There are so many student loan repayment options out there that it can feel overwhelming.
If you’re facing student loan debt, what will work best for you is going to depend on a lot of different factors, including the amount of your debt, your income, your life goals, and even your personality.
But don’t worry – if you’re unsure of where to start, there are a handful of online tools that can help kick off your repayment plan with little work on your end.
5 Tools for Student Loan Repayment Help
Here’s an overview of some of the best tools to help with student loan repayment. Which will you choose?
1. National Student Loan Data System
Before you can start seriously investigating student loan repayment options, you need to know what you owe.
When it comes to federal loans, the best way to find out is to log in to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS). This government tool will show you your total federal student loan debt, as well as break down individual loans by type.
Tip: Here’s how to use NSLDS to find your student loans.
2. Annualcreditreport.com
The drawback to using the NSLDS to find your student loans is that it only shows federal loans.
If you have private student loans and/or consumer debt in the form of credit cards, auto loans, a mortgage, etc., visit annualcreditreport.com to see your credit reports from the three major credit bureaus and get a complete picture of your financial situation.
If you spot errors on your report, you can also take action to have them removed or resolved.
Tip: Annualcreditreport.com is the only website where you can see your credit reports once a year for free (you cannot view your scores here, though). All other websites will charge you money to pull your credit reports.
3. Automatic payments
Once you find all your student loan servicers, you want to make sure you stay current on payments and also pay as little in interest as possible. Making automatic payments – often referred to as “auto-pay” – is one approach to student loan repayment that can help you achieve both of these goals at once.
By signing up for automatic payments through your student loan servicer’s account, you not only ensure you never miss a payment, but may also be eligible for an interest rate reduction of 0.25%.
Tip: Even if you’re still deciding on an overall repayment strategy, this is an easy way to save a bit of money and put payments on autopilot. Just be sure you keep an eye on your bank accounts and avoid overdrafting, which would defeat the purpose.
4. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 – known more simply as the Dodd-Frank Act – established the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB).
According to its website, the CFPB “helps consumer finance markets work by making rules more effective, by consistently and fairly enforcing those rules, and by empowering consumers to take more control over their economic lives.”
In addition to providing resources for student loan repayment help, the CFPB also allows you to submit a complaint or share your story if you feel you’ve been mistreated by your student loan servicer (or the provider of any financial product).
Tip: When you submit a complaint on the CFPB website, the organization will forward your complaint along to the company in question and work to get you a response and resolve the issue. Ideally, you won’t ever need this service, but it’s certainly nice to have it available if you need it.
5. Student Loan Hero
Once you’ve tracked down your federal and private debt and servicers, signing up for a Student Loan Hero account can aggregate all of that information in one place for you.
Having a snapshot of the “big picture” in front of you can help you formulate an overall strategy for student loan repayment that is meaningful to you.
And in case you need assistance determining the best place to start, Student Loan Hero also provides analysis, calculators, and recommendations to pay off your debts that are tailored to your particular situation. This may help you decide whether something like refinancing or consolidation is right for you.
Tip: Check out our full list of student loan calculators here. Compare repayment plans, interest rates, and more to find out what repayment strategy will save you the most money over time.
Figure Out What Works for You
Whatever resources you need or find useful, remember that student loan repayment is a personal process that should be driven by your priorities, goals, and finances. Don’t feel pressured by your peers or family to pay more aggressively than is comfortable for you.
Similarly, don’t feel that you should “live it up” and spend money on things that aren’t important to you if a debt-free life is your ultimate goal.
And remember: if you can’t afford your minimum payments, reach out to your servicer and/or investigate private lending options so that you end up with the repayment that aligns with your needs.
Interested in refinancing student loans?
Here are the top 6 lenders of 2020!| Lender | Variable APR | Eligible Degrees | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 1.99% – 5.64%1 | Undergrad & Graduate | |
 | 1.89% – 5.90%2 | Undergrad & Graduate | |
 | 2.25% – 6.09%3 | Undergrad & Graduate | |
 | 1.89% – 6.77%4 | Undergrad & Graduate | |
 | 2.39% – 6.01% | Undergrad & Graduate | |
 | 1.99% – 5.41%5 | Undergrad & Graduate | |
| 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 2.98% APR (with Auto Pay) to 5.79% APR (with Auto Pay). Variable rate loan rates range from 1.99% APR (with Auto Pay) to 5.64% 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 July 31, 2020, 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 7/31/2020. 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 [email protected], or call 888-601-2801 for more information on our student loan refinance product. © 2020 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 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 September 9, 2020. Information and rates are subject to change without notice. 3 Important Disclosures for SoFi. SoFi Disclosures
4 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 September 10, 2020. 5 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 0.16% effective August 10, 2020. | |||
