Marriage and Student Loan Debt

January 17, 2019

Ever been on a date where the other person doesn’t stop talking about their ex? If you’ve had this experience, you can likely relate it to discussing your student loan debt in your relationship. Talking about finances is a necessary evil in a marriage. It can be difficult to discuss finances in a marriage because many people handle finances different based on their personal experiences and how their parents handled them. You might be great at adulting, but if your parents were never open about managing money, you’re probably unsure of how to bring it up. You might even be unsure as to where to start when it comes to managing finances together. Student loans are a big part of many couples’ financial reality. Figuring out how marriage will affect your student loans is an important part of managing your money together. Here are some main points that we think you should know about marriage and student loan debt.

Honesty

The fastest way to create a rift and cause problems in your relationship is to hide information about your finances. According to C reditCards.com, 6% of Americans in a relationship have hidden credit cards or checking/savings accounts from their partner. That total adds up to about 7 million, for perspective, that’s the size of the state of Massachusetts. It’s not uncommon especially in younger people ages 18-29 to withhold some financial information. It’s when a partner begins to lie about large purchases that a partner should become concerned.

People might think that love solves everything, but it’s better to be on the same page and realistic about the situation. If you are mature enough to get married and really want to work together to succeed, you need to face your finances. As a couple, you need to get over any fears about assessing the financial situation and air everything out. It doesn’t have to be painful but it needs to be an honest outlook. For some couples, this can seem really overwhelming but it doesn’t have to be.

Get Tips on How to Talk Finances With Your Partner

Get a Plan

Have a conversation about how to best review everything. Discuss each of your finances and then surmise a plan to tackle them. Now in some cases, it may not be this simple depending on your income level, occupation, and level of debt. You may want to meet with a financial counselor first and go over everything together, or sit down as a couple at home and discuss the basics before moving any further. It’s totally up to you both, as a team.

Don’t be shy or embarrassed by your financial situation as a couple. There are people who make a living on making sure couples are financially confident and ready to tackle financial goals together. Don’t overlook this benefit of consulting with an outside source about finances—especially if you feel like you don’t know what you’re doing. If you can’t afford an outside counselor check online, you may be surprised at the educational resources available for free. When it comes to self-learning about finances just be careful how you select your resources. As the old saying goes not everything you see online is true!

Loan Responsibility

When the person you’ve chosen to marry has student loan debt you can face some challenges. If you haven’t co-signed for a spouse and it’s just their name on the loan, this won’t be something that shows up on your credit report. Beware that even if you did not co-sign your partner’s loan there are instances when you might be responsible for paying the loan. Student loans aren’t that different from other types of loans.

For example, if someone passes away, the rest of their loan will likely be forgiven and the spouse would not have to continue making those payments. There are some cases where death will not discharge the remaining debt and the loan company may contact the estate for payment. If your spouse ever lost their income and went into default, the loan companies will look for someone to pay. If your spouse doesn’t have an income, your wages could be garnished. It’s a pretty extreme scenario, but it also happens and is something you should be aware of.

If you are choosing to marry someone with student loan debt, it’s important to talk about this. You’ll want to have a plan set up for each of these scenarios. Though they are extreme if you have savings and you pay down your debt responsibly you shouldn’t have any problems.

Repayment Plan Adjustments

IBR and other types of repayment plans are often used when paying back student loans. We would caution against using these programs. In some cases, your monthly student loan payment may not be covering the interest accrued that month and therefore your balance will continue to increase.

Repayment plans can be based on your household income and family size. When you get married your income and family size may change. If your spouse makes a considerable amount of money, your minimum payments could go up even with your family size going up. If your spouse makes less than you or is not working, your loan payment could go down. It all depends on the details of your financial situation and your loan servicer, but it’s worth noting that this is a possibility.

Refinancing

Fairly often we receive request to refinance couple’s student debt together. Many see this as creating a lot less hassle for themselves by creating only one bill. That’s not always possible, and many experts suggest keeping your loans separate in case your relationship status or financial situation changes in the future. You are not always able to refinance together, either. Whether or not you can refinance your student loan with your spouse will depend on the loan type and servicer you have. If you’re looking into refinancing, talk to each other about goals. Do you want a lower payment so you can save for a house or do you want to pay loans off sooner so you can live abroad or go to grad school? Again, it’s up to the two of you, but you can’t be on the same page if you don’t talk about it.

Don’t stress.

Take a deep breath and know that it’s normal for people to get stressed out talking about money, but it doesn’t have to be that way. No matter how much money you make, you will have to work together as a team to set priorities. This isn’t a blame game. Just talking about finances doesn’t mean that you’re secretly harboring any resentment or grudges. No one is being attacked and no questions are stupid. You both have to agree to create an open dialogue where you both feel good about discussing money and plans. Know that sometimes there are compromises, or one of you might change your personal plans to advance the other. That’s what it means to be a team.

Tips for Finding the Perfect Lender to Refinance Your Student Loans

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Education Loan Finance by SouthEast Bank is not responsible for and has no control over the subject matter, content, information, or graphics of the websites that have links here. The portal and news features are being provided by an outside source – The bank is not responsible for the content. Please contact us with any concerns or comments.

What is Student Loan Discharge?

To begin, it’s important to understand what the term “discharge” means in regard to student loans. Often used interchangeably with student loan forgiveness, these terms actually apply to different situations:

Student loan forgiveness is usually based on the borrower working in a particular occupation for a period of time, such as within the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program. For private student loans, loan forgiveness is essentially non-existent.

Student loan discharge is usually based on the borrower’s inability to repay the debt or the borrower not being responsible for the debt because of fraud.

Discharging Refinanced Student Loans

Refinanced student loans are essentially new loans taken out with a private lender – so when talking about whether refinanced student loans are dischargeable, you should look at them like private student loans. Here are some situations in which private student loans may be dischargeable. Keep in mind that private student loans are very rarely discharged and that this shouldn’t be considered a realistic option.

Disability

While federal student loans are dischargeable for individuals who are “totally and permanently” disabled, private student loans aren’t necessarily subject to this rule. However, some private lenders do offer loan discharge in situations of disability. If this applies to you, contact your lender for more information – many lenders review requests for financial assistance on a case-by-case basis and will show compassion toward the situation.

Bankruptcy

If you’re seeking to have your refinanced student loans discharged, filing for bankruptcy could possibly be a last-resort option – however, it is very difficult and unlikely to happen because student loans aren’t categorized as dischargeable debt. According to the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, in order to have your federal or private student loans discharged through bankruptcy, you must prove undue financial hardship on yourself and your dependents, which is a difficult and expensive process that will most likely require a separate lawsuit and an attorney. This process is so difficult that most people who file for bankruptcy do not attempt to include their student loans. If you are unable to prove undue hardship, you will be obligated to continue repaying your student loans, and if you’re currently having your wages garnished due to default, they will continue to be garnished.

There are also some pretty substantial drawbacks to filing bankruptcy that could have a lasting impact on your life.

Drawbacks of Filing for Bankruptcy

It Could Hurt Your Credit Score

If you currently have a good credit score (700 or higher), filing for bankruptcy is likely to bring it down substantially, making it more difficult to obtain financing for a mortgage, car loan, or personal loan.

It Will Show on Your Credit Report for up to 10 Years

As if a ding to your credit score isn’t bad enough, filing for bankruptcy will show on your credit report for up to 10 years, which can not only affect your ability to obtain financing, but also could be seen by potential employers and affect your hireability or be seen by landlords and affect your ability to find rental housing.

Your Cosigners will be Liable for your Debts

If you have any cosigners on your loans, they will become responsible for your debts that you no longer owe.

Loss of Property and Real Estate

Occasionally, not all personal property and real estate will fall under exemption when bankruptcy is filed. This means that the bankruptcy court may seize your property and sell it for the purpose of paying your debts to creditors.

Denial of Tax Refunds

As a result of filing bankruptcy, you may be denied federal, state or local tax refunds.

Ways to Ease Private Student Loan Debt

If the burden of your refinanced student loans appear to be too much for you to handle, there are several actions you can take to help ease the pressure.

Take Stock of Your Finances

While this may go unsaid, making changes to your financial habits and budget may help you set aside the money to afford your monthly payments. Take stock of your income, savings and how you are currently spending your money. Perhaps you also have federal student loans that you could consolidate or refinance as well, or maybe you have a few subscriptions that you don’t need and can cancel. Making small changes to your financial habits can make a big impact.

Contact Your Lender

While you may not qualify to have your refinanced student loans discharged, you may find it useful to contact your lender to learn about the options available to you. Many lenders will offer a temporary deferment or forbearance in times of economic or financial hardship. Being transparent with your servicer may allow you to avoid missed payments, which can have pretty significant impacts on your credit score.

Consider Refinancing Student Loans Again

Did you know there’s no limit to how many times you can refinance your loans? While you may have already refinanced your student loans once, refinancing them again may be an option to consider, depending on whether your financial situation has changed or if interest rates have dropped. If your credit score improves or you get a raise at work, you may be able to qualify for a lower interest rate. Even if you haven’t seen a big change in your financial status, you may be able to extend your loan term and lower your monthly payments. Check out our Student Loan Refinancing Calculator to examine how changing the length of your loan term may help you save on monthly payments.*

Ask for Employer Assistance in Student Loan Repayment

In an effort to be competitive in recruiting and provide relief to employees, many employers are offering (or considering) student loan repayment assistance as an added benefit to employees. If your employer isn’t currently offering this benefit, consider asking if there’s potential for it to be added. Now is actually a great time to make this proposal, as a recent provision within the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act allows employers to contribute up to $5,250 tax-free annually to their employees’ student loans until December 31, 2020. Send your HR department a well-written letter or have a formal meeting to discuss this opportunity.

Conclusion

You may find that getting your refinanced student loans or private student loans discharged isn’t any easy process. However, there are actions you can take to ease the financial burden that your student loans are causing. Visit the ELFI blog for more helpful tips and resources for paying off your student loan debt.

*Subject to credit approval. Terms and conditions apply.

Notice About Third Party Websites: Education Loan Finance by SouthEast Bank is not responsible for and has no control over the subject matter, content, information, or graphics of the websites that have links here. The portal and news features are being provided by an outside source – the bank is not responsible for the content. Please contact us with any concerns or comments.

millennial pushing ball uphill, representing student loans

2020-05-29

The Modern Millennial’s Battle With Student Loans

Everyone can agree that student debt is a problem in the United States. Now more than ever, student loans have come to the forefront of the cultural landscape. This February, Forbes reported that student loan debt in the U.S. had reached a record of $1.6 trillion, and the CARES Act provisions for student loans has brought them even further into the spotlight of public consciousness.

The everyday millennial’s battle with paying off student loans is a complex problem that is created by a variety of factors. Here are some of the issues and situations that typical millennials face when paying off student loans, along with some tips for actually tackling their debt once and for all.

That Moment When the Grace Period Ends

The grace period of student loans, typically lasting around six months after the completion of college, provides time for the new graduate to find a job. For those six months, they are free from the burden of making payments on their student loans. This period can seem to be a respite from the debt; however, the grace period can quickly turn into a period of stress. If the economy is in a dip, it can be difficult to find the job’s necessary to pay off student loans. Even when they do find a job, sometimes it can be difficult to make the monthly payments with an entry-level salary. The moment when the grace period ends is when reality starts to set in. Nonetheless, many still find the ability to begin making payments for a period of time. This then leads them toward the next hurdle – not getting discouraged by their loan balance.

The Difficult Task of Paying Off High Interest Rate Loans

Many millennials are trapped in high interest rate loans, where they attempt to pay their loans back, but the balance of the loans never really seems to go down, or at least not by much. The high interest rates simply counteract any effort to pay the loans off, leading many millennials to feel discouraged and stop making payments altogether. This causes their loan balance to increase, along with impacting their credit score with missed payments, which can hinder their ability to refinance for a lower interest rate later.

The Misleading Comfort of Student Loan Forgiveness

Loan forgiveness has often been discussed by both politicians and the media. After all, forgiving student loans would unburden hundreds of thousands from debt – however, there still stands no real basis for believing in total and complete student loan forgiveness. The closest to forgiveness that we’ve seen is the recent CARES Act, which waived payments on student loans through September 30, 2020, allowing those with federal student loans to stop paying for the period without having interest accrue. The constant talk of student loan forgiveness and even the CARES Act, while incredibly important and beneficial to those struggling with student debt, take away from some of the seriousness of paying back student debt on time. After all, why pay back loans when there seems to be student loan forgiveness on the horizon? This hope is the reason that many millennials decide to miss student loan payments, defer them, or even worse, go into default.

The Importance of Making Student Loan Payments

The talk of loan forgiveness should never trivialize the importance of paying off student loans promptly, as student loans can affect other things than simply your wallet. When many millennials graduate, they aren’t overly concerned with their credit score or history, and may not even know that missing student loan payments can affect them in this area. After all, they likely aren’t looking to buy a home or take out a personal loan immediately following graduation. They already may have to pay plenty of “new” expenses such as rent, utilities, groceries, etc., and unfortunately, student loans can fall by the wayside with these newfound expenses emerging.

However, missed payments, depending on how long you go without making them up, can have severe impacts on your credit score and credit history. Most prevalent is the presence of your missed payments on your credit report for up to seven years. In some cases, missed payments can lead to drops in your credit score as well. As such, it is important that you know how missed student loan payments can affect your credit score.

The Reality

The impact of missed payments on your finances cannot be understated. It leads to more interest to pay back, keeping the mountain of debt continuously growing, and it can drop your credit score substantially, especially if you have a good credit score to begin with. And, sadly, debt forgiveness isn’t guaranteed. The best way to avoid drops in your credit score and increasing debt is simply to take it seriously and pay it back timely. Worth noting is that if managed properly student loans can help your credit score in the long run.

How to Pay Back Student Loans Faster and More Effectively

Student loans can be seriously overwhelming, but there are several methods to pay them off faster and more effectively:

Set Up Automatic Payments

Automatic payments are an easy way to make sure that you are paying your student loans on time and never missing payments. They’re easy to set up and can take much of the burden away from keeping track of when you need to be making your payments.

Refinance Student Loans

Student loan refinancing is another way to pay student loans back quickly and more effectively. By refinancing, you choose which loans to consolidate and take out a new loan with a private lender, often with a lower interest rate and with a term length of your choosing. This allows you to either lower your monthly payments or pay your loans off faster by choosing a shorter term. ELFI customers have reported that they are saving an average of $272 every month and should see an average of $13,940 in total savings after refinancing their student loans.¹. Check out ELFI’s student loan refinancing calculator to estimate your potential savings.

Choosing a Different Term

Another method to pay back student loans quickly or more effectively is to change the term of the loan. Shorter loan terms typically have higher monthly payments but allow you to pay them off faster, while longer terms often lower the monthly payment amount. Adjusting the length of your loan term can help you better manage your student loans by adapting them to your goals and lifestyle.

Make Extra Payments

Making extra payments on your student loans allows you to make contributions that directly impact your loan principal balance, helping you save on interest long-term and pay off your loans faster. Keep in mind that if you have late fees or interest has accrued, your payments will first go towards late fees, then interest, then at last your principal balance.

Look into Student Loan Forgiveness

If you work in a public service position or for a non-profit, you may want to consider the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program or another loan forgiveness program offered by the federal government. Keep in mind that only about 1% of PSLF applicants actually qualify for forgiveness. Other options exist for volunteers, military recruits, medical personnel, etc. Some state, school, and private programs also offer loan forgiveness. Check with your school or loan servicer to see if you may qualify for student loan forgiveness.

Federal Loan Repayment Plans

By default, upon completing your federal student loan grace period, you are entered into the Standard Repayment Plan. However, there are a wide variety of other repayment plans that the federal government offers, such as the Income-Based Repayment plan, which determines payments based on your income and is forgiven after 10 years of on-time payments. Check out the Federal Student Aid website to learn more about the options available to you.

Paying back student loans can undoubtedly be difficult and stressful, but by taking advantage of the many resources at your disposal, they can be managed. If you have questions about your student loans or methods of repayment, the best way to have them answered is to contact your loan servicer.

*Subject to credit approval. Terms and conditions apply.

¹Average savings calculations are based on information provided by SouthEast Bank/ Education Loan Finance customers who refinanced their student loans between 2/7/2020 and 2/21/2020. While these amounts represent reported average amounts saved, actual amounts saved will vary depending upon a number of factors.

2020-05-22

This Week in Student Loans: May 22

Please note: Education Loan Finance does not endorse or take positions on any political matters that are mentioned. Our weekly summary is for informational purposes only and is solely intended to bring relevant news to our readers.

This week in student loans:

What you need to know about debt relief on student loans
Why a college's student loan default rate matters
Anonymous donors paid off $8 million in student loans for first-generation grads
More relief could be coming for student loan borrowers

what you need to know about student loan debt relief

What you need to know about debt relief on student loans

As there have obviously been some major changes in the world of student loans recent, the Washington Post covers many frequently asked questions in this article, from the details of the Heroes Act to how the new changes affect a variety of borrowers.

Source: Washington Post

Why a college's student loan default rate matters

With the extended deadline for "decision day" approaching, this US News & World Report brings to light how a college's default rate, or the average portion of students who default on their student loans, should matter to students who are choosing where to attend college.

Source: US News & World Report

Donors provide students with debt relief

Anonymous donors paid off $8 million in student loans for first-generation grads

According to CBS News, a group of anonymous donors contributed a total of $8 million to pay off college loans for up to 400 first-generation college students who have overcome financial hardships, from homelessness to poverty. The donors are longtime supporters of Students Rising Above (SRA), a Bay Area nonprofit.

Source: CBS News

More relief could be coming for student loan borrowers

While the CARES Act has already suspended federal student loan payments through September 30, 2020, a new bill known as the HEROES Act, passed by the House last Friday, would include additional relief for borrowers with both federal and private student loans, including potentially suspending federal student loans another year through September 30, 2021.

Source: CNBC

That wraps things up for this week! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn for more news about student loans, refinancing, and achieving financial freedom.