The federal money direct loan program is nicknamed student loan forgiveness program. Originally named William D Ford loan program, it is commonly referred to as Obama student loan forgiveness program. All these programs and its benefits are only for the federal loan borrowers and not for private loan borrowers.
Having a person co sign your student loan can get you lower interest rates. There are options for student loans without consigner. Federal student loans do not require a consigner. The student can take it without a parent’s help or without a credit history. Private student loans usually require a consigner, especially if the applicant is below 21 years of age.
To procure a student loan without consigner apply for federal loan. Federal student loans do not require a co-signer, thus allowing a student borrower to avail a loan with having a credit history or a parent’s help. Fill out the FAFSA (free application for federal student aid) to find out if you are eligible for federal grants or scholarships. This application also lets you know if you are eligible for federal loan. Other than not requiring a cosigner, this loan also has lower interest rates and forgiveness programs.
Private loans do not offer forgiveness. To qualify for forgiveness, your loan should not have gone unpaid for more than nine months. Federal loan balance can be forgiven or reduced.
Public service loan forgiveness – If you work full time in public service (firefighters, teachers, nurse etc.), your student loan balance will be forgone or reduced. Only federal loans are eligible for this program.
Teacher loan forgiveness – Direct loans and Stafford loans are applicable for this program. Teachers who work full time for five consecutive years, can have up to 17,500$ in direct and Stafford loans forgiven (applicable only to teachers working in low income public elementary or secondary schools). This program eliminates your loan in half the time i.e. 5 years instead of 10 (compared to public service loan forgiveness).
Perkins loan cancellation – Borrowers of federal Perkins loan, who have worked in public service jobs, usually for more than five years, can have up up 100% of their loans cancelled. In many cases, your loans will be forgiven incrementally for each year you serve. However you must show proof of working in a qualifying public service job (i.e. teachers, firefighter, nurse, librarian etc.).
Income driven repayment – This program allows you to pay a percentage of your monthly income towards your loan, automatically forgiving your remaining loan balance after 20-25 years.
The popular 5 student loan agencies are the Federal Government, SallieMae, PNC Student loans, Wells Fargo and College Avenue.
There are companies that work on collecting and maintaining credit information of consumers. These are known as credit reporting agencies (CRAs). There are three such major CRAs in the country, namely Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Apart from these, there are other smaller-scale agencies too that specialize at the job. If you’re worried about “where to get my credit score?,” the larger CRAs are the most reliable bets.
These major CRAs obtain information from companies that you hold business and transactions with. People or companies that lend you money regularly report to these CRAs on your repaying status. There is also detailed information on the amount you are indebted and whether you have ever defaulted on your payments. Aside from the reports obtained from lenders, these companies also tally your general records based on certain other aspects. Some of these aspects are your public records from the local and state judiciary. These include your tax records and bankruptcy information. This information makes up an important chunk of your credit score and its report.
Equifax
Present in 24 countries, Equifax is an agency that offers consumers protection against identity theft and credit fraudulence. They also sell credit reports and credit monitoring assistance to businesses.
Experian
Experian started off in London and is now a trusted agency in 39 different countries. It provides you with a credit score, credit report, and even credit tracker on subscription. The agency uses FICO 8 system of credit score calculation. Experian was a part of Forbes’ “World’s Most Innovative Companies” in 2018.
TransUnion
Based across 30 countries with a database of over 1 billion consumers, TransUnion is another CRA giant. The agency, like the other ones, will provide you with your credit score and your credit reports. In case you decide to freeze your TransUnion credit report, it will also go the extra mile to notify Equifax and Experian, which frankly is a big help especially in case of identity theft and credit fraud.
So, the next time you are sat wondering “where to get my credit score?,” think of these three giants that provide you with an annual credit score and credit report for free once each year. However, if you are looking for more frequent updates, you can subscribe to their services and receive your monthly updates.
Did you know that you have more than a single credit score? Agencies calculate your credit score based on the data in your credit reports. If you are wondering, “where to get my credit score?,” there are three main credit reporting agencies. These can have different credit scores for you if your information on each of their credit reports is different. Also, these agencies charge a fee to reveal your credit score.
Recently, it has become easier to track and get hold of your credit score without paying any fees. You can get it from your credit card company, your loan provider, and even from a non-profit counselor. Here are a few tips you can use to check your score.