Not exact matches
A fixed
rate loan offers stability and certainty, while
variable and hybrid
rate loans offer potential cost savings for those who are willing to take the
risk of the interest
rates rising.
However, there is the
risk that the
variable interest
rate will be much higher if the average student
loan interest
rate has risen significantly after the set period
of time is over.
This will help offset the
risk of monthly student
loan payments becoming unaffordable if your
variable rate increases.
For
variable - and fixed -
rate loans offered by private lenders, interest
rates will typically depend on the length, or term
of the
loan, and the perceived credit
risk of the borrower.
Most caps on
variable interest
rate student
loans are roughly 8 - 9 %, which can help decrease the
risk of a rising interest
rate.
Although you can get a lower initial
rate on a
variable -
rate loan, you assume the
risk of future
rate increases.
Since lenders bear the interest
rate risk of a fixed
rate loan (the
risk of rates rising), interest
rates are generally initially higher on a fixed
rate loan than on a
variable rate loan.
Although you can get a lower initial
rate on a
variable -
rate loan, you assume the
risk of future
rate increases.
That is one
of the key
risks with
variable rate loans — your payment may rise (even substantially) in the future.
Variable rates are a
risk, because whilst they often start at lower
rates than fixed term
loans, and could go down, they could easily go up, increasing the amount
of interest paid on a
loan considerably.
Because fixed
rate loans create some interest
rate risk for the lender, fixed interest
rates tend to be higher at the beginning
of the
loan than comparable
variable rate loans.
Because the borrower assumes some
of the
risk of increasing interest
rates, lenders tend to charge lower interest
rates at the start
of variable rate loans in comparison to fixed
rate loans.
If you follow the old saying
of not putting all your eggs in one basket (what financial planners call «diversifying your
risk»), you may want to consider taking out some fixed
rate and some
variable rate loans over the course
of your college career.
However, there is the
risk that the
variable interest
rate will be much higher if the average student
loan interest
rate has risen significantly after the set period
of time is over.
A fixed
rate loan offers stability and certainty, while
variable and hybrid
rate loans offer potential cost savings for those who are willing to take the
risk of the interest
rates rising.
One caution about
variable rate loans: While you can get a lower
rate (while interest
rates are at historic lows), you run the
risk of them going up in the future, which will affect your monthly payment.
Choosing a line
of credit versus refinancing your mortgage, or picking between a
variable -
rate loan versus one with a fixed
rate, will depend on your own individual needs and how well you tolerate
risk.
While there might be times when a
variable -
rate loan makes sense, such as if you know you're going to be paying off your
loans quickly, consider whether the
risk of your
rate going up is worth it.
Interest
Rate Risk While rates are low today, lines of credit are variable rate loans meaning every time interest rates increase your borrowing costs immediately edge hig
Rate Risk While
rates are low today, lines
of credit are
variable rate loans meaning every time interest rates increase your borrowing costs immediately edge hig
rate loans meaning every time interest
rates increase your borrowing costs immediately edge higher.
For instance, if the
rate on some or all
of your
loans is
variable, then you run the
risk of having the amount that you owe increase in the future.
Because you're sharing the
risk of rate hikes with the banks by getting a
variable rate loan, the bank doesn't have to price that into the interest
rate.
Fixed interest
rates eliminate the
risk of loan interest
rates rising during the life
of a
loan, but they also eliminate the possibility
of them dropping (as they can with a
variable rate).
No one knows where this momentum may or may not go, but the safe bet is to take
risk out
of the equation by turning
variable rate loans into fixed
rate mortgages and limiting borrowing as much as possible.
For
variable - and fixed -
rate loans offered by private lenders, interest
rates will typically depend on the length, or term
of the
loan, and the perceived credit
risk of the borrower.