francisco, CA 94107. Terms and Conditions apply. Visit https://www.earnest.com/terms-of-service, email us at hello@earnest.com, or call 888-601-2801 for more information on our student loan refinance product. © 2018 Earnest LLC. All rights reserved. Earnest LLC and its subsidiaries, including Earnest Operations LLC, are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America. 2 Important Disclosures for SoFi. SoFi Disclosures
3 Important Disclosures for Figure. Figure DisclosuresFigure’s Student Refinance Loan is a private loan. If you refinance federal loans, you forfeit certain flexible repayment options associated with those loans. If you expect to incur financial hardship that would impact your ability to repay, you should consider federal consolidation alternatives. 4 Important Disclosures for Laurel Road. Laurel Road DisclosuresLaurel Road is a brand of KeyBank National Association offering online lending products in all 50 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. Mortgage lending is not offered in Puerto Rico. All loans are provided by KeyBank National Association. ANNUAL PERCENTAGE RATE (“APR”) FEE INFORMATION There are no origination fees or prepayment penalties associated with the loan. Lender may assess a late fee if any part of a payment is not received within 15 days of the payment due date. Any late fee assessed shall not exceed 5% of the late payment or $28, whichever is less. A borrower may be charged $20 for any payment (including a check or an electronic payment) that is returned unpaid due to non-sufficient funds (NSF) or a closed account. LOAN AMOUNT For bachelor’s degrees and higher, up to 100% of outstanding private and federal student loans (minimum $5,000) are eligible for refinancing. If you are refinancing greater than $300,000 in student loan debt, Lender may refinance the loans into 2 or more new loans. ELIGIBILITY & ELIGIBLE LOANS Borrower, and Co-signer if applicable, must be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident with a valid I-551 card (which must show a minimum of 10 years between “Resident Since” date and “Card Expires” date or has no expiration date); state that they are of at least borrowing age in the state of residence at the time of application; and meet Lender underwriting criteria (including, for example, employment, debt-to-income, disposable income, and credit history requirements). Graduates may refinance any unsubsidized or subsidized Federal or private student loan that was used exclusively for qualified higher education expenses (as defined in 26 USC Section 221) at an accredited U.S. undergraduate or graduate school. Any federal loans refinanced with Lender are private loans and do not have the same repayment options that federal loan program offers such as Income Based Repayment or Income Contingent Repayment. All loans must be in grace or repayment status and cannot be in default. Borrower must have graduated or be enrolled in good standing in the final term preceding graduation from an accredited Title IV U.S. school and must be employed, or have an eligible offer of employment. Parents looking to refinance loans taken out on behalf of a child should refer to https://www.laurelroad.com/refinance-student-loans/refinance-parent-plus-loans/ for applicable terms and conditions. For Associates Degrees: Only associates degrees earned in one of the following are eligible for refinancing: Cardiovascular Technologist (CVT); Dental Hygiene; Diagnostic Medical Sonography; EMT/Paramedics; Nuclear Technician; Nursing; Occupational Therapy Assistant; Pharmacy Technician; Physical Therapy Assistant; Radiation Therapy; Radiologic/MRI Technologist; Respiratory Therapy; or Surgical Technologist. To refinance an Associates degree, a borrower must also either be currently enrolled and in the final term of an associate degree program at a Title IV eligible school with an offer of employment in the same field in which they will receive an eligible associate degree OR have graduated from a school that is Title IV eligible with an eligible associate and have been employed, for a minimum of 12 months, in the same field of study of the associate degree earned. INTEREST RATES The interest rate you are offered will depend on your credit profile, income, and total debt payments as well as your choice of fixed or variable and choice of term. For applicants who are currently medical or dental residents, your rate offer may also vary depending on whether you have secured employment for after residency. DISBURSEMENT OPTIONS The repayment of any refinanced student loan will commence (1) immediately after disbursement by us, or (2) after any grace or in-school deferment period, existing prior to refinancing and/or consolidation with us, has expired. POSTPONING OR REDUCING PAYMENTS After loan disbursement, if a borrower documents a qualifying economic hardship, we may agree in our discretion to allow for full or partial forbearance of payments for one or more 3-month time periods (not to exceed 12 months in the aggregate during the term of your loan), provided that we receive acceptable documentation (including updating documentation) of the nature and expected duration of the borrower’s economic hardship. We may agree under certain circumstances to allow a borrower to make $100/month payments for a period of time immediately after loan disbursement if the borrower is employed full-time as an intern, resident, or similar postgraduate trainee at the time of loan disbursement. These payments may not be enough to cover all of the interest that accrues on the loan. Unpaid accrued interest will be added to your loan and monthly payments of principal and interest will begin when the post-graduate training program ends. We may agree under certain circumstances to allow postponement (deferral) of monthly payments of principal and interest for a period of time immediately following loan disbursement (not to exceed 6 months after the borrower’s graduation with an eligible degree), if the borrower is an eligible student in the borrower’s final term at the time of loan disbursement or graduated less than 6 months before loan disbursement, and has accepted an offer of (or has already begun) full-time employment. If Lender agrees (in its sole discretion) to postpone or reduce any monthly payment(s) for a period of time, interest on the loan will continue to accrue for each day principal is owed. Although the borrower might not be required to make payments during such a period, the borrower may continue to make payments during such a period. Making payments, or paying some of the interest, will reduce the total amount that will be required to be paid over the life of the loan. Interest not paid during any period when Lender has agreed to postpone or reduce any monthly payment will be added to the principal balance through capitalization (compounding) at the end of such a period, one month before the borrower is required to resume making regular monthly payments. KEYBANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MODIFY OR DISCONTINUE PRODUCTS AND BENEFITS AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE. This information is current as of November 8, 2019 and is subject to change. 5 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. 6 Important Disclosures for CommonBond. CommonBond DisclosuresOffered terms are subject to change. Loans are offered by CommonBond Lending, LLC (NMLS # 1175900). 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 1.76% effective November 10, 2019. 7 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 12/07/2019 student loan refinancing rates range from 1.90% to 8.59% Variable APR with AutoPay and 3.49% to 7.75% Fixed APR with AutoPay. 8 Important Disclosures for College Ave. College Ave DisclosuresCollege Ave Student Loans products are made available through either Firstrust Bank, member FDIC or M.Y. Safra Bank, FSB, member FDIC. All loans are subject to individual approval and adherence to underwriting guidelines. Program restrictions, other terms, and conditions apply. 1College Ave Refi Education loans are not currently available to residents of Maine. 2All rates shown include autopay discount. The 0.25% auto-pay interest rate reduction applies as long as a valid bank account is designated for required monthly payments. Variable rates may increase after consummation. 3$5,000 is the minimum requirement to refinance. The maximum loan amount is $300,000 for those with medical, dental, pharmacy or veterinary doctorate degrees, and $150,000 for all other undergraduate or graduate degrees. 4This informational repayment example uses typical loan terms for a refi borrower with a Full Principal & Interest Repayment and a 10-year repayment term, has a $40,000 loan and a 5.5% Annual Percentage Rate (“APR”): 120 monthly payments of $434.11 while in the repayment period, for a total amount of payments of $52,092.61. Loans will never have a full principal and interest monthly payment of less than $50. Your actual rates and repayment terms may vary. Information advertised valid as of 12/1/2019. Variable interest rates may increase after consummation. |
|||
 | 1.99% – 6.89%1 | Undergrad & Graduate | |
 | 2.31% – 7.36%2 | Undergrad & Graduate | |
 | 1.99% – 6.75%3 | Undergrad & Graduate | |
 | 1.99% – 6.65%4 | Undergrad & Graduate | |
 | 2.43% – 7.60%5 | Undergrad & Graduate | |
 | 1.85% – 6.13%6 | Undergrad & Graduate | |
 | 1.90% – 8.59%7 | Undergrad & Graduate | |
 | 2.74% – 6.25%8 | Undergrad & Graduate | |
