About half of all students nationwide will take out a student loan during their college years. That leaves a lot of debt floating around out there, but its for a good cause. Student loans have become a fact of life for many of us, especially since education is getting harder to afford. So, if you decide that a student loan is what you need to get through school, take a moment to consider what you want in a lender.
The right lender can make your loan repayment a fairly painless process. A bad one can mean one big financial headache. All federal student loans must offer the same interest rates and fees. Some lenders offer extra incentives to repay your loans in a timely manner, such as prompt payment discounts. These can be earned by setting up automatic monthly payments through your bank account, or by making your successive monthly payments on time typically for 12 to 48 months. Students who go the auto-debit route have a higher repayment success rate, but should always make sure they have enough money in their account to cover the bank draft. One missed or late payment is enough to disqualify students from these discounts.
All student loans are not created...