Everything You Need To Know About Student Loans And Credit

What's the link between student loans and credit scores? You might be surprised! In this article, we have a look at the nine things you ought to know about student loans to help you develop a great credit score.

First a little background. Student loans are unsecured loans (with no collateral backing them) issued with all the costs of tuition, books, board, and various other school-related expenses. Just like any other loan, your credit score is deeply impacted by your student loan. When you make your student loan payments in time, your credit score will improve. If your payments are late or if you ever skip a payment, your score will drop.
Student loans are an easy way for young adults to commence the all-important task of showing lenders they can handle debt. If lenders observe that you can make payments on time and in full, your credit score will go up and you will be very likely to get larger loans later in life.This is very important as you will need credit upon graduating from college. Your first employer might do a credit check, assuming that your credit history is an effective indication of whether you are responsible or not. A new landlord will definitely run your credit before renting a home to you. With all this in your mind, allow me to share nine things you should know about student loans and credit.

Credit Fact #1:
If you apply for a student loan, your credit may or may not be pulled. Some lenders do require a credit score, but others don't. If your credit score is pulled, a credit inquiry will be added to your credit report. This may cause your score to drop, but the impact will be minimal.

Credit Fact #2:
About 30 percent of your credit score is determined by your outstanding debt: the ratio of the amount you owe versus the amount you've paid. The more you've paid and the less you owe, the higher your score. If your payments are being deferred until you have graduated, or if you have deferred payments for another reason, the ratio isn't going to be to your advantage, and your score might decrease. Nevertheless, it should start to increase after about 6 months of making payments in time.

Credit Fact #3:
With this in mind, take into account that students that happen to be positioned to repay their loans before graduating will enjoy a quicker ride to good credit. Despite the fact that a lot of student loans do not require repayment until you have graduated, your credit score may be higher should you start paying off the loans right away. Take into account that some employers will run a credit check when you apply for your first post-college job, so developing a high credit score could benefit you.Some have speculated that if debtors repay their student loans too quickly, they can lose credit points (presumably because the maximum interest on the loan won't be accrued if the loan is paid off early). I think this is a bogus claim. The actual information on the credit-scoring formula have not been released, and so i cannot unquestionably confirm this theory one way or another, but I seriously doubt its accuracy. Credit-scoring bureaus are not interested with your creditor's ability to earn the most interest, but rather with your ability to repay your loan on time. The bureaus need to know that you will pay your debts by the due date. Paying your student loans sooner rather than later is a smart course of action because your debt-to-principal ratio will drop and your score should increase.

Credit Fact #4:
Prior to leaving college, explore the opportunity to get exit counseling, something most schools offer to prepare their students to repay federal student loans. This counseling can provide you worthwhile info on your rights and responsibilities and the conditions and terms of your respective loans.

Credit Fact #5:
Once you begin repaying your loan, never miss a payment. Here's something you may not know about student loans and credit: 35 % of your total credit score is going to be drawn from your payment history on credit cards and loans.

Credit Fact #6:
If you can't come up with a payment, ask for a forbearance, a short-term agreement that allows you to make smaller payments, or no payments at all. Otherwise, you will harm your credit score. Keep in mind that if you do not make payments, interest will continue to accrue and the amount due will grow larger.

Credit Fact #7:
Keep in touch with your lender. Should you be struggling with your payments, never hold off until the lender approaches you or until a delinquency notice is logged on your record. Instead, initiate communication with your lender. Talk about forbearance or student loan consolidation.

Credit Fact #8:
Student loans cannot be dismissed during bankruptcy.

Credit Fact #9:
Making regular payments on your student loans is a wonderful way for young adults to begin developing their credit score, setting the cornerstone for better loan terms and lower interest rates on potential loans, and saving bundles over the course of a lifetime. But this isn't enough. As you proceed after school, you should try to add in various kinds of credit into your finances while keeping current on your payments. The mix of credit you have comprises 10 percent of your score. The credit scoring bureaus need to see that you can handle several different types of loans-from credit cards to student loans to car loans.
Now that you are aware of the nine important facts about student loans and credit, be sure to find out the 38 facts the banks don't want you to know! These money-saving tips and insider secrets about credit scores will save you big money and help you position yourself for success.